Link to article: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1MD11Y11qP
The Palestinian Authority (PA) recently resumed civil cooperation with Israel. Mussein al-sheikh, the acting head of the PA’s General Authority of Civil Affairs, announced on Tuesday that their decision was made after Israel agreed to be more lenient with control over the West Bank territories.
Six months ago, the PA president, Mahmoud Abbas, decided to cut ties with Israel after they took action to bring sovereignty to the West Bank territories. Now, Israel has rescinded this policy, and officials on both sides are taking steps towards renewed cooperation.
There are two main Palestinian factions. The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) has power concentrated in the West Bank, and the Islamist Hamas, a terror group, controls the Gaza Strip. Hamas spoke against the PA’s choice to work with Israel, claiming that the PA has lost its values. Although, this hasn’t changed any decisions.
The agreement comes after the news that Joe Biden has become the United States’ president-elect. In 2017, President Trump created policy that moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The United States had previously avoided recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel so as to avoid conflict between Israel and Palestine. President-elect Biden promises a return to more democratic foreign policy from the US, which has encouraged the two groups to strengthen their relationship.
At the heart of many of Israel and Palestine’s disagreements is territory control. For example, both groups consider Jerusalem to be their rightful capital. In fact, it has been especially difficult to broker peace between Israel and Palestine because neither will relinquish the possibility of controlling Jerusalem.
From the realist perspective, both Israel and Palestine are fighting for their own self interest as the disagreements over territory press on. Each wants the most power and influence possible, because power means the potential to influence other countries. Of course, power comes with controlling territory.
The power of ideas is also at stake, because much of the disputed territory, including Jerusalem itself, contains sacred religious sites. Control of the territory would also mean control of those places of worship.