If I were President of Palestine, here’s what I’d do

The ongoing hardships for Palestinian refugees in several Arab host countries include a lack of basic rights, such as adequate public education, healthcare, employment opportunities, and affordable housing.

On the one hand, it is only logical and humane that everyone is entitled to live in their home country. On the other hand, the reality is that the right of return functions largely as a numbing doctrine promoted by the Palestinian leadership with contradictory policies and poorly negotiated deals.

The Oslo Accords, for example, failed to provide a sustainable solution for Palestinian refugees. They left the matter as “permanent status” to be completed by May 1999, a promise that failed to see the light.

As a result, many Palestinian refugees suffer daily while holding onto the right of return, a dream curbing their potential to explore other arenas of peace and prosperity to establish their lives and move forward.

Today, there are no sustainable solutions for the over five million Palestinian refugees from four displaced generations. Instead, they primarily depend on support from overseas relatives and aid from organisations like UNRWA.

Geopolitics has always defined the fate of the Palestinian people. The latest development involving the Palestinians is the Abraham Accords, signed by the United States, Bahrain, the UAE, and Israel on September 15, 2020.

Other agreements with Sudan and Morocco under the Abraham Accords were finalised in October and December 2020 respectively. Most recently, there have been initiatives beyond the scope of the Abraham Accords, such as the historic agreement between Lebanon and Israel on a maritime border deal.

These normalisation agreements between Arab states and Israel seem promising for the region, having already shown positive results in improving diplomatic and economic relationships, promoting travel and tourism, and increasing trade and investments on both sides.

In general, however, the accords will have to contend with decades of entrenched public perception and widely held beliefs about Israel in most Arab countries. A good starting point would be the emphasis on how these accords would benefit the Palestinians.

In line with the policies Jared Kushner initially presented when introducing the accords, the economic empowerment of Palestinians will facilitate a better quality of life, encouraging support and acceptance of similar deals.

One study from the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) found that 86 percent of Palestinians believe the accords will only benefit Israel. That being said, it’s likely that for Palestinians to benefit, they will need to work with the geopolitical changes proposed in the Accords.

Therefore, if I were the President of Palestine, I would approach the Abraham Accords constructively to expedite a resolution for the Palestinian people while nurturing long-lasting, productive relations with other regional players.

To this end, I would first avoid inference in the sovereignty of other countries, particularly those involved in the Accords. With over 600,000 Palestinians currently living in Arab states in the Gulf, I would avoid antagonism and encourage efforts to help my people rather than putting them at any risk that could arise from diplomatic crises.

I would not criticise any government for signing peace treaties with Israel, particularly in light of the signing of the Oslo Accords by my predecessor Yasser Arafat. The latter was relatively unsuccessful in recognising the real needs of the Palestinian people and had few tangible outcomes in establishing a two-state solution.

It also led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority, which was plagued by much internal corruption, nepotism, and bribery. It also resulted in the widening of the class gap between Gaza and the West Bank. In addition, and as mentioned earlier, it has failed the Palestinian refugees.

As the President of Palestine, I would approach the Abraham Accords with more constructive action and demands for my people, given the agreements are already in place and celebrated by all parties involved. I would ask for the Abraham Accords’ key players to ensure that Palestinian refugees obtain more rights, like facilitated immigration to other countries, compensation, and other settlement options.

I would also advocate for amplifying Palestinian voices to participate in creating reforms and developing means of cooperation and collaboration within the Abraham Accords framework. For the Accords to benefit all parties involved, Palestinian representation must be maintained in economic, diplomatic, and cultural discussions with other regional players.

At the level of the Accords, a Humanitarian Committee should be established to monitor violations from both sides. With ongoing instability in the West Bank, two wars in Gaza, and the repetitive launch of Hamas rockets from Gaza toward Israel, violence between Israel and Palestine is impossible to overlook.

Palestinian deaths have reached the highest levels in seven years. Israeli Major Bar Falah was killed by two Palestinian militants the day before the second anniversary of the Accords signing. The following day, 17-year-old Oday Salah, a Palestinian, was shot and killed. Palestinian doctor Abdullah al-Ahmad was most recently killed in Jenin, West Bank.

Earlier this year, accomplished Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abou Akleh was also killed in the West Bank, an event that sent shockwaves through the media. A Humanitarian Committee, in the context of the progressive Abraham Accords, is necessary now more than ever to ensure the Accords result in regional stability and bring accountability to curb further instances of violence on both sides.

I would also work towards ending the annexation of Palestinian lands. I feel confident this goal would receive support from the major actors involved, especially the UAE. The Emirati Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Yousef Al-Otaiba, went on record early in the process to state that the Accords were primarily “about preventing annexation.”

This consequently happened when the annexation of occupied West Bank lands was halted. However, events in Sheikh Jarrah, including the evictions of Palestinian families and the resulting protests, stalled the advancement of this goal. Therefore, developing tangible policies to end evictions and annexation of Palestinian lands is crucial.

Economically, I would strive to extend the same positive economic growth mutually benefitting Arab states like the UAE and Israel to the displaced people of Palestine and those in the West Bank and Gaza.

Al Busaidy, an Emirati author and a US-UAE Public Affairs Committee member, told me that the “economy is one of the main pillars of these Accords. All parties involved are looking for opportunities for their people and encouraging others to join for the same reason.” There is already an economic relationship between Israel and Palestine.

In 2021, imports from Israel to Palestine totaled $3.48 billion, and exports reached $1.3 billion. I would work toward establishing channels to facilitate the imports and exports of goods and services between the West Bank and Gaza to the rest of the region.

This logic applies to employment for Palestinians, especially those displaced in Arab countries struggling to accommodate them. Contributing to the Accords’ mission of ensuring peace and prosperity in the region, it is unjust to leave millions of people in geographical and political limbo.

While the Accords opened the door for Israel to become a more influential regional player, they have yet to address prominent issues plaguing the MENA region for decades.

 If I were the President of Palestine, I’d want to find constructive resolutions to land disputes, annexation, refugees, religious violence, and other systemic issues. For many years, stagnation has made any tangible progress or peace between Arabs and Israelis impossible.

The Abraham Accords would offer any leader of Palestine a more prominent seat at the table with the support of major Arab states that have clout in the region. As President, it would be my prerogative to work with these major players to push through fundamental reforms rather than continue to give empty promises to my people.