The Palestinian Authority (PA) will reportedly be resuming security coordination and other diplomatic relations with Israel, months after suspending the controversial policy as a result of Israel’s annexation plans back in May.
PA officials announced on Tuesday that they received assurances that Israel was “committed” to upholding its end of agreements with the Palestinians, and that the decision to resume coordination was made following “international talks” being conducted by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Israeli media, however, reported that the push to restore security coordination and other diplomatic relations with the PA was initiated by Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who reportedly instructed Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj. Gen. Kamil Abu Rukun to resume dialogue with his counterpart, Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh.
Al-Sheikh released a statement on Twitter saying: “In light of the calls made by President #Abbas regarding Israel’s commitment to the bilateral signed agreements, & based on the official written and oral letters we received, confirming Israel’s commitment to them. Accordingly, the relationship with #Israel will return to how it was.”
While al-Sheikh’s statement was extremely vague, and didn’t specifically mention security coordination or what has changed in the past few days to cause the PA to suddenly believe in “Israel’s commitment to bilateral signed agreements,” al-Sheikh defended the decision on Palestine TV on Tuesday evening, saying the PA received a written statement from Israeli authorities promising to abide by agreements with the PA and the PLO.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh confirmed the existence of such a letter, saying “that Israel is ready to commit itself to the signed agreements with us.”
“We will resume contacts with the Israelis on financial issues, on health issues, on political issues,” Shtayyeh said, adding “this is for us a very important step in the right direction.
According to Shtayyeh, the decision to restore coordination came following intervention by the United States, the European Union and “other countries.”
Al-Sheikh also told Palestine TV that he believed the move to restore security coordination as well as diplomatic and commercial relations was a strategic move for the Palestinians, and was motivated by the prospect of an end to President Donald Trump’s “deal of the century.”
Al-Sheikh added that “We are now facing a new government in the United States, after the ‘deal of the century’ is no longer relevant, the spirit will return to the process with Israel. This is a prelude to a new phase that will end much pain for the Palestinian people, open new horizons and give a new opportunity for political process.”
While there is no concrete evidence suggesting that Israel is suddenly abiding by agreements and no longer seeking to enforce policies like annexation, for example, there is heavy speculation that Joe Biden’s election win, coupled with extreme financial pressure is what motivated the PA to resume relations with Israel.
Since cutting off civil and security ties with Israel in May, the PA has refused to accept millions of dollars in tax revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the PA, in protest of Israel’s annexation plans and President Trump’s decisions in the region.
The tax revenues, now estimated to amount to three billion shekels, account for a majority of the PA’s annual budget, and without them the PA has been forced to make significant pay cuts to civil servants in the midst of a global pandemic, and has hindered the government’s ability to fight COVID-19.
According to Israeli news website Walla!, the PA recently appealed to the European Union for loans to cover the deficit, but were denied by EU officials, who reportedly told the PA that “they must first take the tax money that Israel collected for them.”
One of the first orders of business in restoring coordination with Israel, Walla! reported, will be the collection of the tax revenues and immediate transfer of the funds from Israel to the Palestinian Ministry of Finance.
The decision to restore security coordination with Israel is already drawing backlash from other Palestinian political factions, like Hamas, who criticized the Fatah-led PA for violating “all national values and principles” in its decision to reestablish ties with the “criminal Zionist occupation.”
So suddenly Abbas wants to coordinate when the Europeans turned him down. Looks like the Europeans learned something from the US finally.
Also looks like a billion dollars is enough to keep Abbas’ sons from having to go without caviar on their toast points for a bit longer.
Good deal for Abbas and his cronies. I don’t think it will mean much for the average arab on the streets of Gaza.