Alwaght- While in an anti-Palestinian measure the US in 2018 moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and officially recognized the city as the capital of the Israeli regime, Biden administration recently announced a plan to open a diplomatic center affiliated with the American embassy for interaction with the Palestinians in a bid to cut the Palestinian sensitivity and opposition. Palestinian media said the complex is planned to be constructed on a Palestinian land seized by the Israelis in 1950. The Palestinians called for immediate cancelation of the plan.
Restarting Israeli-Palestinian compromising negotiations to advance normalization
Undoubtedly, on the eve of Joe Biden's visit to the region, which is aimed at facilitating the process of normalizing relations between the Arab countries and the Israeli regime, the American government is aware of the sensitivity of Muslims towards Saudi Arabia joining the normalization process, and in order to reduce the pressure on Riyadh, Washington plans to signal that it has a constructive initiative to help advance what the Saudis worked on for years under "Arab peace initiative."
Also, given the fact that the Palestinians are strongly opposed to Al-Quds being the capital of Israeli regime, the White House with its new plan tries to tell them that it stands on the same distance from the two sides and sees Al-Quds shared by the Palestinians and Israelis. But in reality this move is meant to give Al-Quds fully to the Israelis and the diplomatic center is just for deception of the Palestinians and Muslim world and works in the best interests of Tel Aviv at the end of the road.
In fact, the US intends to convince the Palestinian Authority to return to the compromising negotiations with its new scenario. To facilitate this process, Washington intends to present cash-strapped Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Authority with financial sweeteners to resume so-called peace talks that have been on hold for years. Axios news website of the US reported on Monday that Biden will authorize $100 million in aids to Eastern Al-Quds hospitals during his visit to the region. Also, Washington called on Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE to offer similar aids. The policy towards restarting the negotiations seems to be working as recently Abbas and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz talked to pave the way for compromising negotiations.
One shot, two targets
Biden's plan to start reconciliation talks comes as the Israeli cabinet collapsed last week for the fifth time in a row and the current one is a caretaker administration. Now while the failed Bennett-Lapid coalition is aware that any concessions to the Palestinians on the negotiating table can present the opposition, especially Benjamin Netanyahu, with boosters in the upcoming early election, well reception of the dialogue by the resigned Israeli cabinet signals that the talks are totally detrimental to the Palestinian interests.
Firstly, resumption of talks runs counter to national Palestinian unity against the Israeli occupation asked for by Palestinian Authority after Trump administration unveiled "deal of the century", an initiative rejecting Palestinian rights, including right of return for refugees. Recently a historic meeting took place between Abbas and Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas in Algeria to remove the differences. But closeness of the Palestinian Authority to Israeli regime can once again broaden Gaza-West Bank gaps as Gaza leaders are opposed to any negotiations and compromises to Tel Aviv and recognize resistance as the only path to liberation.
Secondly, Saudi Arabia is expected to publicize its normalization with the Israeli regime soon and therefore the new American plan is to bring Palestinian Authority closer to Tel Aviv for smoother and cheaper normalization process. Thaw with the Arab world is now fueling a competition between Bennett-Lapid coalition and Netanyahu with each side trying to paint his performance in this matter as more successful.
Another issue regarding new US plan is that accepting the negotiations for Abbas means recognition of the Israeli crimes over the past months in settlement projects in West Bank and Al-Aqsa. This largely unwise move by Abbas can provide Tel Aviv with new breathing room and justification for its occupation and sideline waves of international pressures and condemnations for Israeli rejection to implement UN resolutions, killing of journalists, and cracking down on the civilians in Jenin refugee camp. Apparently, the American plan is not a sympathy with the Palestinians, rather it means to pave the way for more land occupation under a new cover.
As a conclusion, Washington intends to take Al-Quds out of the Palestinian ownership with its new initiative and give it to the Israeli occupation at lowest price, and at the same time secure the Israeli regime through normalization.
