Barkat says Palestinian ‘clan’ leaders interested in joining Abraham Accords, bypassing PA

Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat: “If they work with Israel, we’ll help them build Dubai. If they fight Israel, they’ll end up looking like Gaza.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Speaking at a Jerusalem Post conference in New York, Economy Minister Nir Barkat indicated that some Palestinian “clan” leaders may consider joining the Abraham Accords.

The founder and chairman of the Board of Checkpoint Technologies and former Mayor of Jerusalem described the Palestinian Authority as a “failed” product and added, “One day – hopefully soon – Arabs in Judea and Samaria will decide they’ve had enough of the PA and ask to join the accords,” he said.

“If they work with Israel, we’ll help them build Dubai. If they fight Israel, they’ll end up looking like Gaza.”

According to Barkat’s vision, Arab towns in Judea and Samaria, led by Palestinian clans, would bypass Ramallah and benefit from Israeli security and capital from the Gulf States.

Barkat declared that Arab leaders from certain towns expressed that the idea sounded promising, but wouldn’t reveal the areas or the identities of the Palestinians who said they could imagine signing on to such an agreement.

Barkat explained his discretion about mentioning players who could participate according to the startup philosophy: “Build outside the system and invite the system in only when the prototype runs.”

Yisrael Gantz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council, supported Barkat’s idea and expressed the plan in military terms.

He described the dangers inherent in the conventional notions of a Palestinian state, “If we ever allow a Palestinian state in the center of Israel, we invite Gaza to jump the fence at Kfar Saba,” and mentioned that the Palestinians would have an army of 45,000 close to Highway 6, the main transport route running along the length of Israel.

Gantz explained the first step would be to eliminate the PA “army,” ensure local councils govern the areas within an Israeli security envelope, and create Gulf-funded industrial parks to encourage innovation rather than terrorism.

“No Hamas, no jihad – then we build the clinics and factories,” Gantz said as the audience applauded.