Palestinians determined to internationalize their cause amid stalled peace

ThePalestiniansaredeterminedtointernationalizetheircause,asanoptiontoendtheunfruitfulpeacetalkswithIsraelwhichhavebeenstalledsinceApril2014,accordingtoanalysts.

ObserversalsosaidthePalestinianleadershipisintheabyssofdespairconcerningthepossibilityofmakingarealprogressonthetrackoftheU.S.-sponsoredpeacetalksbetweenIsraelandthePalestinians.

InaspeechonWednesday,PalestinianPresidentMahmoudAbbascalledforholdinganinternationalpeaceconferencetoimplementtheArabLeaguepeaceinitiativeandtocreateacommissiontoresolvethecurrentcrisisofPalestinian-Israeliconflict.

"ItisunacceptabletokeepthePalestiniancauseunresolved,"saidAbbas.

NabilAbuRdineh,anaidetoAbbas,elaboratedthatthepresidentaddressedseveralletterstotheinternationalcommunity,urgingittoseriouslyconsiderthePalestiniancause.

"We'llseethereactionoftheinternationalcommunityonholdinginternationalpeaceconference,"AbuRdinehtoldreporters,adding"itwillbeatestfortheU.S.andtheinternationalcommunity."

PoliticalscienceprofessoratAlQudsUniversityinEastJerusalem,AhmedAwad,toldXinhuathatinternationalizationofthePalestiniancauseinrecentyearswasanattempttostrengthenthePalestinianpositioninanyfuturenegotiations.

"Thescenenowisdifferent,"saidAwad,adding"thePalestinianNationalAuthority(PNA)requestedtheassistanceoftheinternationalcommunityafterIsraelturneditsbackonthepeaceprocess,rejecteditsproposals,andsteppedupthebuildingofsettlementsonPalestinianlands."

AwadnotedthatthePNAislookingforawaytobypasstheOsloAccordreachedin1993byaskingforworld'shelp.ThisistoavoidtherepeatedfailureofbilateralnegotiationswithIsrael.

ThelastpeacetalksbetweenthePalestiniansandIsraelhadstoppedin2014afterninemonths.Itfailedtoachieveanytangibleprogressduetodeepdifferencesontheissuesofsettlement,borderandsecurity.

RajabAbuSereya,aRamallah-basedpoliticalanalyst,toldXinhuathatcommunicationsbetweenthePalestiniansandIsraelreacheditslowestlevelsinthepasttwoyears,addingthat"thisisthereasonfortheoutbreakofthecurrentwaveoftensioninthePalestinianterritoryforfourmonths."

Hesaidthatdespitetheongoingsecuritytension"IsraelstillpracticallyrefusestoreturntothetalksbasedonthePalestiniandemands,andinsistsontherequirementofthereturnofcalm."

"ThePalestiniansidebelievesthatitcanforceIsraelmakingprogressinthepeacetalksaccordingtotheirconditions,mainlystoppingsettlementbuilding,freeingveteranprisoners,underapressureofbothpopularpeacefulprotestsandinternationaldiplomaticmoves,"saidAbuSereya.

AwaveofviolencehasbeengoingonbetweenIsraelandthePalestinianssinceearlyOctober.Ithassofarkilledabout150Palestiniansandinjuredhundredsothers.

Inthemeantime,Israelsaidthat27Israeliswerekilledandmorethan350injuredinaseriesofstabbing,shootingandrun-overattackscarriedoutbyPalestiniansinprotestattightenedIsraelisecuritymeasuresintheWestBank.

Alternativesteps

Inparalleltothecallsforinternationalintervention,thePalestiniansplantocontinueapplyingformembershipoftheUNagencies.

ThePalestiniansalsoreconsidertheircommitmenttothetreatiessignedwithIsrael,intermsofsecurity,economicandpoliticalaspects.

LeadersofPalestineLiberationOrganization(PLO)aswellassecurityleaderswillconveneintheWestBanktodeterminetheupcomingpoliticalsteps.JointsecuritycoordinationwithIsraelisoneoftheissuestobediscussed.

Hanial-Masri,directorofBadilCenterforstudiesandresearches,toldXinhuathatthePalestinianleadershipseemsnothastytocarryoutitsthreatsbystoppingcoordinationwithIsrael"becausetheyarestillbettingontheinternationalinterventionthatresultsintheresumptionofthepeacetalks."

Hesaidthereisnorealseriousprospectfortheresumptionofthepeaceprocessamidaconstanttensionandlackofinternationalintervention.

PNAwillnotcollapse

AmidthePalestinianthreatstohaltcommitmenttothesignedagreementswithIsrael,thelattershoweda"veiledthreats,"accordingtoPalestinianofficials,suchasannouncingthatitwasconsideringthepossiblecollapseofthePNAandtherepercussionsforthat.

Afewdaysago,IsraelimediareportedthattheIsraelicabinethasbeenstudyinganddebatingtheconsequencesifthePNAcollapses.ThecabinetstudiedthecurrentpoliticalstalemateandsecurityescalationintheWestBank.

Toresponse,AbbassaidthePalestinianswon'tletthePNAcollapseorgetdissolved,adding"thePalestiniansandIarenotgoingtogiveuptheexistenceofthePNA,whichisouraccomplishedachievement."

GeorgeJackman,chairmanoftheDemocraticStudiesInstitutioninRamallahtoldXinhuathatclingingtopowerisnegativefortheentirePalestiniancause.

"Itishardtoimaginethecontinuationofthecurrentpowerwithoutasovereignstateinthehorizon,becausethedirectoccupationintheabsenceofaPalestinianstateisbetterthanthecurrentsituation,"hesaid.

Atthesametime,herulesoutthatPNAwillendupcollapsed,pointingoutthatIsraelandregionalpartieshavesomethingtolosefromsuchascenario,especiallyifsecuritycoordinationseveredbetweenthePalestiniansandIsrael.