Palestinian leaders are worried following PMW's report and Cong. Lamborn’s letter to Trump
PMW: Designating the PA-funded Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs as a “sponsor of terror” would end the 25 years of de facto immunity from sanctions enjoyed by PA leaders, despite their clear involvement in terror. It would elevate the US and global war against Palestinian terrorism to an entirely new level.
By Maurice Hirsch, Adv. and Itamar Marcus
Palestinian Media Watch’s report last week sent waves across the Palestinian political landscape. PMW’s recommendation that the US government declare the Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs, and its director Qadri Abu Bakr “sponsors of terror,” was adopted by Congressman Doug Lamborn, who wrote to US President Trump urging him to adopt PMW’s recommendation.
Palestinian leaders were clearly shaken by this possibility and for good reason. Until now, the US has sanctioned the PA for its “Pay-for-Slay” terror reward payments by cutting off all financial support, but has not designated the perpetrators “sponsors of terror.” The thought of the US formally designating the PA leaders responsible for paying terrorists as “sponsors of terror” has touched a nerve of the PA leadership, as is witnessed by their angry reactions.
While PMW and Congressman Lamborn focused solely on designating the Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs and Abu Bakr as “sponsors of terror,” veteran PLO Chief Negotiator and PLO Executive Committee Secretary Saeb Erekat understood the move as an act of “obscene bullying and blackmail” against Mahmoud Abbas himself.
“American Congressman Doug Lamborn’s call [on July 30, 2020] to impose sanctions on His Honor the president and the leadership will lead to punishing the victim for rejecting the Trump – Netanyahu plan. He described this as obscene bullying and blackmail.”
[Official PA TV News, Aug. 2, 2020]
The PA’s Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Justice Mahmoud Al-Habbash, who formerly served as a special advisor to Abbas, echoed Erekat’s claims that Abbas was the target and added that the PA terror rewards are part of the Palestinians’ “just cause”:
“The American and Israeli incitement against [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership reveals the true intentions regarding our just cause and our leadership, which is standing like a fortified wall against their aggressive plans and plots against our people.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Aug. 2, 2020]
Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah Movement Revolutionary Council Secretary, Fayez Abu Aita, similarly described PMW and Lamborn’s challenging the PA’s terror reward payments as an attack on Abbas and “extremist” in nature:
“The American Congress’ positions completely matched the Israeli positions, and their goal is to exert pressure on the [PA] leadership and the people in order to cause [the leadership] to take back the positions that it has taken in recent years, including the salaries of the family members of the Martyrs and the prisoners…
By taking extremist positions that completely adopt the Israeli position, the American administration has placed itself in the camp that is hostile to the Palestinian people.”[alquds.com, website of the paper Al-Quds, Aug. 2, 2020]
Fatah Central Committee member, Rawhi Fattouh, similarly linked Congressman Lamborn’s recommendation to Abbas’ rejection of the Trump Peace Plan and his refusal to abolish the “Pay-for-Slay” policy. He added that the widespread Palestinian support for Abbas, in response to the recommendation, is a “slap in the face” for Lamborn.
“American Congressman Doug Lamborn’s demand [on July 30, 2020] to impose sanctions on [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas come as part of the American attack against the president due to his brave and firm positions against the deal of the century and the annexation plan, and his resolve against all the pressures to stop the payment of the allowances of the Martyrs and prisoners.”
The Palestinian response came jointly from most of the forces, the Palestinian factions, and the legal figures amid condemnation of the American Congressman’s position, opposition to it, and support for the president’s position. [The response] constituted popular, political, and official uniting around the president, and it is a strong Palestinian slap in the face of this Congressman and everyone who motivated him to declare this hostile position.”[Facebook page of Fatah Central Committee member Rawhi Fattouh, Aug. 3, 2020]
Instead of accepting the immorality of the PA’s terror rewards, Fattouh suggested turning morality on its head and rallying Arab and Islamic forces to boycott anyone who calls for the abolition of the PA’s “Pay-for-Slay” policy, which he too referred to as part of the Palestinians’ “just cause”:
“But why should we not think outside the box, leave the hackneyed style, and go in the direction of imposing sanctions on those who attempt to threaten us with sanctions? In order to respond to the question ‘how,’ can we do this, and what are the cards or means that we hold so that we can impose the sanctions – I say: Yes, we can:
Concentrating our Palestinian, Arab, and Islamic forces and [the forces] that are friendly to us, which are in their communities that are spread in most of the world’s states, and working among the electorate to boycott and besiege any candidate who has a hostile position towards our just cause…”
The response of the Palestinian leadership is telling. From their perspective, Palestinian terrorist murderers are heroes and therefore rewarding them financially is “just.” For two and a half decades the PA leadership has enjoyed immunity from the sanctions that are an integral part of the US’ and the international community’s global war on terrorism. The possibility that the US would declare PA functionaries as “sponsors of terror” would mean the US is elevating its war on Palestinian terror to an entirely new level, which clearly has the PA leaders worried.
The following are longer excerpts of the items quoted above:
Official PA TV newsreader: “PLO Executive Committee Secretary Saeb Erekat condemned the ongoing American incitement against His Honor [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas and the leadership members. Erekat said in his statement to the [official PA radio station] The Voice of Palestine that American Congressman Doug Lamborn’s call [on July 30, 2020] to impose sanctions on His Honor the president and the leadership will lead to punishing the victim for rejecting the Trump – Netanyahu plan. He described this as obscene bullying and blackmail.”
