After Erekat's death, it's time for new PA leadership to advance peace

The Arab states in the Gulf understand that the Palestinians are not serious about peace, and these states are no longer willing to let them stop normalization with Israel.

By JPOST EDITORIAL
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat looks on during a news conference following his meeting with foreign diplomats, in Ramallah, West Bank January 30, 2019 (photo credit: MOHAMAD TOROKMAN/REUTERS)
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat looks on during a news conference following his meeting with foreign diplomats, in Ramallah, West Bank January 30, 2019
(photo credit: MOHAMAD TOROKMAN/REUTERS)
The Book of Proverbs says “Rejoice not when thine enemy falls, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbles.”
And indeed, as Israelis, we should not rejoice in the death of one of the most prominent Palestinian leaders, Saeb Erekat, who died Tuesday from the novel coronavirus after being treated at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem.
Erekat was a veteran diplomat who symbolized more than anyone the Palestinian negotiating position with Israel for the last three decades, since he joined the Jordanian-Palestinian delegation to the 1991 Madrid Conference. He was named the Palestine Authority’s top negotiator in 2015, while also serving as secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
For many, he was a man who fought for peace. While other Palestinians took a more aggressive and violent stance, Erekat was always a voice that supported the continuance of negotiations with Israel, who kept stressing the importance of nonviolent steps.
On the other hand, Erekat was part of an administration that constantly undermined Israel’s legitimacy, and has been one of the most virulent attackers of Israel on the international stage, accusing the country of war crimes and pushing attempts to get Israel probed by the International Criminal Court.
Not exactly the way to advance peace negotiations.
But maybe now, after Erekat’s death, change can come to the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian national movement.
Born in Abu Dis near Jerusalem, Erekat belonged to the crossover era, what was dubbed the “second generation of the PLO,” after the founding generation started operations in Jordan and then moved on to Beirut and Tunis. Erekat was part of the group that shaped the Oslo Accords, signed at the White House in 1993. It was the generation that came to power with the arrival of former PLO chief Yasser Arafat to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and it was supposed to engage in state building for a future independent Palestinian state.
Other members of this group include Riad Malki, Hanan Ashrawi and Salam Fayyad, traditional Palestinian politicians who, despite being moderate and opposed to terrorism, continue to hold false narratives, such as the right of return for Palestinian refugees, which in reality prevent the refugees from improving their lives. Instead, these refugees remain captive to the notion that they will one day return to pre-1948 Israel.
The truth must be said: This generation failed to lay the proper foundations and infrastructure needed for a Palestinian state. It failed to establish functioning, responsible institutions that could serve a country achieving its independence, and it failed to dismantle the terrorist groups that have already taken over the Gaza Strip and are a constant threat to the stability of the current regime led by Mahmoud Abbas.
The recent peace deals between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain illustrate this failure. The Arab states in the Gulf understand that the Palestinians are not serious about peace, and these states are no longer willing to let them stop normalization with Israel.
A look at the Zionist institutions that preceded the establishment of the State of Israel and at the Palestinian institutions that currently exist tell the whole story. The Jewish institutions were pragmatic, democratic, willing to make painful concessions and focused on a clear goal – establishing an independent Jewish state. The Palestinian institutions, on the other hand, are corrupt, refuse to make tough decisions, and are mostly unwilling to make the necessary concessions.
The current PA leadership has forced the Palestinians to be dependent on foreign aid, especially on UNRWA, which holds the key to health, education, housing and welfare services in the PA-controlled territories.
For peace to be possible, a forceful, new Palestinian leadership is needed that is focused on creating and sustaining a strong and functioning 21st-century economy that can support its people.
It is understandable why the PA rejected US President Donald Trump’s peace initiative, which it felt clearly favored Israel. But with President-elect Joe Biden soon to take over in the White House, it is time to look ahead in the new Middle East. New relationships are possible with a new generation of Palestinian leaders.
It is time for change.


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