Dr. Dalal Arikat: These sanctions are not new but a repetition of usual pressure tactics used by Washington to subjugate the Palestinian political path to its dictates.
Dr. Hussein Al-Daik: The sanctions come within the framework of employing U.S. domestic law as a political tool for pressure at a sensitive time witnessing a broad international shift towards recognizing the State of Palestine.
Nabhan Khreisha: The more pressure increases on Israel and the pace of recognition of the Palestinian state rises, the more intense the U.S. response to Palestinian movements becomes.
Dr. Irini Said: The United States seeks to undermine the European path towards recognizing the State of Palestine through unconditional support for Israel.
Dr. Raed Al-Dab'i: Washington aims to deter the PLO from continuing to internationalize the Palestinian-Israeli conflict after the failure of bilateral settlement efforts.
Oreib Al-Rantawi: The U.S. sanctions reflect its steadfast position rejecting explicit recognition of the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state.
In a move with deep political implications, the United States imposed a new package of sanctions on officials in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), at a time of extreme international sensitivity, amid a rising wave of European recognitions of the State of Palestine. This places the sanctions in a broader context of Washington's attempts to curb this international momentum and reset the Palestinian path within traditional American frameworks, even attempting to bury the two-state solution.
Writers, political analysts, specialists, and university professors confirm in separate conversations with "Y" that the sanctions go beyond mere legal or diplomatic restrictions, as they are used as a strategic pressure tool to obstruct Palestinian efforts to internationalize the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Palestinian engagement in international judicial institutions, particularly the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
The writers, analysts, specialists, and university professors believe that this American escalation, coinciding with the upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly, carries a clear message: there will be no international recognition of the Palestinian state without passing through the American gate.
However, analysts and specialists believe that these sanctions may stimulate further international movements supporting Palestine and highlight Washington's inability to contain the rapidly changing European and global positions regarding the rights of Palestinians and their demand for an independent state.
The Palestinian response must match the event
Dr. Dalia Arikat, a professor of diplomacy and conflict resolution at the American University of the Middle East, states that the recent U.S. sanctions imposed on the PLO and the PNA come within the context of old American policies that rely on pressure and coercive diplomacy, aimed at undermining the role of the organization and the authority as legitimate entities representing the Palestinian people in international forums.
Arikat points out that representatives of the PLO primarily obtain U.S. entry visas of the "waiver visa" type due to the classification of the organization as a "terrorist" organization in some U.S. laws, emphasizing that these sanctions are not new but a repetition of usual pressure tactics used by Washington to subjugate the Palestinian political path to its dictates.
Arikat believes that the Palestinian response should match the event by sending an official message to Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who recently visited Ramallah officially at the invitation of the PLO, to directly inform the Trump administration that the organization is the legitimate and sole partner in any upcoming peace process.
Arikat clarifies that these punitive measures contradict Washington's statements about supporting peace and demonstrate political hypocrisy by punishing the only Palestinian entity committed to international legitimacy.
A direct response to the diplomatic momentum in favor of Palestine
Arikat confirms that the sanctions came as a direct reaction to the growing diplomatic momentum in favor of Palestine, especially with the Saudi-French initiative and the increasing recognitions of the State of Palestine, described as a "diplomatic tsunami," which alarmed the U.S. administration that seeks to maintain its traditional control over the Palestinian file.
Arikat sees that the sanctions aim to diminish the role of the PLO and exclude it from international platforms like the United Nations, which effectively harms the representation of the Palestinian cause and complicates efforts to achieve peace.
Arikat proposes three steps for Palestinian confrontation: First, adherence to international legitimacy and working to strengthen the front of countries supportive of Palestine; second, smart political communication through sending official and popular messages to the United States to
شارك برأيك
The American sanctions are a preemptive step to obstruct the recognition of the Palestinian state.