The Absence of the Palestinian Representation and the Bet on Time

Many Palestinian commentators on social media were surprised by the absence of an official Palestinian representative, or rather, it seemed as though they were surprised by ‘acting as if they didn’t see it’; especially since they know that Palestinians did not call for the Sharm El-Sheikh summit to sign President Donald Trump’s plan and the ceasefire in Gaza, and that Palestinians have not sat at the negotiating table since October 2023, having fallen from it and become mere spectators, waiting for their fate.

Palestinians believe that this state of waiting might earn them a part of what they have lost in terms of status, based on assumptions that need consideration, investigation, and scrutiny, which are:

First; the inevitability of people’s victory over colonialism. Second; betting on the resilience of the Palestinian people in facing the arbitrary measures of the Israeli occupation. Third; there is a prevailing belief among Palestinian politicians that President Trump’s days of glory will be numbered, either after the midterm elections at the end of 2026 for Congress and the political powers shifting towards a Democratic majority, or that the political lifespan of his remaining three-year term is short compared to the years of oppression and injustice that the Palestinian people have suffered, thus they can endure its pains. Fourth; betting on changes in the international system, which will not allow the United States to dominate, leading to multiple fractures within the Western alliance, with emerging indicators of key countries such as France, Britain, Germany, and Canada drifting away from it, and the rise of competing countries and blocs, transforming the international system into a multipolar one. Fifth; there is a parallel path to Trump’s plan represented by the outcomes of the New York conference calling for the implementation of the two-state solution option, which can be relied upon as a counter to Trump and Netanyahu’s path represented by the ‘peace’ plan.

In my opinion, betting on time seems naive; because time does not work in favor of the weak or those who do not solidify their internal front and strengthen its walls and enhance their capabilities, and relying on others to advocate for the Palestinian cause, or to stand in the place of Palestinians and their actions, appears weak; in international relations, both friends and foes are concerned about their interests ‘the interests of their countries’, as rights and justice are brought into the framework of international politics only to a limited extent, and the weak ‘who have lost elements of internal strength and external argument’ are the only ones who demand it or tend to use it.

Political behavior is based on due diligence, meaning that it takes into account the reasons and motivations by monitoring changes, understanding challenges, and dealing with the indicators and influences from various parties, to create the transformation or effectuate the transformation itself based on self-power or in alliance with other powers to realize the interests of citizens or achieve results.

In my view, the reliance of Palestinian politicians on waiting and betting on time is no longer part of political action or the capacity of Palestinians, and dependence on the good intentions of the international community has become closer to extinction; the road to hell is paved with good intentions.