Palestinians Must Face Reality, Stop Their Ingratitude Towards The Gulf States

 The reaction of the Palestinian Authority (PA), headed by President Mahmoud 'Abbas, to the August 13, 2020 announcement of UAE-Israel normalization was blunt and harsh. The PA accused the UAE of betraying the Palestinians and their cause, as well as Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, of "aggression towards the Palestinian people," of stabbing the Palestinians and the Arab and Islamic nation in the back with a "poisoned dagger," and of making concessions to Israel for nothing in return.

The PA leaders called the UAE's move unacceptable and an act of deception, and accused the UAE of abandoning the Arab Peace Initiative and capitulating and groveling to the U.S. Calling on the UAE to reverse its "disgraceful decision," they also warned other Arab countries not to follow its example. The condemnation reached its peak at a September 3, 2020 conference of Palestinian faction leaders that included representatives of Hamas and Islamic Jihad alongside representatives of Fatah and other factions. At the conference, 'Abbas, as well as Mu'in Hamed, leader of Al-Sa'iqa organization, a PLO faction, spoke bluntly and derisively of the Gulf states, calling them "illiterate" and saying that the Palestinians, who are far more educated than they, do not need anyone's help.

The Palestinian leadership's statements provoked much criticism on social media and in the Arab press, especially in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt. Daily newspapers in these three countries have published dozens of articles since the normalization agreement was announced expressing support for the UAE's decision and condemning the Palestinians, especially their "ungrateful" leadership. The writers claimed that this leadership has exploited the Palestinian cause for seven decades to extort more and more funds from the Gulf states. Some even accused Palestinian officials of taking the money for themselves and of deliberately rejecting every peace initiative in order to perpetuate the situation and remain in power. They further claimed that since the world and the global balance of power have changed, slogans like "Palestine from the River to the Sea" are no longer relevant, and also that the Arab countries are entitled to prioritize their own interests.

For more on this go to MEMRI