A Betrayed and Delegitimized Palestinian Authority: A Tragic Legacy

Recent PA moves have revived long-standing suspicions of PA collaboration with Israel in repressing Palestinian resistance. Some consider the PA's betrayal of its own people to be exemplified by the murder of journalist Shazi al-Sabaghi and the horrific raid on the Jenin refugee camp. This terrible event, along with decades of controversial security cooperation with Israel, shows that the PA is no longer seen as a champion for Palestinian rights but as an ally of Israeli control and an escort of Israeli authority among Palestinians.

According to reports, Shazi al-Sabaghi was killed by a sniper during an Israeli operation. This incident highlights the unstable dynamics among the PA, Israel, and the resistance groups in the West Bank. The killing of Shazi is all the more tragic because Israeli soldiers also killed Moatasem, Shazi's brother, earlier this year. These individual casualties represent a greater tragedy: the deliberate assault on resistance strongholds such as Jenin, frequently in tandem with the PA's security forces.

The contentious function of the PA is derived from accords that originated in the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, which laid the groundwork for its administration. The three-zone division of the West Bank was established by these accords; Area A was granted administrative and security responsibility to the PA, while Areas B and C were subject to substantial Israeli supervision. What started out as a pact to promote Palestinian self-governance has turned into a tool to quell opposition groups. U.S. interests have transformed the PA into a vehicle for sustaining the occupation through its coordination with Israeli security forces.

The Palestinian people feel intense animosity towards this security cooperation. Hamas and other resistance groups have long accused the PA of betraying Palestinian interests by supporting Israeli interests. The PA's assertions to represent Palestinian hopes for freedom and self-determination stand in sharp contrast to its actions of detaining resistance fighters and stifling criticism.

By looking at the bigger picture, we can see how this dynamic has weakened faith in the PA. The Palestinian Authority (PA) began its direct confrontations with Palestinian groups in 1994 when its police opened fire on demonstrators, killing 18. With the help of foreign countries, the PA's onslaught against Hamas and other factions had intensified by 1996. Allegedly, the CIA has been transferring millions of cash yearly to PA security forces since the mid-1990s in an effort to quell rebellion. Because of its reliance on outside funding, the PA has become even more estranged from the same people it professes to assist.

Following the commencement of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm on October 7, 2023, which rallied Palestinian resistance throughout the region, the PA's reputation has been further damaged. The PA's persistence in maintaining security collaboration with Israel, in spite of this newfound impetus, is seen by many Palestinians as an unforgivable betrayal.

For many years, the PA has fought to establish itself as the rightful heir to the Palestinian cause. But its deeds reveal a different story—that of abandoning its own people to serve American and Israeli objectives. The PA has been seen as an organization that prioritizes power preservation over promoting the cause of liberation due to its ongoing repression of resistance activities and its facilitation of Israeli operations against Palestinians.

Can the PA still represent the Palestinian people in light of its dwindling legitimacy, or has it devolved into an artifact of botched peace negotiations and outside interference? Palestinians are becoming more and more disillusioned, which means the PA could become irrelevant in the fight for Palestinian independence unless it drastically changes its policies.