Does the Peace Council Align with Palestinian Legitimacy?

In light of the numerous initiatives and frameworks proposed under various political and administrative titles, there arises a need for a clear Palestinian position that reflects a popular national stance governed by a singular, unambiguous reference, which asserts that the Palestinian legitimacy represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian National Authority is the only legitimate framework authorized to represent the Palestinian people and manage their political and administrative affairs, free from any internal disputes or negativity.

Based on this principle, any framework or body that does not emerge from this legitimacy, lacks an explicit national mandate, and does not rely on the decisions of its official institutions is considered a framework not recognized by the Palestinians, regardless of its name or the declared intentions behind its formation or the context in which it is proposed. Palestinian legitimacy is not an operational or circumstantial matter but rather a comprehensive political and legal foundation formed through a long struggle, national consensus, and Arab and international recognition.

In this context, Palestinians view what is referred to as the "Peace Council" as an unelected and non-mandated body that does not rely on the decisions of the National Council or the Palestinian Central Council, which are the only bodies authorized to make pivotal decisions regarding the national political path. The free Palestinian position asserts that the absence of national authorization cannot be compensated by good intentions, nor by an advisory nature, nor by the claim that this council does not constitute an alternative to legitimacy. Experience has shown that creating parallel frameworks, even if presented in informal formats, practically leads to confusion in representation, multiple references, and weakening the unity of national decision-making, which is the goal of the American administration, Israel, and its allies from afar and near.

Accordingly, the free Palestinian position is to reject any "Peace Council" presented as an alternative, parallel, or a circumvention channel to the Palestine Liberation Organization, the national leadership, or the adopted political program, whether this is done directly or indirectly. At the same time, the free Palestinian position emphasizes a clear distinction between rejecting these frameworks and a steadfast commitment to the choice of peace, as peace from the Palestinian national perspective is not a subject of dispute. However, it is a just and comprehensive peace based on international legitimacy resolutions, ensuring the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people. It cannot be reduced to individual initiatives from Trump or others or to loose pathways used to bypass national consensus, and even imposes "within a pressing American strategy that includes political, economic, and military pressures". Without exaggeration, it is a "Council for War" led by Trump and Netanyahu against all that has been achieved Palestinians.

Regarding what is known as the "Administrative Committee," the Palestinian position considers that any committee established outside the legal and institutional Palestinian framework represents an illegal procedure, even if presented under pretexts of necessity, temporariness, or managing emergency situations. The necessity does not create political legitimacy, and managing Palestinian affairs must be exclusively through a legitimate government, a national unity government, or a national consensus government or through legally recognized institutions operating within the Palestinian political system.

The free national position also asserts that administrative committees, when not resulting from comprehensive national consensus, do not constitute transitional solutions but practically turn into a consolidation of the status quo, deepening division and weakening the unity of the Palestinian decision-making and its ability to face escalating political challenges, which contradicts the supreme national interest and the requirements of the current stage.

In summary, the Palestinian popular position, both internally and externally, is that unity of representation and reference is not a mere formal or technical matter but a fundamental condition for any serious political path or sustainable administrative arrangement. The Palestinian people are open to any sincere efforts to achieve just peace, but at the same time, they are committed to their national legitimacy and reject any attempts, regardless of how they are framed, to bypass or circumvent this legitimacy.

From this standpoint, the Palestinian message to the international community remains clear and unambiguous: peace is a strategic national choice, but the road to it passes exclusively through respecting the legitimate representation of the Palestinian people, adhering to international legitimacy resolutions, and strengthening the unity of national decision-making, not through councils or committees established outside this framework.

It is evident that the establishment of the "Peace Council", or the "War Council", is part of a broad strategic American-Israeli vision towards Gaza and the Palestinian issue, viewing it not as part of Palestinian land but as a region of economic and geopolitical value utilized within regional and international arrangements that exceed the Palestinians, while granting Israel the green light to impose annexation and sovereignty over the West Bank and Jerusalem. From this standpoint, the free Palestinian position asserts that any framework that does not respect Palestinian legitimacy and attempts to impose solutions outside of a comprehensive national agreement will not be recognized nationally or politically, and its rejection will remain a fixed pillar in the defense of national rights and the reference for unified Palestinian decision-making.