PA And Fatah Positions On The Kidnapping Of The Three Israeli Teens

In the first days following the June 12, 2014 kidnapping of three Israeli teens, Palestinian Authority (PA) and Fatah members, headed by PA President Mahmoud 'Abbas, refrained from mentioning the kidnapping.[1] Their silence appeared to indicate confusion and puzzlement over how to react. The issue of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel is a very sensitive one among the Palestinian public, and statements against a kidnapping that might bring about their release do not go over well, particularly after 'Abbas, in the negotiations ahead of the formation of the national unity government, attempted to downgrade the PA's Ministry of Prisoners to an Authority for Prisoners' Affairs and was consequently accused of abandoning the prisoners. 'Abbas is also under attack from Israel for the establishment of the unity government with Hamas – which Israel is holding responsible for the kidnapping.

Several days after the kidnapping, apparently following a phone conversation between 'Abbas and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, PA and Fatah officials began to speak out about the issue. Some, including 'Abbas himself, expressed their opposition to the kidnapping and their willingness to conduct security coordination with Israel in resolving it, and also expressed hope for the teens' release. In his reaction, 'Abbas was careful to use the term "teens," "youths" or even "children", rather than "soldiers" or "settlers," as they are frequently called in the Palestinian media. For several days in a row, he spoke out firmly against the kidnapping and ordered PA security apparatuses to cooperate with Israel, despite the criticism against him.

Other Fatah officials speaking on the issue were split between those who tried to defend 'Abbas and explain his positions and those who were unambiguously critical of them.

This paper will review the various statements by Fatah and especially by PA officials vis-à-vis the kidnapping, its perpetrators, and Israel's claims regarding it.

'Abbas: We Protect Human Life And Hope The Children Return Alive And Well; Nobody Knows Who Carried Out The Kidnapping

On June 18, 2014, at an Organization of Islamic Cooperation conference in Jeddah, 'Abbas stated that although the three Israeli teens were kidnapped in Area C, over which the PA has no security control, "we are coordinating with [Israel] in order to reach them [i.e. the teens] because they are human beings and we protect human life. The Americans informed us that one of the kidnapped teens is American, and we replied that we protect all human life. But the Israeli prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] took this opportunity to act violently towards us, and to sow destruction, particularly in Hebron, and to blame us. We will investigate the matter, including the issue of who the perpetrators are; the truth is that those who did this deed seek to destroy us, and therefore we will talk to them in a different way and take a different position regarding them, whoever they may be, because we cannot deal with Israel militarily, only politically."[2]

The next day, on June 19, 'Abbas said at a conference of expatriates from Ramallah living in the U.S.: "We hope that they find the kidnapped teens alive, because we are human beings, we do not kill in cold blood and we will not agree to the murder of any person."[3]

On June 21 'Abbas continued in the same vein, but most of his statements included harsher accusations against Israel. In a June 21 discussion with Arab media members in Ramallah, he said: "We are not justifying this operation or accepting it – [though] it can happen anywhere – and we will act as best we can to return them [the teens]. At the same time, we hope that the government and the people of Israel will regard the Palestinians as we regard them. We are human beings like them, and we have humanitarian rights that must be protected.

"When three [Palestinian] youths are killed in cold blood in various areas of the West Bank, and we hear not one word from Israel or the Israeli government, that is proof of racist discrimination. You are human beings and so are we, and when there is a kidnapping we act for the return [of those who were kidnapped], but you must not allow your soldiers to kill three youths, let alone instruct them to kill – and this is not the first time [that this has happened]."

He added: "Every day, we find some Israeli who took a wrong turn on the West Bank roads, and within minutes we return him to his family by means of the coordination [apparatus]... [We] are continuing to search for the three children, and I hope that they will be returned safely. We consider them to be human beings and we hope that they [i.e. the Israelis] too will consider us to be human beings. No one knows who carried out the kidnapping. Israel is accusing Hamas, but so far there is no proof that [Hamas] did it. When the full facts come to light, there will be a clear Palestinian position regarding this incident."

