It seems that Israeli media never gets things quite right when they report about the Palestinian economy.
Two sons of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas are suing Israel Broadcasting for a news report they claim is faulty: that they are the owners of a Palestinian cell phone company.
Another indication that cell phones can be profitable, and that Israeli media is misleading, concerns a story about a ranking official of the Fatah faction, also associated with Abbas. He was apprehended this week trying to smuggle 3,000 cell phones over the border from Jordan. He says that his driver who was smuggling the phones.
On the political front, there are complaints about Israeli actions, and an awesome threat.
The Palestinian who is responsible for negotiating with Israel is up in arms about more apartments being built in neighborhoods of Jerusalem, and a town near Jerusalem. He rejects the addition of even one Israeli room on land that he claims as Palestinian. The construction is a violation of Israel's obligations with respect to the Road Map to Peace, accepted by Palestinians and Israelis, under the patronage of George W. Bush.
The issue of the Road Map is more complicated than he claims. Israel accepted it with reservations. Arguably, those provide room for the construction at issue. The reservations also insist on Palestinian efforts to work against violence and incitement. On these, the Palestinian negotiator is silent.
Another senior Palestinian, the Deputy Minister for Prisoners' Affairs, has announced the implementation of the right of return in the next six weeks. Overseas Palestinians will descend on Israel at the time of its 60th anniversary celebration. They will come by plane and boat, waving United Nations flags, armed with their refugee documents and foreign passports, and claiming that they wish to live in peace alongside Israelis.
The Deputy Minister's responsibility for prisoners' affairs is itself a weighty job, insofar as some 12,000 Palestinians are in Israeli custody. Perhaps because there is not much the Deputy Minister has been able to do for them, he is promoting a scheme that could bring who knows how many of the millions claiming Palestinians refugee status.
The anchor he relies on is United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194, initially passed in 1948, which calls on the resettling of refugees. Insofar as the Resolution came from the General Assembly and not the Security Council, it lacks whatever legitimacy might be claimed under the heading of "international law."
But that does not bother the Deputy Minister or other Palestinians who trumpet Resolution 194 whenever they are in a mood to make demands.
Israel knows how to protect its borders against unwanted visitors, even if they come equipped with the passports of the United States or other countries whose travelers do not require visas to enter the country. The result of all of this, if it produces anything, may be nothing more than additional prisoners, who the Deputy Minister will also be hard pressed to assist.
One doubts that many unwanted guests will descend upon our border guards. Six weeks is not much time to produce an operation of this magnitude. Flights may already be fully booked, insofar as Jewish organizations and other friends of the country are also planning to participate in the celebrations. But one should never say never. The Palestinian Deputy Minister for Prisoners' Affairs may impress us with his administrative skills.
Ira Sharkansky (Emeritus)
Department of Political Science
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Home tel: 972-2-532-2725
Cell phone: 054-683-5325
Fax: 972-2-582-9144