The reactions of the Palestinian leadership to US President Donald Trump’s Dec. 6 recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel should be accorded a prominent place in a Diplomacy 101 textbook under the heading “How NOT to Manage a Conflict.” The first rule of thumb is that the weaker side, in this case the Palestinians, should never fall out with the mediator, especially if he happens to be the leader of a superpower with the ego of a superhero. The second rule is to never climb a tree unless you have a ladder on which to climb down. And the third: Never miss an opportunity to expose your opponent’s cards when you’re certain he’s bluffing. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas violated all three of these injunctions.
Following the Jerusalem proclamation and Trump’s Jan. 25 declaration that “we took Jerusalem off the table,” Abbas declared a diplomatic war on the mediator. All that was left for Abbas as consolation was an expected vote by the Slovenian parliament recognizing the State of Palestine. Responding to Trump, Abbas sent spokesman Nabil Abu Rodeina to issue the threat: “If Jerusalem is off the table, then the US will be off the table as well.” As a result, the Palestinians will continue to walk tall — under the table. They can declare, as Abu Rodeina did, that Jerusalem is an issue that “is not for sale, neither for gold nor for silver.” Meanwhile, the Israeli government will invest a fortune in its West Bank settlement enterprise, and the international community will keep financing the Palestinian security agencies. In fact, by doing so, the international community pays for the security of Israeli citizens, as the Palestinian agencies help thwart terror attacks on Israelis.
