Friday, September 7, 2018

Palestinians: Spitting in the Well

by Bassam Tawil • September 7, 2018 at 5:00 am

In reality, the Palestinians have one main message for the US administration: We hate you and incite against you, but we fully expect that you will continue providing us with cash, to the tune of billions of dollars. And, when you do try to help us, we reserve the right to spit in your face.
The entire existence of Fatah, the faction that dominates and controls the Palestinian Authority, relies heavily on financial aid from the US, EU and other Western donors.
So, while the protesters in Ramallah were demanding that the US rescind its decision to cut off its funding to UNRWA, Abbas's men in east Jerusalem were trying to block a US-sponsored meeting to discuss ways of helping the Palestinian economy.
Abbas and his top officials in Ramallah evidently want to have it both ways -- to continue their incitement against the Trump administration while being bankrolled by US taxpayer money.
Abbas and company would do well to learn that when they spit in the well they drink from, the water they draw will be bitter indeed.

Earlier this week, Palestinian protesters, who included senior officials of the ruling Fatah faction of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (right), burned photos of President Donald Trump and some of his senior representatives, including presidential advisors Jared Kushner (center) and Jason Greenblatt (left). The photo of the meeting above was taken June 21, 2017 in Ramallah. (Image source: Thaer Ghanaim/PPO via Getty Images)

Once again, the Palestinians are conveying conflicting messages about their attitude towards US President Donald Trump's administration. On one side, they are condemning the Trump administration for its decision to cut all US aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA); on the other, the Palestinians are opposed to any plan by the US administration to provide them with financial aid and improve their living conditions.

This Palestinian stance is not only bad-faith double-dealing, it also reflects the state of confusion and uncertainty among the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah in particular and the Palestinian public in general.

In reality, the Palestinians have one main message for the US administration: We hate you and incite against you, but we fully expect that you will continue providing us with cash, to the tune of billions of dollars. And, when you do try to help us, we reserve the right to spit in your face.