The latest semiannual State Department report on the
Palestinian Authority and Palestinian Liberation Organization
explicitly states -- for the first time -- that the PA's
failure to rein in terror raises questions about the
Palestinians' recognition of the State of Israel's right to
exist.
Based on this report, President George W. Bush determined
last week that the PA is not meeting its commitment to fight
terror.
The new finding is extremely important since the basis for
the willingness of the US to deal with the PLO. The United
States changed its policy toward the PLO in 1988. In 1975,
one year after the Arab League stated that the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) was the sole representative of
the Palestinian people, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
informed Israel that the United States would not recognize or
negotiate with the PLO unless and until the PLO recognized
Israel and accepted U.N. Resolutions 242 and 338. Congress
codified the pledge into law (Section 535, P.L. 98-473,
October 12, 1984), and added that the PLO also must renounce
terrorism.
The US began contacts with the PLO and the PA when these
conditions were met. If they are no longer met, it could
undermine the entire basis for all official contact between
the US and the Palestinian institutions. Of course, this
would be determined over a long time.
The State Department report, compiled every six months under
a congressional mandate (the PLO Commitments Compliance Act
of 1989 - PLOCCA), reviews the activities of the PA and PLO
to judge whether they are meeting the commitments undertaken
in the Oslo Accords, including recognition of Israel's right
to exist, acceptance of UN resolutions 242 and 338, a
commitment to resolve conflict with Israel through
negotiations and without violence, and a renunciation of
terror.
"The PA has not taken sufficient steps to prevent violence by
PA personnel," the report states, adding that "available
evidence is that elements with varying degree of affiliation
with the PLO and PA, specifically the Al Aqsa Martyrs
Brigade, Tanzim and members of PA security forces, were
frequently involved in acts of violence against Israelis."
The report says that there is no unequivocal evidence that
the PA leadership gave the orders to carry out terror
attacks, but notes that "there is strong evidence that some
members of the PA security forces were allowed to continue
serving even though their participation in terrorist
incidents was well known. "Moreover, some senior PLO and PA
leaders did little to prevent -- and in some cases encouraged
-- acts of violence and an atmosphere of incitement to
violence in the Palestinian media and through the public
statements of Palestinian officials," the report adds.
It is clear, the report concludes, that "the PA and PLO
senior leadership did not consistently make clear that
violence was undermining Palestinian interests or that it
should be stopped."
According to the State Department's assessment, it would be
possible to impose sanctions against the PA for failing to
live up to its commitments. But, wary of the implications
this step might have on American interests in the Mideast,
the State Department recommended -- and the president agreed
-- to refrain from imposing sanctions at this time.
"Downgrading or closing the PLO office would make it more
difficult for us to continue to stay in contact with and
support Palestinian reformers who share those goals," the
report notes.
In a clear reference to the anticipated American-led war
against Iraq, the report adds: "Furthermore, downgrading or
closing the PLO office at this critical time would also
complicate our relations throughout the region."
