The source of Arabs’ problems are in “colonialist European aspirations and policies,” “the ones that tore us to pieces and gave our homeland, Palestine, to global Zionism,” in PA daily op-ed

Excerpt of op-ed by Bassem Barhoum, regular columnist for the official PA daily

Headline: “Where is Europe?”

“It is true that Europe bears responsibility for the injustice that has and continues to harm us, the Palestinian people. And it is true that the root and source of most of our – the Arabs’ – problems are in colonialist European aspirations and policies; and they are the ones that tore us to pieces and gave our homeland, Palestine, to global Zionism. However, Europe has changed a lot and has at the same time given the leadership of its colonialist project in the region to Washington…

Regarding the European Union’s (EU) position regarding the Palestinian cause, it is in constant development, and this is very good during the recklessness of [US President Donald] Trump’s administration, and its conduct that mocks the rules of international relations and international law. However, the problem is that Europe does not translate its position into serious actions, and does not want to get into a confrontation with Trump…

And despite our appreciation for the EU’s position and its adherence to the principle of the two-state solution and the sources of authority for the peace process that rely on international law, and in addition to [the EU's] clear criticism of the Trump administration’s unilateral steps, and of the deal of the century (i.e., refers to Trump's as yet unpublished Middle East peace plan) and the Manana workshop (i.e., refers to US-led conference in Bahrain in June 2019 focusing on economic aspects of Trump's Middle East peace plan), this position has until now not been expressed according to its practical value and necessary weight in an attempt to rein in the American recklessness…

So the question ‘Where is Europe?’ is no longer solely our question, but rather the entire world’s question – and even a question of the Europeans themselves.”