News Analysis: Palestinians determined to internationalize their cause amid stalled peace

The Palestinians are determined to internationalize their cause, as an option to end the unfruitful peace talks with Israel which have been stalled since April 2014, according to analysts.

Observers also said the Palestinian leadership is in the abyss of despair concerning the possibility of making a real progress on the track of the U.S.-sponsored peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

In a speech on Wednesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for holding an international peace conference to implement the Arab League peace initiative and to create a commission to resolve the current crisis of Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

"It is unacceptable to keep the Palestinian cause unresolved," said Abbas.

Nabil Abu Rdineh, an aide to Abbas, elaborated that the president addressed several letters to the international community, urging it to seriously consider the Palestinian cause.

"We'll see the reaction of the international community on holding international peace conference," Abu Rdineh told reporters, adding "it will be a test for the U.S. and the international community."

Political science professor at Al Quds University in East Jerusalem, Ahmed Awad, told Xinhua that internationalization of the Palestinian cause in recent years was an attempt to strengthen the Palestinian position in any future negotiations.

"The scene now is different," said Awad, adding "the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) requested the assistance of the international community after Israel turned its back on the peace process, rejected its proposals, and stepped up the building of settlements on Palestinian lands."

Awad noted that the PNA is looking for a way to bypass the Oslo Accord reached in 1993 by asking for world's help. This is to avoid the repeated failure of bilateral negotiations with Israel.

The last peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel had stopped in 2014 after nine months. It failed to achieve any tangible progress due to deep differences on the issues of settlement, border and security.

Rajab Abu Sereya, a Ramallah-based political analyst, told Xinhua that communications between the Palestinians and Israel reached its lowest levels in the past two years, adding that "this is the reason for the outbreak of the current wave of tension in the Palestinian territory for four months."

He said that despite the ongoing security tension "Israel still practically refuses to return to the talks based on the Palestinian demands, and insists on the requirement of the return of calm."

"The Palestinian side believes that it can force Israel making progress in the peace talks according to their conditions, mainly stopping settlement building, freeing veteran prisoners, under a pressure of both popular peaceful protests and international diplomatic moves," said Abu Sereya.

A wave of violence has been going on between Israel and the Palestinians since early October. It has so far killed about 150 Palestinians and injured hundreds others.

In the meantime, Israel said that 27 Israelis were killed and more than 350 injured in a series of stabbing, shooting and run-over attacks carried out by Palestinians in protest at tightened Israeli security measures in the West Bank.

ALTERNATIVE STEPS

In parallel to the calls for international intervention, the Palestinians plan to continue applying for membership of the UN agencies.

The Palestinians also reconsider their commitment to the treaties signed with Israel, in terms of security, economic and political aspects.

Leaders of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as well as security leaders will convene in the West Bank to determine the upcoming political steps. Joint security coordination with Israel is one of the issues to be discussed.

Hani al-Masri, director of Badil Center for studies and researches, told Xinhua that the Palestinian leadership seems not hasty to carry out its threats by stopping coordination with Israel "because they are still betting on the international intervention that results in the resumption of the peace talks."

He said there is no real serious prospect for the resumption of the peace process amid a constant tension and lack of international intervention.

PNA WILL NOT COLLAPSE

Amid the Palestinian threats to halt commitment to the signed agreements with Israel, the latter showed a "veiled threats," according to Palestinian officials, such as announcing that it was considering the possible collapse of the PNA and the repercussions for that.

A few days ago, Israeli media reported that the Israeli cabinet has been studying and debating the consequences if the PNA collapses. The cabinet studied the current political stalemate and security escalation in the West Bank.

To response, Abbas said the Palestinians won't let the PNA collapse or get dissolved, adding "the Palestinians and I are not going to give up the existence of the PNA, which is our accomplished achievement."

George Jackman, chairman of the Democratic Studies Institution in Ramallah told Xinhua that clinging to power is negative for the entire Palestinian cause.

"It is hard to imagine the continuation of the current power without a sovereign state in the horizon, because the direct occupation in the absence of a Palestinian state is better than the current situation," he said.

At the same time, he rules out that PNA will end up collapsed, pointing out that Israel and regional parties have something to lose from such a scenario, especially if security coordination severed between the Palestinians and Israel. Endit