Can Palestinians survive PA's disengagement from Israel?
The Palestinian Authority's announced goal of disengaging from Israel appears to be dismissive of the geo-political environment in which it is operating and the devastating consequences such a move will have for Palestinians on the West Bank and in Gaza.
The Palestinian government “will work on gradually disengaging from Israel,” Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh asserted May 20 in response to the US announcement of an economic conference to be held in Bahrain as part of President Donald Trump’s “deal of the century.” Palestinian businessmen were among those invited to attend the conference.
Shtayyeh also said that the Palestinian Authority (PA) had decided, as its first step toward disengagement, to freeze issuing referrals to Palestinians seeking medical care in Israel. The second step will be the launch of a program to encourage local production in manufacturing and agriculture to halt reliance on importing products through and from Israel.
