New Challenges and Few Options

The PLO will extend Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas‘ term in office when it meets in December, reports The Daily Star. His term currently ends on January 25th, but it is increasingly likely elections will not be held by that time. The Parliament’s term is also set to expire the same day, but it is unclear how the PLO will proceed along that front. Abbas also serves as the chairman of the PLO.

Shmuel Rosner in The New Republic argues that even if Abbas was bluffing about his resignation, “with every bombastic statement, Abbas seems to be limiting his domestic options.” Now, Abbas is presented “with new challenges and few options.” His current option, as The Daily Star reports, is to push for a unilateral declaration of statehood despite resistance from Washington and Europe. After talks with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak yesterday, Abbas vented, “What is the solution for us? To remain suspended like this, not in peace?” At the Commentary blog, David Hazony responds that the “real problem with Palestinian independence – the elephant in the room, if you will – is that there is no viable Palestinian regime that can claim to run a sovereign country.”

Steven Cook worries that if the situation continues to deteriorate, a “third intifada is likely to erupt in the near future.” There is a strong precedent of Palestinian leaders resorting to violence to bolster domestic popularity and today’s leaders may come to the same conclusion. But John Whitbeck in the Christian Science Monitor offers a different alternative for the Palestinian leadership. He argues they should offer an ultimatum to Israel: either reach a negotiated deal by the end of 2010 or they will seek a single-state solution based on equal rights and full citizenship for all.