Rather than responding to Israel’s efforts to negotiate peace, the Palestinian Authority (PA) is abandoning the peace process and engaging in diplomatic warfare against the Jewish state. By bypassing negotiations and seeking recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations, the Palestinians are violating past agreements with Israel that commit the parties to direct talks.
President Obama has publicly rejected the Palestinian approach at the U.N., saying on May 22 that “no vote at the United Nations will ever create an independent Palestinian state.” On May 25, at the AIPAC Policy Conference, Obama called the Palestinian efforts at the U.N. a “mistake.”
PA President Abbas is also choosing reconciliation with Hamas over talks with Israel. Hamas has yet to accept the Quartet’s (U.S., U.N., E.U. and Russia) conditions of recognizing Israel’s right to exist, renouncing violence and endorsing previous Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements. U.S. law prohibits the provision of aid to a PA government that includes Hamas unless the government and all its members have publicly committed to the Quartet principles.
A Palestinian unity government with an unreformed Hamas raises serious concerns for Israel. In mid-May Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Israel “can only make peace with those who want to make peace with us. Those who wish to obliterate us are no partners for peace. A Palestinian government with half its members declaring daily that they plan to annihilate the Jewish state is not a partner for peace."
The president has made clear that Israel cannot reach an agreement with a terrorist group that calls for its annihilation, saying, “No country can be expected to negotiate with a terrorist organization sworn to its destruction—and we will continue to demand that Hamas accept the basic responsibilities of peace, including recognizing Israel’s right to exist and rejecting violence and adhering to all existing agreements.”
President Obama has publicly rejected the Palestinian approach at the U.N., saying on May 22 that “no vote at the United Nations will ever create an independent Palestinian state.” On May 25, at the AIPAC Policy Conference, Obama called the Palestinian efforts at the U.N. a “mistake.”
PA President Abbas is also choosing reconciliation with Hamas over talks with Israel. Hamas has yet to accept the Quartet’s (U.S., U.N., E.U. and Russia) conditions of recognizing Israel’s right to exist, renouncing violence and endorsing previous Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements. U.S. law prohibits the provision of aid to a PA government that includes Hamas unless the government and all its members have publicly committed to the Quartet principles.
A Palestinian unity government with an unreformed Hamas raises serious concerns for Israel. In mid-May Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Israel “can only make peace with those who want to make peace with us. Those who wish to obliterate us are no partners for peace. A Palestinian government with half its members declaring daily that they plan to annihilate the Jewish state is not a partner for peace."
The president has made clear that Israel cannot reach an agreement with a terrorist group that calls for its annihilation, saying, “No country can be expected to negotiate with a terrorist organization sworn to its destruction—and we will continue to demand that Hamas accept the basic responsibilities of peace, including recognizing Israel’s right to exist and rejecting violence and adhering to all existing agreements.”
Talking Points
- Israel is committed to peace and has sought serious, direct talks without preconditions with the Palestinian Authority (PA) for the past two years.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken far-reaching steps to pave the way for substantive talks—calling for a Palestinian state, reducing barriers to movement in the West Bank and implementing an unprecedented 10-month West Bank housing construction moratorium.
- The Palestinians have stalled and undermined peace talks. PA President Abbas has refused to meet with Israeli leaders and has launched a campaign outside the negotiation process to win recognition of a Palestinian state at the U.N. this September.
- Abbas also has undermined peace efforts by reaching a deal to form a unity government with Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group bent on destroying Israel.
- Abbas must dramatically alter this approach if he wants to retain American support.
- It is important that the United States clearly oppose Palestinian statehood efforts at the U.N. Israeli-Palestinian peace can only be achieved through direct talks, not unilateral actions intended to isolate one party.
- The United States also must insist that any unity government between Abbas’ Fatah party and Hamas meet the Quartet’s requirements that it recognize Israel, renounce violence and agree to abide by past Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
- If the PA continues down this destructive path, the United States should reexamine its relationship with the PA and suspend U.S. aid.
