More Palestinian Empty Threats

by Khaled Abu Toameh

• For Abbas, security coordination with Israel is indeed "sacred": it keeps him in power and stops Hamas from taking over the West Bank.
• Abbas cannot tell his people that security coordination with Israel is keeping him on the throne. That is a topic for Israeli ears only.
• So what are the threats to end security cooperation about? Money. Here is Abbas's take-home to the world: "Send more money or we will cut off security cooperation with Israel."
• Halting security coordination with Israel would spell both his end and that of the PA in the West Bank. The international community is simply hearing a new version of the old bid for yet more political concessions and yet more cash.

Abbas to the world: "Send more money or we will cut off security cooperation with Israel."
Left: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas with French President François Hollande. Right: Abbas with top European Union officials Federica Mogherini and Jean-Claude Juncker.

The Palestinian Authority's endless threats to suspend security coordination with Israel are a carefully crafted bluff designed to extort more funds from Western donors, scare the Israeli public and provide a cover for its refusal to talk peace with Israel.

Many Palestinians say these threats are also intended for "internal consumption" -- namely to appease Hamas and other radical factions and to refute charges that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is betraying its people by "collaborating" with Israel.

Hamas has conditioned "reconciliation" with President Mahmoud Abbas's ruling Fatah faction in the West Bank on Fatah ending all forms of security coordination with Israel. Hamas clams that the security coordination is directed mostly against its members and supporters in the West Bank.

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