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By COMPILEDTHE MEDIA LINEPM Netanyahu and President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas in Washington, 2010(photo credit: GPO)THE UN VOTE DOES NOT REVEAL THE ENTIRE PICTURE Al-Khaleej al-Jadid, UAE, December 29The UN Security Council resolution that was passed last week on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory was important and long overdue. But don’t let it fool you; the Israeli appetite knows no bounds.Despite the fact that President-elect Donald Trump based his entire campaign on promises and guarantees to Israel, the Israelis are still hungry for more. Senior officials in Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet have been working closely with their counterparts in Trump’s transition team in an attempt to push the new administration into pursuing aggressively favorable policies towards Israel.Two things stand at the fore of the Israeli agenda: first, the idea that settlements are not an impediment to peace, and second, the notion that any binding resolutions must be achieved in direct negotiations between the two sides and not by international bodies or agencies. Trump’s team seems to have endorsed these two conditions.Trump himself tweeted against the Security Council resolution and assured Israel that January 20 – his inauguration day – is “fast approaching.” The Israeli government, in turn, will use this new policy to its favor, setting facts on the ground, further annexing and destroying Palestinian lands, and bringing an unequivocal end to the two-state solution.The changing reality of the Middle East brought Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel to see itself differently. It is no longer a nation defending itself, but one seeking an enhancement of its role in the region. In the wake of faltering Arab regimes and civil wars, Netanyahu wants to establish Israel as America’s one and only true ally in the Middle East, and therefore the only legitimate player in the region.The UN Security Council resolution is important, but it doesn’t reveal the entire picture.– Muhammad al-Said IdrisSAVING PALESTINE FROM ITS OWN LEADERSHIP Al-Rai al-Youm, London, December 20Next November will mark 100 years since the writing of the Balfour Declaration, which confirmed the British government’s support for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. This marks 100 years of Palestinian resilience and fortitude in their long-lasting battle against colonialism, 100 years of Palestinian suffering, displacement and humiliation at the hands of the very same Zionists to which the Declaration was given.Throughout the last century, the Palestinian people have fought against the Zionists with whatever means they had available. These have shifted from demonstrations, to revolts, to popular resistance, and, now, Security Council resolutions. But not all means were equally effective.The Oslo Accords of 1993, devised and promoted by none other than Mahmoud Abbas, were a major pitfall to the Palestinian cause. They included virtually no reference to Palestinian rights. They failed miserably at promoting Palestinian sovereignty.Instead, the Oslo Accords instilled a new puppet government in Palestine, controlled by Israel and backed by the West.Since then, almost every notable Palestinian politician has backtracked from these miserable agreements, expressing the urgent need to find a new solution to the Palestinian problem. Everyone, that is, with the exception of Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas has forcefully ruled the Palestinian people in the last 11 years. He turned the PLO and its bodies into agents of his own welfare and well-being. He made repeated concessions to Israel that stood in striking contrast to Palestinian interests. And he refuses to hold democratic elections to this very day.Throughout the years, Israelis have wished for, and indeed received, many gifts. But there is no doubt that the biggest gift of them all is Abbas’s years as chairman of the PLO and president of Palestine. In the eyes of the Israelis, Abbas’s benefits have outweighed even those of the Balfour Declaration.Palestine needs to be saved from many people, but one of them is no other than its own leader.– Sliman abu Sita ANOTHER IRAN-HAMAS FRONT? Al-Shorouk, Egypt, December 29 The mullahs in Tehran were furious this week.At Hamas’s annual rally in Gaza just a few weeks ago, members of the organization severely criticized the battle of Aleppo and decried the loss of Syrian lives. Iranian newspapers and media sites in Lebanon were quick to express their discontent over Hamas’s anti-Assad position, describing it as “betrayal” to the Resistance.On Hamas’s end, there was no option but to speak up against the events in Syria. The Arab public is outraged at the sight of its brothers and sisters being slaughtered at the hands of Assad. For Hamas to maintain its relevance and credibility in the eyes of the public, it had to take a stance.In my opinion this was a brilliant move. While it puts the Gaza-based movement at negative standing with Tehran, Hamas relies much more heavily on the Arab public than it does in Iranian funding. The benefits of succumbing to Iran, in other words, fall far behind those of gaining widespread support in the streets of Gaza and the Arab world.In addition, what does Iranian support even mean for Hamas? Iran’s future stance in the region will likely be severely challenged in months to come. Donald Trump’s insistence on canceling the nuclear deal will force the mullahs to comply with Western demands and stipulations more than ever before. Under such circumstances, Hamas is out of limits either way.Hamas made the right choice by choosing its own nation over Iran. This is a far-sighted move that will pay off in the long run.– Yasser al-Zaatrahttp://www.themedialine.org/
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