Towards a Palestinian strategy after Obama's plan

On September 11 this year, the American President Barack Obama announced his administration’s strategy for confronting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), announcing the formation of an international-regional alliance led by Washington in order to wage a war that will ultimately eliminate the organisation.

This alliance has dangerous characteristics, and it is led by the United States which has its own goals and interests. It also comes in the aftermath of military and political conflicts and serious disputes that have hit the structure of the region’s countries, as well as social variables, the dissolution of state structures, the fall of some regimes and the threatening of others, the disregard for borders, economic downfalls, and a decline in the level of development and services. This alliance is also dangerous because the American administration announced that it will go on for three years, which will mean further decline and disputes without a strong likelihood of the success or achievement of the goals. Thus, we are heading towards more chaos, internal conflicts, political downfalls, social crises, sectarian incitement and doctrinal conflict.

Obama’s strategy will reflect on the Palestinian cause and, therefore, it is expected that the international concern with the cause will decline, the internal Palestinian crises will continue, and the influential forces will prevent Palestinian reconciliation. In addition to this, the Israeli government is expected to try to take advantage of the international alliance in order to abuse the Palestinian resistance forces and target them again, try to get revenge on the Gaza Strip, pick up the pace of security persecutions and settlement expansion in the West Bank, attack the holy sites, and fight the Palestinian identity.

It also expected that the Palestinian communities in the region will be exposed to constant threats, especially in Syria and Lebanon. In the context of the American alliance to combat ISIS, the US will not give any attention to resolving the Palestinian conflict, especially since the efforts led by US Secretary of State John Kerry failed. Moreover, the US is on the verge of presidential elections and the concerns of the countries in the region will focus on preserving the positions of those ruling the regimes, repressing the opposition, the success of the American alliance, and confronting the Islamic groups.

These variables should provide the platform for a clear Palestinian position based on the realisation of the dimensions of the new international alliance and its effects on the region, as well as protecting the Palestinian cause from the dangers that it may be exposed to as a result of this alliance. Palestine must remain a political and popular priority, the resistance must be protected from any targeting, political concessions under any pretext must be avoided, the Palestinian refugee communities must be protected, and the Palestinian cause must be distanced from the political imbalances in the region, as well as the local and regional disputes and sectarian and doctrinal disputes.

It is wrong for the Palestinians to deal with the developments resulting from the new international alliance to ignore or underestimate them, as well as continue to adopt the policy of making decisions alone and monopolising institutions. They also must not ignore the popular will and the results of the Palestinian resilience and sacrifices made during the most recent Zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip and the consequent political, military and internal losses and damages.

The necessary Palestinian strategy requires holding a meeting for all Palestinian leaders, holding a broad Palestinian dialogue, rebuilding the PLO, arranging the internal Palestinian home, activating the joint national document “Prisoners’ Document”, protecting the resistance, putting an end to the security coordination and security persecutions, improving the conditions of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Syria and protecting them, engaging the Palestinian refugees in the national political decisions, activating the role of the unity government, hastening the reconstruction and relief of Gaza, enhancing relations with the regional Arab and Islamic states and forces, especially those supporting the resistance, and developing the Palestinian media performance on an international level. This strategy also requires investing the international solidarity with the Palestinians, relieving the crises with Arab countries, such as Egypt, despite the fact that here are many negative comments on their performance.

The conscious and wise Palestinian forces and leadership are responsible for making qualitative efforts to protect Palestine, the Palestinians, and their cause from the consequences of the new American strategy in the region. This is also a national and popular responsibility as well.

Translated from Al- Araby Al-Jadeed, 17 September, 2014

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