Israeli Experts Deem the PA Unfit to Govern in Gaza

Photo Credit: Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90

Palestinian Authority security personnel parade in the Judea city of Hebron, Nov. 14, 2017.

The Palestinian Authority is unfit to govern the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas war, according to a new report by the Kohelet Policy Forum.

The 112-page report, authored by attorneys Yishai Rivlin, Yigal Ram, Boaz Ha’etzni and Noga Arbel, presents a critical analysis of the P.A.’s ideology and actions. It concludes that the P.A. promotes a culture of terror and jihad rather than fostering peaceful coexistence.

The report, titled, “Why the Palestinian Authority Must Not Rule Gaza,” highlights that the P.A.’s education system indoctrinates children with hatred toward Israel and Jews, using textbooks and educational programs to portray Israel as an enemy. Furthermore, the P.A. consistently refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, omitting it from official maps and labeling Israeli cities as Palestinian. This refusal is seen as a fundamental barrier to peace efforts.

The report, which can be read in its full Hebrew version, also accuses the P.A. of actively encouraging terrorism by praising terrorists, hosting commemorative events in their honor and providing financial incentives through salaries to imprisoned terrorists and their families. These payments are viewed as significant motivators for continued violence and antithetical to peace.

Additionally, the report describes the P.A. as lacking legitimacy among Palestinians and failing to maintain control over its territories, with parts falling under Hamas’s influence. Systemic human rights violations and corruption further undermine its credibility as a governing body.

The authors warn that allowing the P.A. to govern Gaza without significant ideological changes could result in another terrorist entity on Israel’s southern border, echoing concerns from post-2005 when Israel withdrew from Gaza, leading to increased Hamas control. From a human rights perspective, the report argues that P.A. governance would not improve conditions for Gazans but rather perpetuate existing abuses.

The report, which was written in September but first made public by Israel National News on Tuesday, includes findings that have been echoed by some Israeli Knesset members who have likewise come out against proposals involving the P.A. in governing Gaza. Among the reasons given by the MKs were doubts regarding the feasibility of armed P.A. officers working alongside the Israeli military.

Despite U.S. assertions made in September regarding the P.A.’s commitment to peace, ongoing terror attacks claimed by Fatah militias cast doubt on these commitments’ sincerity. Talks between the P. A. and Hamas that took place in Cairo toward the end of September regarding a unity government for Gaza further complicate the situation, as such a government would result in Hamas still being in control of the Strip in some fashion or another after the war.

The Kohelet Policy Forum’s report becomes even more relevant amid the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and continued efforts by the U.S. government to bring about an end to the conflict in Gaza as well. The report’s findings underscore the need for substantial reforms within the P.A. before it can be considered a viable governing body in the Gaza Strip.