Abbas plans to resume negotiations and marginalise the Palestinian resistance

As the Palestinian armed resistance persevered against Israel’s latest colonial massacre, the two state solution has become part of the diplomatic discourse. The atrocities committed have created a diverse political framework that has united the people behind the resistance, however Mahmoud Abbas has reverted to the collapsed negotiations which have become a recurring focal point.

As Abbas intentionally fluctuates on whether or not he will seek Israel’s indictment at the International Criminal Court he demeans the Palestinian resistance by imploring the US and Israel to “outline specific borders”. The emerging political allegiances between the people and the resistance risk becoming another form of imperialist oblivion.

According to the Times of Israel, US Secretary of State John Kerry is seeking a return to the perpetual negotiations that have plundered Palestinian land and resources for decades. While reporting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is less than enthused about the negotiations prospects – possibly owing to additional so-called concessions to Palestinians including the release of the fourth group of Palestinian prisoners. This is reminiscent of attempts to prevent liberation (of Palestine) through diplomatic hypocrisy.

There were speculations last week about Abbas’s undisclosed plan for a “political and diplomatic solution”. The plan allegedly involves international interference under the guise of “handing over responsibility for a resolution to the conflict to international forces”. Given the willingness to make further concessions, the ICC threat by Abbas becomes insignificant. According to Israel Radio, Abbas regurgitated criticism of Hamas for refusing to accept the previously proposed ceasefire and asked, “is the Palestinian nation so trivial in our eyes?”

It is the triviality with which the Palestinian Authority regards Palestine that has ensured its international political recognition. The PA, an instrument of collaboration, is intent on eliminating the role embraced by the Palestinian resistance and the people in favour of bargaining over a process that will not yield any demarcation of borders until the settler-colonial process is complete.

The efforts by Kerry and Abbas negate, not only the ramifications of Operation Protective Edge, but also undermine the increased legitimacy of the Palestinian resistance – the latter already indirectly enforced through the numerous restrictions upon the rebuilding of Gaza.

Abbas constantly endorses the role of international interference in Israel’s illegal settler-colonial existence. Despite the Palestinians embracing the armed resistance, Abbas is determined to fragment the right to land and considers international forces to be a suitable option.

Abbas considers security to be tantamount to the elimination of Palestine, which will elicit references to “borders”, “peace”, “negotiations” and “solutions” and succeeding in the temporary incarceration of Palestinians and, in the long run, the extermination of any reference to Palestinian land or people. The vacuum of previous years when resistance became embroiled in diplomacy seems to have been eliminated. The future political processes are unknown, but Palestine has succeeded in establishing a legitimate struggle beyond manipulative officials and legislation.

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