Sergey Kadinsky

Written Works

This article was written in the Summer of 2006, as a Media Fellow at the Jerusalem office of The Israel Project. The views expressed in this essay are personal and do not reflect the organization.

Disbanding the PA:

Correcting a Mistake

Since the 1967 conquest of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Israeli leaders from across the political spectrum have wrestled with the question of how to administer these areas. From immediate withdrawal, to partial occupation, to complete annexation, there was only one point of agreement- Israel could not rule over a hostile population and remain a democracy. As a result, proposals to give autonomy to Palestinian Arab communities have been evolving since the 1967.

In 1994, the Palestinian Authority emerged as an interim self-governing body created as a result of the Oslo Agreement to administer areas with large Palestinian populations. After more than a decade of corruption, infighting, and fiscal mismanagement, the Palestinian Authority does not appear one step closer to being a functional government that it had been on the day of its founding. The emergence of Hamas has only worsened the credibility of this governing body.

As a result of its failings, an August 11^th article in the Wall Street Journal, (Chaos Pushes Palestinian Authority to Edge) in the words of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh asked if it is possible for the PA to function under the “occupation, kidnappings, and assassination?

As a member of Hamas, Haniyeh has found his ability to govern complicated by his refusal to cooperate and ongoing hostility against Israel. This refusal has resulted in international isolation for the PA, with more than 150,000 public sector workers going unpaid for the past five months.

While Israel is reluctant to resume direct military rule over Palestinian-ruled areas, when security concerns call for it, it does not hesitate to reenter Jenin or Tulkarm in order to destroy terrorist strongholds and arrest local terrorists. As a result, Hafez Barghouti, editor in chief of Al-Hayat Al-Jadida states, “We should just accept that we are under military rule."

Instead of looking to reoccupation as a burden, both Israel and moderate Palestinians should accept it as a better alternative to Hamas and Fatah. Under Fatah, funds allocated to improve Palestinian society often got lost in the corruption that defined the Arafat administration. While Hamas is not considered to be corrupt, its status as a terrorist group has resulted in international isolation. The poverty, unemployment, and frustration of the Palestinian people have grown, with the energy of the anger channeled against Israel. Is this a nation ready for independence? Can a nation that wishes to destroy its neighbor be granted independence?

Clearly it is not. While the standard of living among Palestinians has improved greatly between the Six Day War and the first Intifada; under the Palestinian Authority, it has only stagnated, if not declined. Most Palestinians continue to depend on Israel and the international community for support.

Instead of avoiding its responsibilities, Israel should not only militarily return to Gaza City and Ramallah with military power, but also with qualified local administrators, who would be willing to work with Israel to ensure a better life for their people. It is a given that these administrators would be branded as collaborators and a throwback to the village councils that were the predecessor to the Palestinian Authority. However, under Israeli rule, funds going to hospitals and schools would go where they were intended- not to building rockets, or foreign bank accounts as they have under Hamas and Fatah.

Instead of avoiding its responsibilities through security walls, unilateral disengagements, and targeted military responses, Israel needs to recognize its neighbor and improve Palestinian society, instead of expecting it to mature on its own.

With the disbanding of the Palestinian Authority, symbols of sovereignty such as an Olympic team, internet domain, seat on the Arab League, and a police force would all be thrown into doubt. This is a price Israel and the Palestinian people must accept, if the former ever wants to achieve security, and if the latter wants to improve their standard of living. The mismanagement of the Palestinian Authority in the past decade has clearly shown that it is not ready to be an independent nation. This should not be read as an argument of colonization but rather as a necessity justified by past events and current conditions.

Rather, it should be seen as a necessity that sometimes, it is better to be governed by a qualified occupier than a local despot or terrorist group that couldn't care less about the welfare of its people.

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Background image:

Aerial view of Neveh Dekalim, Gaza