Abbas’ Palestinian Authority Hurts Everybody
The Palestinian Authority was established in 1994 as the main product of the Oslo Accords. Based on responsibilities outlined for it in the agreement, expectations from the new entity were very high. The P.A. was supposed to enable the Palestinians living in the territories Israel occupied in 1967 to enjoy self-rule in a democratically functioning regime that respected their human and civil rights. Additionally, the P.A. was also supposed to lead the Palestinians toward a permanent peace with Israel through diplomatic negotiations.
Today, these expectations read like something from a fairy tale. Yet they were foundational to hopes of peaceful progress for both Israelis and Palestinians, as well as for the United States, Europe, and other interested parties. Israel expected the Palestinian Authority to stop incitement to hatred and violence against it within Palestinian society and rid itself of the burden of ruling over Palestinians living in the territories the P.A. controlled. The international community, led by the United States, expected the P.A. to improve the living standards and economic situation of Palestinian inhabitants of the territories using very generous financial and economic assistance. The pragmatic Arab states expected the P.A. to create an environment that would enable them to normalize their relations with Israel and allow a cycle of peace and economic progress to take hold throughout the entire region.