In response to a question regarding whether Israeli intelligence was responsible for the kidnapping so as to provide a pretext to harm the PA, 'Abbas said, "any scenario is possible."[4]

It should be noted that 'Abbas's position in Jeddah, which he expressed in Arabic, is highly unusual in that it criticized a Palestinian attack on Israeli West Bank settlers and in that it focused on the moral aspect. This is not the first time 'Abbas has taken a line different from that of his movement, and explicitly condemned terrorism on moral, rather than practical, grounds. During the second Intifada, he called to halt armed operations, calling them "inhuman." For example, he told the Qatari daily Al-Raya: "We are opposed to the murder of civilians from any side. This is not acceptable to us, not on the human level and not on the political level."[5]

For excerpts from Obama's June 18 speech, see MEMRI TV clip below:

'Abbas's position sparked argument in the PA and in Fatah, with some defending 'Abbas and some criticizing him, along with harsh criticism by opposition factions such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and also by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Most of those commenting on the issue, including columnists, had no problem with the kidnapping itself, and even called it legitimate, though some had reservations about its timing. The following are some of the reactions:

'Abbas's Speech Was "Reasonable And Responsible"

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyadh Al-Maliki expressed his unequivocal support for 'Abbas, stating: "Abu Mazen ['Abbas] will prevent a third intifada, despite Israel's military action in the West Bank. Abu Mazen will help find the three missing settlers."[6] Also, Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul, who was an advisor to former prime minister Salam Fayyad, said that 'Abbas's statements constituted "a beacon branding a different consciousness" in the minds of the public, far removed from populism and slogans and aimed at conveying a national message with humanitarian overtones in order to marginalize the Israeli right. He added, "Abbas did not fear to deliver his speech and express his different reasoning – not out of self-effacement or submission to Israeli dictates, and not out of fear for his life, but first and foremost out of passionate commitment to the fate and the future of the Arab people and the Palestinian people... 'Abbas's speech was a reasonable and responsible speech that did not contradict his platform and adhered closely to the principles of nationalism." At the same time, however, Ghoul said that 'Abbas must be more ambiguous in his political speeches, so as not to give his opponents an excuse to attack him.[7]

The Kidnapping Is Legitimate, But Right Now Politics Take Precedence

Reservations about the timing of the kidnapping were expressed by Hassan Al-Batal, a columnist for the PA daily Al-Ayyam, who wondered where the PA was headed in the absence of liberation, independence, or even self-rule that could repel invasion. He wrote: "In principle, the kidnapping of soldiers and settlers is legitimate as long as it is a means for the weak to liberate their prisoners. In practical terms, it is a harsh blow to Israel's sensitive nerves, no less than a suicide bombing... Nevertheless, critics of the PA, and those who even accuse the PA presidency of treason, fail to understand the true political aspects of the current stage in the conflict, the most important of which is to tactically respect the enemy and rectify [our mistake] of going out armed against its forces, which have [military] supremacy. [At the same time, we must] not overestimate [the enemy] strategically, i.e. politically – because the occupation has no political answer acceptable to the world or even to Israel on the issue of Palestinian self-determination..."[8]

There Is A Difference Between Soldiers And Civilians

In referring the kidnapping, Fatah Central Committee member Jibril Rajoub distinguished between soldiers and civilians: "I oppose kidnapping Israeli and Palestinian civilians... Kidnapping soldiers is the only solution for freeing the prisoners."[9]

'Abbas's Statements – Even If Unacceptable In The Eyes Of The People – Were Aimed At Defending Them

Fatah Revolutionary Council secretary Amin Maqboul said that the kidnapping of the settlers, if intended for the purpose of exchanging them for prisoners, was welcomed by an overwhelming majority of the Palestinian people. Referring to 'Abbas's statements, he said that they were an attempt to ward off the danger of an Israeli attack against the Palestinian people, and also to ward off international pressure on the Palestinian leadership. This, he said, is President 'Abbas's policy, even if sometimes he says things that are unacceptable to his people. He added that the Palestinian security apparatuses are not responsible for protecting the settlers.[10]

Another clarification of 'Abbas's statements was provided by Al-Ayyam columnist Talal 'Awkal, who wrote: "The strange and unacceptable statements of the PA in favor of the security coordination [with Israel], and its silence over Israel's actions, are perhaps be explained by its desire to preserve the international community's positive attitude towards the [Palestinian national] consensus government and the process of the [Hamas-Fatah] reconciliation, and [also its] position that Israel is responsible for the failure of the U.S. efforts [in the political process]."[11]

The Fatah movement came out in defense of 'Abbas in light of Hamas's harsh attacks on him, announcing: "The statements by some Hamas leaders attacking Palestinian President Mahmoud 'Abbas were aimed at fomenting a coup against the Palestinian reconciliation and at torpedoing it in the service of dubious foreign agendas."[12]

