The so-called leader wants to stoke chaos in Palestinian-controlled areas to punish Israel for annexing Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
By Ezra Stone, United with Israel
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ recent announcement that he’s recanting on all of the agreements the Palestinian Authority (PA) signed with Israel and the United States will wreak havoc on the lives of average Palestinians who benefit from the security arrangements and other benefits provided by the agreements.
Abbas took this potentially disastrous step in response to Israel’s declared intention to extend sovereignty over Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, where over half a million Israelis live.
Israel took possession of Judea and Samaria from Jordan, which attacked Israel during 1967’s Six-Day War. After defeating Jordan, Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon, Israel gained control of Judea and Samaria and reunited various portions of Jerusalem.
Contrary to Abbas’ assertions, at no point in history has a “Palestinian state” existed in Judea and Samaria, or any other part of the world for that matter.
Abbas claimed he is backing out of the PA’s “security commitments,” maintaining that Israel would now have to “uphold responsibilities before the international community as the occupying power.”
Abbas’ decision to break the PA’s agreements with Israel and the U.S. could set off a new wave of terror perpetrated against Israelis and severely exacerbate violent crime within Palestinian communities, which are already plagued by murders, robberies, and domestic violence.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo commented on Abbas’ announcement shortly after it was made, stating, “I’m not exactly sure what to make of his statement, but I regret that he has decided to abrogate these agreements,” The Associated Press reported.
Whether or not Abbas follows through on his pledge to break the PA’s agreements with Israel remains to be seen, as he has made similar threats on numerous occasions in the past.
Not least of all, the security agreements protect Abbas from being assassinated by his rivals in the Hamas terror group, which ran the PA regime out of the Gaza Strip in a bloody coup in 2007.
Israeli security forces frequently bust Hamas cells in Judea and Samaria, coordinating these stings with PA security forces, which benefit significantly from Israeli operations.
During the last intifada between 2000 and 2005, a term that refers to Palestinian terror waves, security coordination suffered, leading to horrific attacks on Israelis.
Israel announced its plans to annex Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria as an extension of the provisions in the U.S. Mideast peace plan, under which the Palestinians would receive $50 billion in aid, an independent state, and other economic incentives.
Abbas remains staunchly opposed to the plan, preferring instead to threaten Israel and squander funds on salaries for violent terrorists.