Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing trying times at all levels. Most difficult crisis is that he is confronted with three charges of corruption which may lead to his indictment, lose power, get the stigma of being a corrupt PM and ending up in jail.
It is believed that he can escape all these charges by changing officials in keys judicial positions and amending laws. For this purpose, he is required to obtain an absolute right-wing majority, which is not difficult for him. Arabs can give him more popularity so that he can achieve this objective. If he could not get this at sufficient level, he also may resort to war. Netanyahu desperately needs to be a leader who has achieved new victory over Arabs, either by war or peace.
Netanyahu is responsible for war crimes, and killing of thousands in Gaza Strip, West Bank, Syria and even in Iraq. But he is being tried only for financial corruptions. This is the true face of the so-called Israeli democracy, which fascinates the West and even some Arabs. In recent weeks we have noticed a remarkable increase in the admiration of some Arabs with everything that is Israeli. According to an early survey and assumptions, this may result in him forming a pure and earnest right-wing government. This needs more Arab support. Would Arabs rescue Netanyahu.
[Jamal Zahalka in Al Quds Al Araby]
Reviving PLO
The Palestinian Authority, despite its political mistakes, economic fragility, and limited representative position, dominated the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and treated it as the sole representative of the entire Palestinian people and the leader of the Palestinian national movement for liberation.
With this, the importance of the PLO and its position in the movement began to diminish. This also led to Palestinians living in refugee camps and the diaspora being further marginalised.
The process of restructuring the PLO requires inclusion of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Without them, the organisation denies itself a representative character. This results in the erosion of its legitimacy.
The restoration of the PLO requires a new generation of Palestinian leaders. But there are many structural obstacles in the political arena of Palestine which prevent rise of Palestinian young leaders who are committed to defending the Palestinian struggle for freedom and justice. Palestinian technocrats are alienated from the ground reality of the Palestinians living under occupation. There are efforts being made to protect the interests of the ruling elite. There is also violent suppression of voices and movements which could challenge the status quo. All this weakens young Palestinian leaders. There are instances in the Palestinian history particularly that of the beginning of the PLO itself, that Palestinians provide space for the young leaders to rise and rebuild community leadership networks at the grassroots.… It is massive task for a future Palestinian leadership would be to bring the politically, geographically divided people together, organise them and lead them.
[By Marwa Fatafta, Alaa Tartir in Al Araby Al Jadeed]
Compiled and Translated by Faizul Haque