Blaming Israel: The Kidnapping Occurred In An Area Under Israeli Control

Others avoided taking a stand by criticizing Israel. Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Al-Madani, who is also the PA's chief coordinator with Israeli society, condemned Netanyahu for accusing the PA and 'Abbas himself of the kidnapping: "The settlers disappeared from Area C, which is under full Israeli military control, and is totally devoid of Palestinian security forces. Netanyahu is attempting to export his internal crisis to the PA, and crying about the peace process that he himself stopped."[13]

PA security services spokesman 'Adnan Al-Damiri said: "The disappearance of the three settlers is the complete responsibility of Israel, which illegally drew them to the Palestinian nation's territory."[14]

The Kidnapping Was A Result Of Israeli Policy

Fatah official and former Palestinian general intelligence head Tawfiq Al-Tirawi blamed Israel's government for the kidnapping, as well as "the extremist right wing coalition that leads the occupation policy with the mentality of organized terrorism and armed force," adding that the kidnapping was the result of "the policy of murder, siege, and the organized abduction and murder of prisoners." He said, "The occupation government is reaping what its soldiers and oppression forces in the Palestinian territories have sown. It is unthinkable for the Palestinian people to be subject to murder, arrests, and settlements, and be forced to watch its sons die slowly in front of its eyes, with no compassion."[15]

Denying The Kidnapping: An Israeli Hoax

Another claim by Fatah officials is that there is no kidnapping at all and that Israel staged it. Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud 'Aloul said: "The world is on high alert for three kidnapped settlers. The story about them contains several contradictions... It is important that we consider the growing possibility that this is all a poorly produced charade and that there are no kidnappers. [Israel's] entire goal is to avoid commitments, international positions, and the isolation of the occupation, and to thwart the [Palestinian] reconciliation and justify its own aggression. Is it not legitimate to consider this possibility?"[16]

Sufyan abu Zaida and Hassan 'Asfour, former PA ministers close to Muhammad Dahlan, rejected the claims that the kidnapping was a hoax. Abu Zaida said that there is no reason to assume that the kidnapping was faked by Israel: "This assumption not only shows ignorance regarding the nature of the political regime in Israel and its decision-making apparatuses, bur also reflects a disconnect from Palestinian reality. What will proponents of this theory say when the hostages are found[?]... A kidnapping can be faked in tyrannical countries, where the regime controls all three branches of government... Israel is democratic with regard to its people and its political regime, and therefore is incapable of putting on such a charade."[17]

Nobody Supported 'Abbas's Statements

Hassan 'Asfour described the confusion and embarrassment in Fatah resulting from its members' differing views on the kidnapping – from supporting the Palestinian right to kidnap Israelis to obtain a release of prisoners, through claiming that it is a "Zionist plot" aimed at thwarting the reconciliation and questioning the very existence of the incident. He wondered why Fatah had issued no official statement on its position or in response to these claims, while it continued the security coordination that includes reporting to Israel on Palestinians who have been missing from the Hebron area since the kidnapping. He wondered how it was possible to explain 'Abbas's statement that he would do anything to find the kidnappers. He added, "No Palestinian faction supported 'Abbas's statements in Jeddah. Some objected to them strongly, some objected to them mildly, and some remained silent. No one supported them – and this is a message that cannot be overlooked."[18]

Who Is Behind The Kidnapping – And What Are Their Motives?

Public discourse in the PA also revolved around those responsible for the kidnapping and the implications of their identity. Palestinian Foreign minister Riyad Al-Malki said that if Hamas turned out to be responsible, "it would deal a harsh blow to the reconciliation."[19]

Hafez Al-Barghouti, editor of the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, said that two elements have an interest in escalating matters and not rescuing the hostages: one is a faction within Hamas that wants matters to heat up so as to thwart the reconciliation, as well as sleeper cells who want to act on the issue of prisoners. The other element is the Israeli right, which wants to use the kidnapping to promote its policies of thwarting negotiations, expanding settlement construction and opting for a military solution so as to avoid releasing prisoners.[20]

As for the question of Hamas's interest in carrying out a kidnapping immediately after it signed a reconciliation agreement and entered into a unity government, Dr. 'Abd Al-Majid Swailem wrote in the PA daily Al-Ayyam: "The remaining option (and this is only a theory) is that a stream within [Hamas] is indifferent or opposed to the reconciliation, and that, because of its views and its ties to regional elements, this stream wants to turn the tables on the PA-Hamas [reconciliation]." In Swailem's opinion, this stream chose to carry out the kidnapping at this time because of the hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners,[21] with the aim of garnering support for kidnapping as legitimate among the broader Palestinian public.[22]

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