“The question anyone who cares about stability in the Middle East or indeed the long-term well-being of the Palestinian people should pose would be the following: does this pattern of behavior help the Palestinian people or not?”
Palestinians protesting against US President Donald Trump’s policy on Jerusalem brought a violent end to a US-coordinated event consisting of a marketing workshop in Bethlehem on Saturday.
The protest began with the assembly of some 30 demonstrators outside of the event. They came to protest against the position of the US administration on Jerusalem in light of President Donald Trump’s recognition of the city as Israel’s capital last month. Protesters hanged and burned effigies of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
The coals of the Jerusalem issue were stoked recently when Vice President Mike Pence, on a visit to Israel, stated that Trump’s promised relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would take place by the end of 2019.
At one point during the demonstration, the participants began throwing tomatoes at a sports utility vehicle carrying US consular license plates that had to be evacuated under Palestinian police escort. Protesters continued to attack the car, kicking its tires and doors, even managing to rip some plastic panels off of its sides, before the vehicle finally managed to pull away.
Commenting on the incident, a State Department spokesperson said, “The United States opposes the use of violence and intimidation to express political views. This non-political program was one part of long-term US engagement to create economic opportunities for Palestinians.”
That just about sums it up.
The event was another attempt within the long-standing US effort to advance the well-being of Palestinians at a grassroots level. The response was a slap in the face.
While the handful of protesters do not represent the Palestinian people, their actions do in fact represent a trend of those who claim to act in the interest of Palestinians. The simple truth must be set down: Palestinian activists undermine the well-being of their own people in the course of perpetuating the conflict with Israel. Excluding the US as a legitimate partner in resolving that conflict is just another facet of this self-destructive behavior.
Unfortunately, the past several years are interspersed with self-defeating incidents similar to what took place in Bethlehem over the weekend. The above event is highly reminiscent of an episode that took place in 2015, when Boycott Divest and Sanction (BDS) activists managed to pressure the company Soda Stream to close their West Bank factory. As a result, over 500 Palestinians who were employed by the plant lost their jobs.
The question anyone who cares about stability in the Middle East or indeed the long-term well-being of the Palestinian people should pose would be the following: does this pattern of behavior help the Palestinian people or not?
Understanding this trend gives some insight into America’s recent stance on the Palestinians, especially Trump’s reported intent to withhold aid earmarked for the Palestinian Authority. From the administration’s point of view, funding the PA is pouring funds into a network of leaders who are willing to use their own people as pawns in a power struggle.
