Abbas Has Become the Obstacle to Peace

Israel, the United States, and most of the international community were pleased by the election of Mahmoud Abbas as President of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Expectations were high that Abbas would radically alter the policies of his predecessor, consolidate his power, reform the PA, and put an end to years of senseless violence that claimed many innocent lives and left Palestinians with a feeling of hopelessness. Rather than taking steps toward peace, however, Abbas has done nothing in the last four years but repeat the longstanding irridentist demands of the PLO while steadily losing the power to reach any agreement with Israel.

When Israel decided to evacuate the Gaza Strip, Abbas had an opportunity to first say that he would support the “end of occupation” and then later to begin to build the infrastructure of a state in the territory after Israel withdrew. Instead, he actually opposed the withdrawal, preferring “occupation” to being put in a position where he might have to accept Israel and begin to govern.

In 2008, Ehud Olmert made a dramatic offer for peace that was similar to the one Ya-sir ?Arafa-t rejected at Camp David in 2000. Olmert offered to withdraw from approximately 94 percent of the West Bank, with 4.5 percent of the remainder to be received in a swap for land now in Israel. Another 1.5 percent of the territory would be used for passages to a Mediterranean port and Gaza. Olmert reportedly proposed a form of international control of the Old City of Jerusalem and a joint committee to administer East Jerusalem until permanent arrangements were settled. Abbas would not or could not consummate the deal.

Most recently, he made clear that he had no intention of negotiating with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and rejected the Israeli leader’s offer to immediately resume talks without preconditions. His chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, called on the Arab countries to suspend the Arab peace initiative, and PA officials in Ramallah warned of a new round of violence and a new intifada. Meanwhile, Abbas said he hopes the Obama administration will force Netanyahu out of office and is prepared to wait for years until that happens. Since Abbas has refused to make a deal now with three different Israeli prime ministers, there is no reason to expect a change in Israeli leadership that would make him any less intransigent.

Abbas’s Weakness.

One problem Abbas has had from the outset is that he is not popular with the Palestinian people and does not enjoy the loyalty of the armed factions in the PA. This was most apparent when his forces gave up without a fight when Hamas decided to take over the Gaza Strip. Ever since that coup, Abbas has had a tenous hold on power in the West Bank and no influence whatsoever in Gaza. Consequently, even if he had the best intentions, Abbas could not deliver on any agreement. Because of his weakness, Israel has repeatedly been asked to make gestures to help Abbas; however, nothing Israel does is ever sufficient.

The United States and the international community continue to place all their faith in a man whose track record suggests that he will remain the principal obstacle to any progress in the peace process. Rather than continuing to try to pressure Israel to make concessions that will make no difference given the inability of Abbas to deliver on any agreement, and unwillingness to accept anything short of Israel’s complete capitulation to his irredentist demands, it is time to look to the future and a time when a Palestinian leader will emerge who respects the will of the people who say they prefer to live in peace to pursuing a futile and endless strategy of “resistance.”