Can Biden fool anybody by putting lipstick on the Palestinian Authority?

Dear Friend of Israel, Friend of FLAME:

The Biden Administration, hoping to spur support for its tattered dream of a two-state solution, has exhorted the corrupt, antisemitic Palestinian Authority to “revitalize” itself.

Quick quiz: After reading the following words, how convinced are you that the Palestinians have cleaned up their act and want peace with Israel?

“O servants of Allah, be the ones through which Allah will afflict the Jews with the worst torment.”

This prayer was uttered by Muhammad Mustafa Najem, incoming Minister of Religious Affairs in the recently “revitalized” Palestinian Authority.

Unfortunately, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has just named all 26 members of his new government and announced new policies—which make Biden’s hopes look like a far-fetched fantasy.

But Team Biden’s entire strategy to reform the Palestinian Authority (PA)—polish up its corrupt image, boost its credentials to run the Gaza Strip after Israel destroys Hamas, and eventually form a Palestinian state—was futile from the beginning. Their plan outlined no specific policy or leadership criteria for a renewed PA, let alone that its 88-year-old dictator Mahmoud Abbas resign.

Indeed, if the latest rotation is indicative, little will change. By all appearances, the new PA cabinet is purely cosmetic and still accountable exclusively to Mr. Abbas, now in the 19^th disastrous year of his four-year term. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the PA’s cabinet reshuffling as nothing more than “musical chairs.”

The new cabinet contains mostly “technocrats” who have obediently served Abbas in the past, as well as several members with a history of support for terrorism and outright antisemitism. In addition, despite some new window dressing, it appears the PA’s notorious pay-for-slay policy, which rewards terrorists, will remain intact.

Perhaps most damning, the PA totally lacks legitimacy in the eyes of Palestinians. The majority of Palestinians want the infamously corrupt PA dissolved and even more want Abbas to resign. Moreover, the Palestinian Authority security forces are demonstrably incapable of maintaining order in Judea and Samaria—aka the “West Bank”—let alone the chaos of Gaza.

The Biden administration’s attempt to make-over the execrable Palestinian Authority is no doubt a ploy to convince Congress to resume funding to it. It also seeks to fortify sagging credibility among Americans and European nations sufficient to relaunch its hapless two-state-solution campaign.

Suffice it to say, this transparent effort to put lipstick on a pig is unlikely to convince any of those constituencies—the Palestinian people, Congress, American voters, European leaders, and certainly not Israelis, who have directly suffered Abbas’s duplicitous terror mongering for nearly two decades.

Team Biden praises a cabinet reshuffle with the same puppeteer and some unsavory new puppets. Although most of the new cabinet members are technocrats, all were approved by Abbas. The new prime minister, Mohammad Mustafa, is a former advisor to Abbas and a long-time insider. Abbas himself stressed that the government is accountable to the PLO and its political platform—which he controls. “All of the indications are that this government is completely under Abu Mazen’s thumb.” said Ghaith al-Omari, a former adviser to Abbas, using Abbas’s nickname. He added, “There’s nothing to show that there will be a change of policy.”

Moreover, inasmuch as a technocratic government may sound better than a political one, it is actually just a way of giving legitimacy to a body that still supports terrorism. The “technocrat” label gives a thin cover to members of Congress who were too embarrassed to continue funding the Abbas thugocracy.

Those Senators and Representatives will no doubt be distressed to learn the new cabinet still contains confirmed antisemites and terror supporters. One new member is Minister of Religious Affairs, Muhammad Mustafa Najem, who asserts Jews are “characterized by conceit, pride, arrogance, rioting, disloyalty, and treachery,” adding “Allah turned them into apes and pigs.”

Another new cabinet member, Minister of Women’s Affairs, Muna Al-Khalili, praised an attack in 1978, in which Palestinian terrorists hijacked a bus and murdered 37 people, including 12 children, as a “quality resistance operation.” She also justified the October 7^th massacre by saying that Palestinians had the right to “resist”—a euphemism for jihadist terror.

The “revitalized” Palestinian Authority looks to continue paying terrorists for evil deeds. Rather than abandon its despicable pay-for-slay policy, the PA is looking for ways to hide it using a bureaucratic shell game, while satisfying Team Biden’s call for reforms. Proposed schemes include awarding prisoners with points for social security payments through the PA’s welfare system or giving terrorists a grant to establish a business, then transferring the terrorist stipends through a phony non-profit. Basically, pay-for-slay will continue with some logistical slights-of-hand.

Let’s also note that the PA has dramatically enlarged the pay-for-slay program by adding 3,550 terrorists who have been imprisoned in Israel since the since October 7^th massacre.

Regular Palestinians still don’t trust their new, improved government. The PA has held no elections since 2006. While Abbas has announced new elections, he hasn’t specified a date. We’ve heard such “plans” before from Abbas, only to have him cancel them. According to a poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research late last year, 60% of Palestinians want the PA dissolved and 92% want Abbas to resign.

Palestinians also have little trust in the PA’s security forces, which also answer to Abbas. Due to incompetence, their control over wide swaths of their territory in Judea and Samaria (aka, the West Bank) is shaky, allowing terrorist militias to rampage freely in major cities like Nablus and Jenin. How can the U.S.—let alone the Palestinian people—expect the PA to enforce rule of law amidst the mayhem in Gaza?

Revitalization of the Palestinian Authority must start at the top—not with new make-up. Regardless of superficial cabinet shuffles by the doddering dictator Abbas, he will still control all the levers of power. The Israeli government understands this, which is why they have repeatedly declared that the PA will not be allowed to govern Gaza “the day after.”

Please make the point when speaking with family, friends, colleagues—or in letters to the editor—that the Biden Administration is deluding itself—though probably not fooling Congress and the American people—if it thinks the PA, with its current leadership and unshaken commitment to Israel’s destruction, can be “revitalized.”

Best regards,

Jason Shvili, Contributing Editor

Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME)

P.S.      The events of October 7 have changed our world forever—and especially the world for Israel and the Jewish people. Likewise, the words “Never Again” will never be the same for us. October 7 has shown us that despite all promises of equity and commitments against hate on campus and on our streets, we can never depend on it. We will likely never be free of the scourge of antisemitism, fueled by the most outrageous slanders. I hope you’ll agree that we opponents of Hamas and its savage massacre—and of all who support Hamas, against all humanitarian values—need to speak out. FLAME’s new hasbarah—explanatory message—“Enemies of Israel Tell Five Big Lies”—refutes today’s most vicious lies against Israel and the Jewish people. I hope you’ll review this convincing, fact-based editorial, which FLAME published in the Washington Post, New York Post, Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times. This piece will also be sent to all members of Congress, Vice President Harris and President Biden. If you agree that this kind of public relations effort on Israel’s behalf is critical, I urge you to support us with a donation.