Regardless of what you think of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. By Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib

Regardless of what you think of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. By Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib.

Regardless of what you think of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and I’m definitely not a fan, his statements at the World Economic Forum in Riyadh were on point regarding several issues. Notably, he made a reference to Israel having a right to “full security” that Palestinians acknowledge and, in turn, that the Palestinian people deserve the right to self-determination, as is the case with peoples of the world. This point about Israel’s right to security is nothing new for the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Abbas, who has insisted on maintaining security coordination with Israeli authorities, a contentious point that has cost him lots of credibility within the Palestinian Territories. Nevertheless, his point is absolutely valid in that Israel, regardless of one’s view of its policies, history, formation, or territorial disputes, has a right as a sovereign, internationally recognized nation to be secure and to have its citizens live free of constant fear of loss of life.

Importantly, however, security here doesn’t refer to the right to expand the military occupation in the West Bank to provide protection for illegal settlements and the IDF’s abuse of Palestinian civilians, nor does security justify the excessive use of force and the horrendous conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip. Instead, I’m talking about what took place on October 7 – a massacre that Israel, just like any other nation, has a right not to experience. Unfortunately for Abbas and the cause of coexistence and peace, Netanyahu, who relied on settlers for electoral considerations, ignored Abbas’ willingness to cooperate on security issues in the West Bank and opted instead to expand the aggressive settlement activities, further weakening the PA and allowing Hamas’s armed resistance program and narrative to posture as the only viable alternative. Still, without Abbas’ security forces maintaining a hold of the areas under PA control, the West Bank would have descended into complete chaos, and a Third Intifada would have been inevitable.

Multiple things are true at once: Israel has a right to security and to not experience random stabbings, car rammings, shootings, rockets, suicide bombings, or other violent incidents; Israel’s security cannot be used to justify an oppressive military occupation in the West Bank or the wholesale destruction of Gaza; the PA and Abbas were willing security partners with Israel but were deliberately weakened by the Netanyahu regime; and an independent and sovereign Palestinian state can only exist if the legitimacy of Israel’s security needs is recognized.

Separately, Abbas warned that a Rafah operation is expected in the coming few days, something that’s in line with most analysts and observers’ opinions, urging the US to stop Israel’s assault on the coastal enclave’s southernmost city and warning of catastrophic consequences for the entirety of the Palestinian people if the invasion were to commence.

Lastly, Abbas has meager approval rates, is highly loathed by most Palestinians, and, at 88 years old, is considered a lethargic, out-of-touch leader who’s well past his presidential term/mandate. He should step down and let new blood and leadership take over the PA to revive it and position the body as a viable alternative to Hamas in Gaza.