Abbas’s betrayal of Palestine

Moving from one dangerous blunder to another, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has exceeded his usual level of absurdity, which hovers within the spectrum of allegedly speaking for Palestinian rights while capitulating to every Israeli and international demand. Following his attendance at Shimon Peres’s funeral which, according to the Times of Israel, was a personal decision, Abbas proceeded to give a speech in Bethlehem in which “the occupation” was discussed in a nonchalant manner and, as usual, divested from the reality of colonisation.

According to an unnamed senior Palestinian official, Abbas’s attendance at the funeral was proof that “there is a Palestinian partner who seeks peace, and Abbas is serious about pursuing it.” Cries of “traitor” have been vindicated; apart from the historical brutality associated with Peres over many decades, Abbas’s attendance displays huge indifference when it comes to Palestinian memory.

Meanwhile, in his speech in Bethlehem during a convention themed “A Return to the Roots”, Abbas stated: “We have no illusions that the occupation will end tomorrow. But they can do what they want, build [in settlements] as they please; we will build our homeland and establish our future state, with Jerusalem as its capital.”

The PA’s obliviousness of its own actions is clear at this point. Apart from the fact that Palestinian territory continues to decrease due to compromising with Israel with regard to settler-colonial expansion, Abbas has conveniently forgotten the shameful willingness exhibited back in 2010 by Saeb Erekat to relinquish Jerusalem. It should at least be obvious that, under PA rule, the concept of a Palestinian state does not even reach a hypothetical level. The existence of Palestine has reached a precarious position, where territory is fragmented and memory needs to carve out a niche of its own, away from the destructive dynamics of the PA, whose actions clearly portray the intent to forget as a priority, which would synchronise Abbas with the international community and its penchant for useless symbolism.

Indeed, recognition of his rhetorical absurdities prompted Abbas to justify alleged efforts on behalf of the PA to build the clichéd “independent and viable Palestinian state” by yet another announcement to become a full member of the UN, as if a mere upgrade can change the ramifications of Israeli colonialism in Palestine. Let us not forget that even the international institution itself refers to Israel as a state rather than a colonial structure.

While Abbas fluctuates between accommodating Israel and puerile statements, loss looms even more tangibly than a Palestinian state. It is almost as if the PA head has no vision beyond the authority, its structure and purpose. Palestinians are degraded into non-existence. What started off as a Zionist fabrication in the early years of colonisation is now being incorporated into politics by Abbas. Yet the PA’s monopoly on Palestinian representation remains imperative for the international community. Given the dissonance between such annihilation and Palestinian struggle, it is clear that diplomacy is obstructing anti-colonial struggle and liberation. In speaking about a free country while acquiescing to every Israeli and international demand, Abbas has not only betrayed Palestine but also predetermined the fate of an entire population against its will, which makes resistance a collective and necessary option.

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