Arab League isn't helping Palestine

The Arab League is starting to look weak and unorganised amidst the latest announcement that it will back indirect talks with the Israelis. It was only in March that the Arab League rejected Israel's colony policy and held back on resuming negotiations with the Israelis as a show of protest. However, it is now singing a different tune, suggesting to the Palestinian leadership it should engage in indirect negotiations. This vacillating behaviour by the Arab League is all the more reason to conclude that it has lost its influence and impact. Its positions on Palestine are no longer substantial. Nor are they influential on the world stage.

Saying they support indirect talks is giving in to Israeli demands and actually legitimising Tel Aviv's illegal actions. After all, Israel refused to halt its expansion in occupied east Jerusalem and instead of protesting and stopping all communication, the Arab League is now saying Palestinians should engage in indirect talks, thus pushing colony talk to later stages.

This Arab League position will ultimately harm the Palestinians, who are looking more isolated. The solution to the latest obstacle, Israel's refusal to agree to a complete halt, if not total dismantling, of all colony construction and expansion in occupied east Jerusalem is to deny Israel any communication and to condition a resumption of meetings on this rightful demand. This obviously would require courage, which at this point doesn't seem to be a strong trait of the League.