this post was submitted on 29 Mar 2024
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If I'm reading this correctly, this decision was made because Smotrich threatened to sever all Israeli banking relations with the Palestinian Authority, which since the PA depends on Israeli banks to function, would have ruined the Palestinian government in the West Bank. I don't like that this is how it's going down, but definitely see the rationale, and don't think the Biden Admin is wrong to protect the PA. There's plenty criticism to heap on the US for their relationship with Israel, but I don't think this is one of them. The problem here is Smotrich and the Netanyahu government.
The PA is pretty much entirely controlled by the Israeli military now. It being shut down might actually allow orgs that actually serve Palestinian interests to take power.
Regardless, this is obviously just an excuse to stop the sanctions. Israel is entirely dependent on the US and these "threats" are toothless. If Biden gave a fuck at all, he would simply threaten to cut off funding to Israel in return.
The "might" in that sentence is doing some heavy lifting. I think the collapse of the PA would lead to worsening chaos in the West Bank, especially financially, and would directly harm Palestinians.
Not at all. You can remove that first paragraph entirely and my point comes across just fine.
There wasn't a second paragraph when I responded lol.
I still seriously disagree with you, a disruption of the Palestinian Authority would 100% be worse for the Palestinian people in the West Bank. Which "orgs" do you think are suddenly going to step in and be better?
Israel has a robust economy and is quite capable of conducting the war it wants all on its own.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Israel
Not in the west bank
Yes, it is. Hamas absolutely has a presence in the West Bank, and the fact that they would likely win democratic elections is the reason why there haven't been elections in the West Bank in ages.
Hamas isn't able to accumulate meaningful military force there due to the constant presence of the IDF, but they are there. The PA must be reformed, but if you simply abolish it, it's Hamas that fills the power vacuum.
When did I say that the PA and Hamas are the same?
I did not say that Hamas has legal authority in the West Bank. I said that they have a presence, which is simply true. Terrorist attacks are not at all unheard of in the West Bank; do you really think they're completely disconnected from the neighboring Islamist organization who routinely praises terror attacks and explicitly calls for the destruction of Israel?
https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/israel-west-bank-and-gaza/west-bank-and-gaza/
https://www.dni.gov/nctc/ftos/hamas_fto.html
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/why-west-bank-front-has-not-opened-so-far
You got downvoted, but you are correct.
This is just a little something to keep in mind the next time some Israeli tries to argue that “it’s not an occupation.”
I think you misunderstand, Netanyahu and his allies want extremists in charge. They have spent the last two decades trying to delegitimize the PA because they are a moderate Palestinian government, and the same two decades propping up Hamas. When extremists are in charge, Netanyahu knows he can more easily justify killing Palestinians and taking Palestinian land
Can they just send a few killer drones after the two guys mentioned? It's fair game, USA uses those outside of its territory, Israel uses those outside of its territory.
Of course there's going a shitfest of indignation from Israelis, but that'll be in any situation which is not successful ethnic cleansing with no consequences.
More concisely, the problem is Israel.