Counterproductive

Israel denied entry into the West Bank to three Palestinians poised to serve in the Cabinet of the new unity government that was due to be formed in Ramallah on Monday.

While that is unacceptable, it does not come as a surprise.

Israel never liked to see Palestinians united or the differences between the two main Palestinian factions, Fateh and Hamas, ironed out, simply because its divide and rule policy serves it well, perpetuating its occupation of Palestinian territories.

When Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced, on April 23, that he and the Hamas leaders reached a deal to form a unity government, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rushed to denounce the breakthrough and threatened to stop all peace talks with the Palestinians.

He said the choice for Abbas was between “peace” and Hamas, as if Israel had ever entertained the idea of peace and as if Hamas were not part of the Palestinian people, but some alien entity with which reaching an understanding should be abhorrent.

Netanyahu also announced that he would boycott the Palestinian unity government, a clear indication that his right-wing government clings to anything that can thwart peace efforts.

Instead of welcoming the accord struck by the rival Palestinian factions and the new unity government that would have the mandate of all Palestinian to arrive at an agreement with Israel, the latter is doing everything in its power to prevent peace from happening.

Israel’s latest move is childish and counterproductive. But then, it is just the way Israel has been consistently behaving, all the time blaming the Palestinians for the failure to achieve peace.