CAIRO: Last Thursday, European diplomats reported to the Israeli daily Haaretz that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has offered to strike a deal with the United States intended to regain funding for the Palestinian Authority. Abbas allegedly proposed to freeze his bid for full Palestinian membership at the United Nations in an attempt to appease Israeli and American demands. In exchange, Abbas has called for a freeze on tax revenues from Israel and an end to cuts in international funding to the PA. This comes as Israel's cabinet decided to withhold its handover of the tax revenues it collects on behalf of the PA. It also comes as the United States cuts funding to UNESCO, the UN cultural body, after the body's decision to recognize Palestine as a member. In this context, PLO official Saeb Erekat was quoted by Ma'an News Agency calling the revenue freeze “blackmailing, bullying and stealing.” As reported by Haaretz, Abbas' proposal to the US means he will maintain to push for a vote for Palestinian membership in the Security Council. However, he will suspend efforts to achieve full membership in such agencies as the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization. Nor will he ask the General Assembly to upgrade Palestine's observer status to non-member observer state. Erekat on Thursday dismissed the reports of Abbas' concessions, and told Ma'an News Agency that the reported proposal was “nonsense”. PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi also rubbished the report. “This report is completely untrue, and the Israeli media tools are not the source of information for the Palestinian positions and decisions,” she said in a statement. “The report is a new Israeli maneuver and an attempt to create confusion to stop the Palestinian bid to the UN.” At the UN, Abbas has had to navigate in a hostile climate, as he has been subject to fierce political pressure from Washington and other western powers to drop the bid. The Middle East Quartet (the UN, the US, the EU and Russia) have stressed that the Palestinians forget the plea for statehood, and turn back to direct peace talks with Israel. In an attempt to politically pressure the PA, international funding has been cut severely, and several western state leaders have expressed serious concern that the bid for statehood is obstructing peace talks favorably to take place between the warring parties. Following the much celebrated prisoner swap between Hamas and Israel, Abbas West Bank government has faced popular sentiment turning against it. In the West Bank, speculations are surging on the motives of Abbas' alleged proposal. Critics point to the fact that Abbas neither succeeded to end the split between Hamas and Fatah, nor to obtain actual recognition within the international community. “The PA is very desperate for funds, especially because without the international donations and the revenues of the taxes from the Israelis the Palestinian government has no source of income at all. Still, I think that it is too big a risk for Abbas to withdraw because of the popular support he got for the bid…” a citizen of Ramallah, al-Bireh, told Bikymasr.com. In recent days, the international blogosphere has been swirling with statements that the UN bid has utterly failed, and that the PA is at the end of its road. Critics say the function of the PA is limited to running the West Bank at the best as an autonomous area and, in parallel, relieving the Israelis from the burdens of their occupation. Reports this week stated that Abbas was opting to hold elections for a Palestinian Authority this coming May– elections in which he would not himself be a candidate. “…they will try to get the world's attention so as to raise more money for the PA,“ Ramallah citizen Muhammad told Bikyamasr.com, believing that the proposal of concessions was done as a stunt to attract world attention to the cut of funding to his government. Commenting on Abbas' determination to push through to the final vote for Palestinian membership in the UN Security Council coming up in December, he added: “If it doesn't go through, Abbas will dissolve the PA. He doesn't want to join elections, so he doesn't care anymore.” Abbas reportedly said he would propose the elections at his next meeting with Hamas political bureau head Khaled Meshal, planned to take place on November 24. Here, the fractions will take steps to speed up the much wanted unity deal to end the absolute split that has parted Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza politically and practically since 2007. But people in the streets of Ramallah are pessimistic about the situation. One other Ramallah citizen, Ahmad, was likewise worried where a conclusive fall of the UN bid would lead. Though a changed and more pro-active form of Palestinian leadership is definitely wished for, he fears that insecurity may continue. “One thing is for sure, that the loser will always be the Palestinian people…Even with a unity deal and Hamas participating in elections here (the West Bank, red.), they will not do us any good,” Muhammad added. BM
