I met Palestinian President Mahnmoud Abbas in Amman on Saturday, one day after he took the decision to defer forwarding the Goldstone report to the U.N. General Assembly for further action against Israel and Hamas, both found as possibly guilty of war crimes during the recent Gaza war.
Abbas was disturbed by the uproar against his decision fueled by Hamas and al-Jazeera satellite television accusing him of treason for burying the report and withdrawing support for further action.
The Palestinian president tried to explain in an exclusive interview his position, insisting he did not withdraw support of the report but that he simply agreed to go along with the position of all other state members of the Human Rights Council to defer a vote for action in March.
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"Two days ago, the Americans, Russians, China and the Europeans proposed a delay until March. We said if the rest of the states accept, we will not object to the delay. We asked the rest of the states, they said they don't mind, so the report was delayed," Abbas said in the intereview.
It was obvious that neither Abbas nor his close aides had anticipated the impact of the deferral decision. The entire Palestinian society, including the Fatah leadership and the PLO's Executive Committee criticised Abbas' decision. This was the first time Abbas faced strong criticism across the board. Voices calling on him to step down are coming from every direction.
People lashed out at Abbas and his top negotiator Saeb Erekat in what seemed like suppressed anger and deep frustration over the failure of peace talks with Israel, futile pace policies over the years, and Abbas' decision-making system.
Abbas' misfortunes came after the Palestinians' strong disappointment with U.S. President Barack Obama's abandonment of his demand that Israel halt all settlement construction before final status peace talks resume.
The Palestinian leader who emerged strong after the Fatah elections lost his standing among his people after agreeing to comply with Obama's demand to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York.
Palestinians are wondering, why can't Abbas say no to America. When Abbas became prime minister in 2003 and since he took over the presidency from Yaser Arafat, Abbas, accused of being America's man has felt he has not been supported enough by the U.S.
Even he is asking: What has America given me? I asked for weapons and equipment for the security forces but they have still not complied."
Abbas' top negotiator Saeb Erekat asked U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during talks with her in Washington last week why the U.S. was punishing Abbas who was implementing all his obligations required by the roadmap, which include security and incitement.
"What is the president doing wrong," Erekat asked Clinton.
"Nothing," she was quoted as saying by a senior official close to Abbas.
Then, why is it hard for Abbas to say "NO" to America and why is he bearing responsibility for all the mistakes and repetition of mistakes committed by each and every U.S. adminsitration. Why is he not listening to the sound of his own street?
The Palestinian president is expected to address his people in a nationwide speech in which he would apologize for the mistake of agreeing to defer action on Goldstone's report. This was a miscalculated step that is not yet behind him. It's repercussions will spiral and nobody knows where it could lead.
It could be a lesson, but fateful decisions await the Palestinian leadership and Hamas.
Senior Palestinian officials said after the New York summit between Abbas, Netanyahu and Obama during which Obama urged the Palestinians to enter peace talks with Israel without any preconditions, that Arab states encouraged Abbas to refrain from angering Obama and to give him a chance.
Abbas will no enter peace talks without a clear basis and end game, and a timeable for implementation, senior officials said.
The Palestinians feel abandoned by the Arabs whose interests in countering Iran precede those of preserving Jerusalem, and they are divided to the point of self-destruction.
The political collapse has accelerated and both Hamas and Abbas need to study what the next steps are, to look inward and ask themselves, now what?
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