[Official PA TV News, Aug. 2, 2020]
Headline: “Al-Habbash: The American and Israeli incitement against the [PA] president reveals the true intentions regarding our just cause”
“Supreme Shari’ah Judge of Palestine [and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Justice] Mahmoud Al-Habbash said that the American and Israeli incitement against [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership (apparently refers to US Congressman Doug Lamborn’s call on July 30, 2020 to designate the PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs and its Director Qadri Abu Bakr as sponsors of terrorism –Ed.) reveals the true intentions regarding our just cause and our leadership, which is standing like a fortified wall against their aggressive plans and plots against our people.
In a statement to the press today, Sunday [Aug. 2, 2020], the supreme Shari’ah judge added that we, together with President Abbas, are following the right path. He added that we will never deviate from our Palestinian people’s principles: freedom, ending the occupation, and establishing our independent Palestinian state whose eternal capital is East Jerusalem.”[WAFA, official PA news agency, Aug. 2, 2020]
Headline: “Abu Aita: The American Congress’ positions regarding the Palestinian people are extremist”
“Fatah Movement Revolutionary Council Secretary Fayez Abu Aita said that the positions stated by American Congressmen against the Palestinian people are extremist…
This was in response to Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn’s demand to impose sanctions on [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas and senior PA officials (sic., Lamborn called to designate the PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs and its Director Qadri Abu Bakr as sponsors of terrorism –Ed.) because they are paying the allowances of the family members of the Martyrs and the prisoners.
Abu Aita said: ‘The American Congress’ positions completely matched the Israeli positions, and their goal is to exert pressure on the [PA] leadership and the people in order to cause [the leadership] to take back the positions that it has taken in recent years, including the salaries of the family members of the Martyrs and the prisoners.’
He added: ‘By taking extremist positions that completely adopt the Israeli position, the American administration has placed itself in the camp that is hostile to the Palestinian people.’”[alquds.com, website of the paper Al-Quds, Aug. 2, 2020]
Posted text: “American Congressman Doug Lamborn’s demand [on July 30, 2020] to impose sanctions on [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas come as part of the American attack against the president due to his brave and firm positions against the deal of the century and the annexation plan, and his resolve against all the pressures to stop the payment of the allowances of the Martyrs and prisoners. These positions do not surprise us and do not harm the decisions of the president and the Palestinian leadership, as the Palestinian experience is packed with events of standing up against all the American and Israeli pressures, which succeeded in burying them alive and thwarting them.
The Palestinian response came jointly from most of the forces, the Palestinian factions, and the legal figures amid condemnation of the American Congressman’s position, opposition to it, and support for the president’s position. [The response] constituted popular, political, and official uniting around the president, and it is a strong Palestinian slap in the face of this Congressman and everyone who motivated him to declare this hostile position.
But why should we not think outside the box, leave the hackneyed style, and go in the direction of imposing sanctions on those who attempt to threaten us with sanctions? In order to respond to the question ‘how,’ can we do this, and what are the cards or means that we hold so that we can impose the sanctions – I say: Yes, we can:
- Concentrating our Palestinian, Arab, and Islamic forces and [the forces] that are friendly to us, which are in their communities that are spread in most of the world’s states, and working among the electorate to boycott and besiege any candidate who has a hostile position towards our just cause…
- Assembling a mass international coalition from the Palestinian and Arab diaspora, the friendly [forces], and the parties that support our struggle in every state and unite them and their like in the rest of the world states. [Thus] they will impose popular sanctions against the governments, politicians, or people who use sanctions against leaderships, institutions, or governments that defend their causes and peoples. This will be done through the ballot box or with demonstrations and protest marches.
- Working for the voting public in every state in order to separate and prevent the hostile candidate from reaching the parliament seat, along with supporting the candidate who supports the Palestinian and Arab critical national rights.
It is necessary to examine the power that is hidden within our public and our diaspora – we, our brothers, and our friends who are scattered worldwide. This is indeed a large and mighty force, if it will be mobilized in the framework of plans and ways of action – then it will constitute a deterrent and awe-inspiring force.”
[Facebook page of Fatah Central Committee member Rawhi Fattouh, Aug. 3, 2020]
The Trump peace plan – US President Donald Trump announced his Israel–Palestinian peace plan "Peace to Prosperity" – commonly known as “the deal of the century” - on Jan. 28, 2020. Main points of the plan: 1- Israeli sovereignty would be applied to the Jordan Valley and all Israeli towns and cities in the West Bank. 2- Jerusalem, including all its holy sites, would remain under Israeli sovereignty with accommodations made to enable access for Palestinians. 3- The remainder of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and part of what is currently Israeli land in the Negev, the Galilee, and Jerusalem - creating a territory almost equal in size to the West Bank and Gaza Strip - would form the Palestinian state, with its capital in neighborhoods in East Jerusalem that are outside of Israel's security wall. 4- The Palestinian state would be demilitarized, with Israel responsible for external security and controlling all airspace. 5- All Palestinian prisoners except murderers, and those who attempted or conspired to murder would be released. 6- Palestinians in refugee camps would be absorbed into their host countries and, subject to certain limitations, into the Palestinian state. 7- Before becoming a state, the Palestinians would have to carry out extensive reform of their laws and institutions, including implementing a new governing system; granting its people due process and basic human rights and freedoms; end all incitement to and incentivizing of terror; end all glorification of terror and martyrdom; disarm Hamas; and adopt a culture promoting peace. The goal of the plan is to create a Palestinian state beside Israel, living in peace and security. The implementation would be facilitated through extensive international investment.
Saeb Erekat also serves as Fatah Central Committee member and PLO Chief Negotiator
Rawhi Fattouh also serves as Fatah Commissioner of International Relations