At every historical juncture in which the Palestinians were asked to make painful decisions, and certainly when asked to relinquish something they considered as guaranteed, they preferred to backtrack rather than move forward.
Trepidation over public opinion and fear of potential backlash from their domestic political rivals has time and again crippled Palestinian leaders' ability to make courageous decisions that could advance the peace process and Palestinian interests alike, even if it meant they would not get everything they wanted. The fear of being judged by the masses has always outweighed the fear of being judged by history.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is no exception. Thus, rather than welcoming U.S. Vice President Mike Pence to the region and engage in dialogue and negotiations with the Americans, he has chosen to abandon the fight and flee to Brussels, where the European Union is sure to give him a warmer welcome.
While the EU can offer Abbas pats on the back and words of encouragement, the United States remains the only one that can resuscitate the moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process, especially if you consider that the only deal ever achieved between Israel and the Palestinians was brokered only after the Israeli government decided, of its own accord and sans any external pressure, to take that step.
One must also remember that, even after the U.S.'s $65 million cut in aid funds for the U.N. agency that serves Palestinian refugees and their descendants, Washington remains Ramallah's biggest donor, exceeding the Palestinians' Arab, Russian and European friends.
Abbas is uncomfortable with the current reality, in which the Palestinian Authority is facing one of its lowest diplomatic points ever, while Israel experiences one of its peak moments in terms of its regional and international standing.
The peace initiative the Americans and their Arab partners seek to promote at this time seems far from what Abbas had in mind, but leaders are tested by their ability to deal with uncomfortable realities and whether they are able to make the best of a difficult situation. Running away when the going gets tough, pouting or throwing a political temper tantrum is not an option, as the price for it is exacted first and foremost from the Palestinians themselves.
It would have been wiser for Abbas to bite his tongue and, as a leader claiming to have his people's best interest at heart, negotiate with the U.S., even if from a position of weakness. If he doesn't, the Palestinians risk missing out on the Trump administration's peace initiative, unpalatable as they may find it.
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