Jan 6, 2016

In the West Bank these days, one thing is clear: The current status quo of random terror by individuals and a Palestinian Authority (PA) cooperating on terror prevention with Israel will not be maintained for long. The Palestinian street buzzes with rumors about a third intifada, the downfall of President Mahmoud Abbas and the collapse of the PA. All this speculation is grounded in realistic analysis of where the current Palestinian despair may lead.

A senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Fatah Central Committee told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Abbas may be forced to make good on the warning given in his speech to the UN General Assembly Sept. 30 and pass responsibility over the West Bank to Israel as the occupying power.

“I doubt that the authority can survive the current crisis,” said the official. “With daily Palestinian casualties, without any hope on the horizon for a political process and with growing economic hardships, the authority risks collapsing. In the current situation, the existing agreements are whitewashing for the occupation. Israel is exploiting the status quo to prevent Palestinian statehood through massive settlement expansion. We have thoroughly contemplated the meanings and ramifications of dismantling the authority in such a way that at the end of the day would bring about a process for Palestinian statehood together with the international community. The days of us serving as [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s alibi for sustaining the occupation are over.”

These words make it clear that the Palestinian leadership has a tentative strategy in place for the dismantlement of the authority. It is not clear, however, if and when it will be applied.

This new approach/possibility of handing over the responsibility for West Bank security and civilian affairs to Israel means first and foremost moving the Fatah leadership headquarters from Ramallah to Cairo or to Amman. It also means the dismantlement of the West Bank's separation into Areas A, B and C, as Israel would regain full civil and security control.