President Trump should re-authorize the Palestinian Liberation Organization diplomatic office in Washington, D.C.
This is relevant in light of Saturday’s news that the Trump administration has informed Palestinian officials that their Washington office will lose its diplomatic permit. The Palestinians believe the decision is retaliation for their September decision to ask the International Criminal Court to charge Israeli officials with war crimes offenses.
The de-permitting may also reflect Trump administration efforts to pressure the Palestinians to accept peace talks next year.
Part of me is sympathetic to this action.
After all, the Palestinian call for ICC investigations of Israeli officials undermined improved relations with Israel and the cause of peace. The ICC is, like most global organizations such as the United Nations, pathologically anti-Israeli and was always going to leap at this opportunity.
Still, the ICC cannot effectively threaten Israeli officials. Were it to attempt to do so, the U.S. would almost certainly introduce punitive sanctions on any parties cooperating with the ICC. From my perspective, that means the Palestinians should be condemned for their ICC antics but largely ignored.
Of course, with Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet influenced by hardliners, the prime minister is under great pressure to oppose any concessions. That’s probably why the Israeli government has reacted so strongly to the PLO’s ICC submission.
The problem with closing the PLO office, however, is that it forces Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ hand against peace before negotiations have even begun. Consider the current Palestinian political situation.
On one side is Abbas and more moderate elements in the PLO. On the other side is Hamas, which is moving towards a new unity government with Abbas. But if the PLO loses its office in Washington, it will come under immense domestic political pressure to reject any peace talks. And politically vulnerable, Abbas will likely yield to the pressure in order to salvage his delusional dream of a unity government.
If we’re committed to the peace process, we must recognize the domestic political complexities facing both Netanyahu and Abbas, not just the former.
Moreover, if the peace process dies, the probability of a new Israeli-Palestinian conflict will grow. Again, that is wholly undesirable for U.S. national security interests. It would also be a grave wasted opportunity in that improving Saudi-Israeli relations offer the prospect of unified Arab pressure being put on the Palestinians to accept a deal.
Yet it’s not just about the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
In an era of dramatically increasing strife between the Saudis, Iranians, and Lebanese. the U.S. cannot afford to enact policies that add tension to the region.
Ultimately, if the Trump administration is serious about pushing for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, it should allow the PLO’s office to remain open.
