Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly was widely criticised for falling short of declaring that any decisive action would be taken, against what he clearly depicted to be an Apartheid Regime that has scrapped the Oslo Accords. However, days later, whilst settlers were storming al-Aqsa Mosque, Abbas called Israeli war minister, Benny Gantz, to congratulate him for the Jewish new year.

The so-called Two-State solution is again being thrown around at the UN, with both US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, claiming that it is the greatest option for peace. Many have taken not, that for the first time in years, an Israeli leader has made mention of the idea of creating a Palestinian State. Pairing this with PA President Mahmoud Abbas's request for immediate “peace talks”, some analysts are taking the idea seriously. The reality is however, that all we are hearing is hyperbole. 

To begin with, Israeli PM, Yair Lapid, is heading into another general election and is the clear favorite for the US Biden administration, over his popular - to Israelis - rival Benjamin Netanyahu. In his speech to the UN General Assembly, Lapid made the laughable statement that most Israelis favor a fair two-State settlement, something that is clearly untrue according to all poll data. The statement made by Lapid was likely an attempt to appease international observers and specifically the Biden administration.

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In reality, instead of entertaining the idea of a two-State solution, the Israeli political class have shifted their rhetoric and favor a system of Palestinian self-governance, similar to that which they permitted during the 1970’s and even encouraged in the early, to mid, 1980’s. That is to only allow Palestinians to participate in municipal and other local elections, whilst explicitly outlawing political forces that refuse to collaborate with “Israel” and instead opt for resistance. The speech of Mahmoud Abbas referred to “Israel’s” interference in the attempt to run democratic national elections throughout the West Bank, the Eastern part of occupied al-Quds, and Gaza, during which he accused “Israel” of destroying the attempt to hold elections in 2021. Despite Abbas having contradicted himself, by outlining “Israel’s” similar past attempts to prevent Palestinian national elections and hence demonstrating that he could of allowed the elections to go forth, he clearly points out “Tel Aviv’s” opposition to Palestinian democracy.

“Israel” is not interested in entertaining so-called peace talks with the PA, because at this point it would be political suicide for any leading Israeli political party or politician to suggest such a thing. The only interest that the Zionist regime has with the PA, is strengthening its control over areas of the West Bank, such as Jenin and Nablus, in order to prevent armed resistance factions from attacking the Israeli military or settlers. In fact, “Israel” is panicking at the lack of control and waning influence that the PA’s security apparatus have in the Palestinian cities to the north of the West Bank, fearing that its power will also erode down south. 

Mahmoud Abbas gave his speech on the countless human rights violations committed by “Israel”, its disregard for the Oslo agreements, and for the idea of Palestinian democracy, lambasting “Tel Aviv” as an apartheid regime. Yet, what he made clear was that there would be no reaction against “Israel” for its actions, whilst making fiery worded remarks, he presented a word salad that translated to; we will do nothing, keep going and we’ll just keep asking for the scraps that you continue to slowly erode. At the same time as the cry for peace talks has been ignored, the PA commits its heart and soul into its primary application, security coordination, as it continues to detain and torture resistance fighters, such as Musab Shtayyeh.

To make things worse, as extremist Israeli settlers, belonging to various religious fanatic ‘temple groups’, stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque compound over the Jewish new year (Rosh Hashanah), Abbas called Benny Gantz, the Israeli war minister, to congratulate him on the Jewish holiday. After calling the Israelis racist war criminals at the UN, he then goes to call them to wish them happy holidays, as the Arab and Muslim sovereignty over the third holiest site in Islam is being actively threatened. The Eastern part of occupied al-Quds is supposed to be the prized possession of the Palestinian Authority, for its proposed State, yet it does nothing to stop extremist settlers, who receive Israeli regime backing to storm the site and fulfill the goal of destroying the compound and building the third Jewish temple there. 

Almost 50,000 far-Right Israeli settler fanatics stormed al-Aqsa mosque between September 2021 and 2022. During the holy month of Ramadan, Palestinian worshippers were attacked, the site was desecrated, hundreds were injured and one even martyred inside the compound. The only ones taking any action against this clear attempt to impose “Israeli sovereignty” over the al-Aqsa mosque compound, are the Gaza based armed resistance movements, along with lone individual Palestinians who sacrifice their lives or health to protect it. There is no such thing as a “two-State solution”, Oslo is dead and the PA must soon decide whether it is another South Lebanon Army, or it is going to drop its current model, sever ties with “Israel” completely, restructure its security forces and adopt a strategy of resistance in the West Bank.