Abbas' pleas diminish Palestinian suffering

Swiftly implementing rhetoric inundated with revenge, the Israeli Air Force intensified its bombing of Gaza under the pretext of “making Hamas pay” for their alleged involvement in the deaths of the three settler teenagers – an accusation which Hamas has repeatedly denied. Meanwhile, Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khader was abducted, brutally murdered and burnt, in an act of retribution by Israeli settlers.

According to reports in the Times of Israel, PA President Mahmoud Abbas sought assistance from world leaders in curbing Israel’s escalation of atrocities, following the discovery of the dead Israeli settlers. Israel National News elaborated further, stating in an article that Abbas sought the help of Egypt’s al-Sisi in preventing “an Israeli military escalation in Gaza”.

Reactions from world leaders have been largely predictable in their portrayal of neutrality – a guise through which Israel’s self-imposed right to defend itself can be supported. Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Badr Abdellaty spoke of escalation prevention “between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, and prevent it from deteriorating in a way that would make it difficult to control later.” Preventing escalation should be taken within the context of proof that Egypt has lately offered within its borders through the mass incarceration of opponents, as well as the earlier collaboration with Israel resulting in the destruction of Gaza tunnels, exacerbating hardships for Palestinians in the enclave.

The Egyptian statement was echoed by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who declared, “We look to both the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to take all necessary steps to prevent acts of violence and bring their perpetrators to justice.” Protecting the innocent, he added, was an imperative, in order to “act with reasonableness and restraint, not recrimination and retribution.”

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process Robert Serry issued a statement in which restraint featured as an afterthought. The settlers were divested of their usurper identity and identified solely as students. Suggesting Hamas’s involvement, Serry stated, “The perpetrators must be brought to justice, as any association with or support for terror or violence must be rejected and will have consequences for those concerned. In this regard, I continue to be deeply troubled by statements from Hamas representatives suggesting support for this heinous act.”

Abbas should have garnered sufficient awareness by now that pleas to alleviate oppression result in further justification of colonial violence. Despite knowledge and proof of the contrary, the equation of “restraint on both sides” will continue to resonate with the aim of consolidating Israeli impunity. Context will remain diminished, not only by Israel’s international allies and the UN, but also by Palestinian leaders who fail to articulate the incessant state-sanctioned atrocities.

In light of Abbas’s willingness to ensure security coordination in the search for the deceased settlers, the international response may also be viewed as an extension of what the PA President himself has emphasised as a priority. Feeble laments on behalf of Abbas add to the humiliation which Palestinians have had to endure, notably recourse to the same international community that hails the preservation of the settler-colonial state and the intensification of atrocities against a population that is largely defenceless, owing to the leadership’s subjugation to the coloniser.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.