As Gulf States sign agreements with Israel, Palestinians rage

The Palestinians announced a new group, the Unified National Leadership of Popular Resistance.

By David Isaac, World Israel News

Palestinians, as the old phrase goes, never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. But they also never miss an opportunity to organize a day of rage. They’ve called for three in the wake  of agreements between Israel, the UAE and, just announced Friday, Bahrain.

“First we thought that the United Arab Emirates was the only country that had stabbed us in the back,” a senior Palestinian official told The Jerusalem Post.

“On Wednesday, we saw how several other Arab countries have betrayed the Palestinian people and the Palestinian issue. This is a black day in the history of the Palestinians and Arabs,” he said.

From the Palestinian perspective, the news keeps getting worse as it was reported on Monday that Oman is expected to be the next Arab country joining the procession of nations making peace with Israel.

The Palestinians have lost sympathy and support among Arab countries. Their terrorist methods, their support for Iran and the corruption of their leadership are reasons most often cited.

In Ramallah, images of the rulers of Bahrain and the UAE have been burned and the Palestinians have expressed anger and disappointment as they have been brushed off by Arab countries. Last week, the Arab League rejected a draft resolution condemning the Israel-UAE agreement.

It’s not known if the Palestinians will return to mass violence. The Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday that some Palestinians are interpreting the formation of a new group made up of representatives of different Palestinian factions as a call for a new Intifada.

In its first statement, the group, the Unified National Leadership of Popular Resistance, called for a “comprehensive popular struggle that won’t end until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

Meanwhile, the Israelis and Americans are celebrating their diplomatic triumph. An Israeli delegation left for the U.S. on Sunday evening for a signing ceremony at the White House on Tuesday. UAE and Bahraini representatives will participate.

“On the way to bring peace for peace,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted shortly before takeoff.

On the tarmac at Ben-Gurion International Airport, Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen said that “we’re working on other countries. It depends on them and on us. I very, very much hope so.”

Palestinian AuthorityRamallahUAE-Israel peace deal