A Hebron ‘Emirate' or a Colonial Deception?
The proposal, championed by Wadee' al-Jaabari and Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat, promises peace through fragmentation, replacing Palestinian national aspirations with a patchwork of local 'emirates.' This isn't new thinking—it's the colonial playbook. It's divide and conquer dressed up for a modern audience. The proposal makes Palestinian self-determination impossible, reducing the dream of statehood to a work-permit program. At least the Palestinian Authority, for all its failures, emerged from a national movement.
The Journal reports that 'Jaabari and four other leading Hebron sheikhs have signed a letter pledging peace and full recognition of Israel as a Jewish state' in return for Israel's recognition of the 'Emirate of Hebron,' with the goal of joining the Abraham Accords. But the Palestine Liberation Organization recognized Israel's right to exist in 1993. Israel nonetheless established more settlements, more checkpoints and a more entrenched occupation. The settler population nearly doubled during the Oslo years. Now we're expected to believe that an artificial Hebron emirate recognizing Israel more fully as a Jewish state and joining the Abraham Accords will make things better for Palestinians?
The bitter irony is that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acted to fragment Palestinian representation. His government allowed the provision of money to Hamas after its rise to power in Gaza to weaken the Palestinian Authority. At a Likud party conference in 2019, Mr. Netanyahu reportedly said, 'This is part of our strategy—to isolate the Palestinians in Gaza from the Palestinians in the West Bank.' The current proposal would give Mr. Netanyahu what he wanted, while promising work permits to Palestinians as a carrot. But we don't need permission to work in Israel; we need the freedom to build our own economy on our own land.
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