Danny Rubinstein: Israel will pay a high price if the Palestinian Authority is dismantled

According to the Arab 21 news website, a prominent Israeli journalist has warned that the Israeli economy would be harmed if the Palestinian Authority were to be dismantled, stating that such a development could cost Israel about 20 million shekels (equivalent to $6 million).

In an article published by Israel’s financial newspaper Globes, Danny Rubinstein highlighted the Palestinian economy’s linkages to the Israeli economy and noted that 80 per cent of Palestine’s imports come from Israel, which means that the Palestinians buy most of their needs from Israel, trade that is secured through the Palestinian Authority.

He said that dismantling the Palestinian Authority would also undermine Israel’s ability to punish the Palestinians in bilateral relations. For example, 130,000 Palestinians currently work in Israel and the Israeli authorities often temporarily suspend their work permits in response to unfavourable behaviour from the Palestinian Authority’s leadership.

He stressed that exacerbating Israel’s economic problems as the boycott campaign against Israel intensifies, especially in Europe, is particularly a problem because the Israeli national income depends on revenues from Israeli exports.

Rubenstein also said that Israel would pay a high price as a result of the expected deterioration of the security situation in the wake of dismantling the Palestinian Authority. Dealing with such a security crisis would entail Israel spending a lot of resources.

Thus, he concluded that restoring full Israeli military rule in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip would pose a great threat to the Israeli economy.

Many Palestinians accuse the Palestinian Authority’s security bodies of carrying out the Israeli role; in other words, they say that Israel outsources the occupation to the authority, which is why President Mahmoud Abbas is widely considered as an agent of Israel.