The Palestinians: Who Are The Real Peace Partners? by Khaled Abu Toameh
The response of many Israelis and Palestinians to “The Palestine Papers” that were exposed by Al-Jazeera has been that the leaked documents actually show that there is a partner on the Palestinian side.
These Israelis and Palestinians argue that the far-reaching concessions that the Palestinian Authority leaders were alleged to have made to Israel — according to The Palestine Papers — clearly indicate that Mahmoud Abbas, Saeb Erekat, Ahmed Qurei and Salam Fayyad are true partners.
The fact that the Palestinian Authority is prepared to make concessions and help Israel crush Hamas has long been a known secret to most Palestinians.
The first question to ask, however, is not whether Abbas and his associates are partners, but whether the Palestinian Authority leaders can deliver anything.
The other question that needs to be asked is whether Abbas and his negotiators even have a mandate to offer Israel any concessions.