For the past two months, the United States and other Western countries, supporting Israel, have been discussing the future of governance in Gaza, dismissing Israeli claims of continued control over the Strip and endorsing the Palestinian Authority (PA) as the preferred governing body post-war. However, this decision neglects the desires of the Palestinian people. President Mahmoud Abbas, the current leader of the PA, has lost popularity and trust among Palestinians, as demonstrated in a recent poll where 90% of respondents called for his resignation and 60% favored the dismantling of the PA.
The US continues to support the PA because of its long-standing partnership in maintaining the status quo in Israel’s favor. Despite the PA’s lack of legitimacy, the US is attempting to revamp the organization in order to maintain its strategic alliance with the PA. However, even if successful, this effort is unlikely to create a sustainable version of the PA.
The current PA leadership has consistently opposed Hamas and aligned itself with Israel, despite the Palestinian people’s support for resistance. The PA’s oppressive actions and failure to protect Palestinians from attacks have led to further unrest and deterioration of its legitimacy. Despite this, the US is attempting to reshape the PA once again into a more compliant version, known as PA 3.0, without addressing the core issues of Israeli occupation and apartheid.
In summary, while the US and its allies continue to support the PA, the organization’s lack of legitimacy and refusal to address Palestinian national aspirations will continue to cause public unrest and resistance, rendering any attempts at revamping the PA unsuccessful.