Israel Preparing for the Worst in September
The Palestinian plan to go to the United Nations in September to ask it to recognize a Palestinian state inside the 1967 lines has been seen as a potential diplomatic catastrophe for Israel. However, the dim prospects for the success of this ploy due to a certain U.S. veto have resulted in signals from the Palestinians they would like to back out of the corner into which they have painted themselves. This has somewhat ratcheted down the alarm felt by Israelis about being further isolated in the aftermath of the collapse of the initiative.
But it is becoming increasingly apparent the real danger here isn’t a matter of what happens in the corridors of the UN but what may happen on the Palestinian street.
Many in Israel now fear after the collapse of the Palestinian independence push in New York, there will be a third intifada. Whether the protests and violence that could follow September’s dustup at the UN will be directly orchestrated by the Palestinian Authority or not, another round of violent conflict with Israeli forces manning checkpoints or border crossings might quickly escalate. While Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah may fear the spread of violence will serve the interests of their Hamas rivals, they may also hope if Israel is provoked into stern countermeasures to stop rioting or another wave of terror attacks, this will somehow strengthen their diplomatic hand.
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