Palestinian Authority hopes for end of Netanyahu era, encouraged by Sa’ar defection

Senior officials in Ramallah estimate this is “the beginning of the end of the Netanyahu era” and are not hiding their satisfaction with this latest development.

By Baruch Yedid, TPS

The Palestinian Authority (PA) is closely monitoring the dramatic political developments in Israel following Gideon Saar’s departure from the Likud and his establishment of a competing party.

Senior officials in Ramallah estimate that this is “the beginning of the end of the Netanyahu era” and are not hiding their satisfaction with this latest development.

In recent hours, senior PA officials have spoken with Israeli political figures and journalists in an effort to understand Saar’s moves.

A senior PA official told TPS that there is an expectation that a camp will be formed that will include, in addition to Saar, Yoaz Handel and Zvi Hauser, so that it will be possible to join other factions and replace the Netanyahu government even without elections.

The possibility that the former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot will join the new group is also of great interest.

Sources in Ramallah say that Netanyahu’s departure after Trump’s departure will reopen the possibility of negotiations between Israel and the PA.

The Palestinians hope Netanyahu will leave, as in recent years he has managed to paralyze the PA, formulate the Deal of the Century instead of the Oslo Accords and bypass the PA on the way to peace with Arab states.

It should be noted in this context that during the last three Israeli elections, the PA showed some involvement in the conduct of the Arab-majority Joint List, but its efforts failed, and senior Ramallah officials did not hide their disappointment that the Joint List did not become part of a coalition in Israel.

Hassan Asfur, editor of the Amad website, declared Wednesday that “Gideon Saar’s revolt marks the end of the Netanyahu era.”