Why We Should Stand by the Palestinian National Authority Now

There are many observations that can be made about the performance of the Palestinian National Authority, the executive body of the Palestine Liberation Organization within the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and even regarding the Oslo Accords; most of these are observations and criticisms that serve the national context for correcting the path, in order for the Authority to be stronger and more capable of facing the challenges posed by the Zionist enemy, given what the Authority represents as a symbol of Palestinian nationalism and the foundation of the state. Thus, they seek to destroy it. Additionally, there are local and regional forces that oppose the Authority and intersect with the enemy in targeting it because they are fundamentally opposed to nationalism and the national project.

However, after the condition of the opposing forces to the Authority, especially Hamas, which has positioned itself as an alternative to the Liberation Organization and the Authority and their approach, became evident, along with the exposure of the positions of its allies and the limits of their capabilities; and when Israel harbors animosity towards the Palestinian National Authority and seeks to destroy it while inflating accusations against it, sometimes for corruption and other times for terrorism, the true reason for this animosity is that the Authority is the embodiment of Palestinian nationalism and has laid the foundation for the Palestinian state recognized by around 160 countries, even if it is a state under occupation facing numerous challenges.

In this case, defending the National Authority becomes a national duty; because the Zionist enemy is the one that will practically fill the void left by the absence of the Authority, something that is evident through its practices and accelerating legislations preparing for the annexation of the Palestinian West Bank.

We previously wrote an article years ago titled: (Yes to Dissolving the Authority... But What is the Alternative?), at a time when criticism of the Authority intensified from within the Palestinian community and some called for its dissolution; and it is shameful today that internal voices opposing the principle of the existence of the National Authority—not just criticizing its practices—align with the anti-Authority positions of Israel.