(Jan. 30, 2019 / Gatestone Institute)
- If, in the eyes of the Palestinian Authority leadership, normalization with Israel is an act of “treason,” a “crime” and a “big political and national sin,” the Trump administration may well be wasting its time and prestige on a peace plan that envisions peace between the Arab countries and Israel, at least at this time.
- To achieve peace with Israel, Palestinian leaders need to prepare their people—and all Arabs and Muslims—for peace and compromise with Israel, and not, as they are now doing, the exact opposite. Shaming and denouncing Arabs who visit Israel is hardly a way to prepare anyone for peace, or the possibility of any compromise.
- Meanwhile, the Trump administration and the international community would be doing a real service to the Palestinians if they started paying attention to assaults on public freedoms, including freedom of the media, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Holding Palestinian leaders accountable for their systematic abuses of public freedoms, assaults on journalists and incitement is the only way to encourage badly needed moderate and pragmatic Palestinians and Arabs to speak out.
- Read full article at Gatestone.
