Abbas Drags Us into Trouble with the People of Yemen

by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem

The Presidency of the Palestinian Authority has announced its support for the Saudi-led air campaign against Yemen, and it remains unknown, to this day, why it did so — it has offered the Palestinian people no explanation of the wisdom behind this support.

To begin with, Abbas needs reminding that he is not president, and has not been president since 2009; rather, he monopolizes the presidency of the Palestinian Authority illegitimately and hollowly, as many Arab leaders do. His presidential term ended in 2009, and we are now in 2015 — by rights he should have departed long ago. What is regrettable is that the Palestinian people have grown accustomed to violations of their rights and to the contempt shown for their interests, and do not move to defend their own rights.

What interest does the Palestinian people have in inserting itself into the Yemeni crisis, given that we have inserted ourselves into a number of crises across the Arab homeland and always come out the losers — are we now searching for a fresh loss? Only yesterday, Abbas and his supporters criticized Hamas’s positions on what happened and continues to happen in Egypt and Syria — so how can he now justify his own position on Yemen? We have already made enemies of the people of Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, and Tunisia because of our childish, reckless conduct and our improvised policies, and now we are looking to make new enemies. Note, too, that the parties Abbas is backing are allies of Israel, maintaining good commercial, political, and diplomatic relations with it, while those he stands against are precisely the ones who might offer support to Palestinian resistance. Or is he simply chasing money he can only find in the pockets of those he sides with? We have cemented, before the whole world, the impression that the people of Palestine feed on nothing but its own breasts. What a disgrace!

Only yesterday, Abbas boasted before the world that the West Bank did not fire a single bullet at Israel during the war on Gaza, in which thousands of Palestinians were killed and their homes destroyed. So how, now, does he come to stand with those who are demolishing the homes of Yemenis and killing their children and women? This is a grave disgrace, and a serious crime whose price the Palestinian people will pay.

To the people of Yemen we say: Abbas does not represent the people of Palestine, and we, the people of Palestine, wish nothing for Yemen and its people but good. We do not interfere unless you ask us for mediation that brings you together rather than divides you. So do not hold the people of Palestine responsible for what illegitimate leaders say. We are confident that you will remain faithful to the Palestinian cause and to the people of Palestine.

Source: Translated from the original Arabic, “عباس يورطنا مع أهل اليمن” by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem.