Much of the Israeli media's reporting on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' combative speech to the Palestinian Central Council, Sunday, focused on deciphering whether Abbas really meant it when he directed the Arabic curse meaning "may your house be destroyed" at U.S. President Donald Trump.
But that is not what matters here. The question is, what did Abbas' speech entail beyond rage, the historical depiction of Zionism as colonialism and the resolute and repeated opposition to the use of terror? The answer is all of these things, from the content to the fiery tone, were nothing more than a distraction. The message it sent, however, was simple: The situation is terrible; let's ensure that it continues.
Abbas announced for the umpteenth time that "Oslo is over." But instead of making the announcement like someone who formulates policy, he sounded more like a commentator. Instead of saying the Palestinians would no longer remain committed to the continuation of the status quo because the interim agreement that was supposed to have come to an end on May 4, 1999 had not been replaced with a permanent deal; instead of saying partial autonomy over 40% of the West Bank and the separation of Gaza Strip from the West Bank had become the de facto final status agreement; and instead of arguing that the hallway had, in reality, become the living room, he simply announced that Oslo was dead.
Yet Abbas is blindly relying on the current Israeli government to do everything in its power to continue the artificial respiration of the accords. The greatest opponents of the interim agreement a quarter century ago are those who now hold on with all their might to what remains of the Oslo Accords because to their mind, it is the most convenient solution: Donor countries bear the financial burden of the continued control of the territories instead of Israel, a Palestinian force numbering tens of thousands of men closely cooperates with the Israel Defense Forces and helps in the prevention of terrorist attacks; while the vast majority of Palestinians are governed by the Palestinian Authority, which does not prevent the IDF from entering those territories and operating as they please, all this as the expansion of settlements continues. The most right-wing government ever established in Israel will never in a million years give up on the perpetuation of the "temporary" Oslo Accords.
In his speeches, Abbas continues to act as if he holds all the cards, but the truth is that has an even better card to play. Should he choose, he could announce the cancellation of the Palestinian commitment to the Oslo Accords, the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority and the return of responsibility for the territories to Israel. He could further say that the Palestinians are willing to give up on the two-state solution and instead demand to become a part of Israel and be treated as equal citizens. But instead of shaking things up, Abbas would much rather mislead us and focus our attention on the interpretations of his curses.
