Palestinian promises ‘unlikely to be implemented’, AIJAC report finds

A new Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) report has found that Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmoud Abbas’s commitments to disarm Hamas, reform governance and end anti-peace messaging are unlikely to be implemented, warning that rushing to recognise a Palestinian state risks entrenching conflict rather than resolving it.

The report, released ahead of expected recognition of the State of Palestine by Australia and other countries at the UN General Assembly next week, analysed over a decade of Palestinian public opinion polling.

AIJAC executive director Colin Rubenstein said Abbas had “pledged reforms that the Palestinian public overwhelmingly reject”.

“Disarming Hamas, ending terrorist stipends, creating a demilitarised state and holding free elections are promises made for Western consumption, not deliverables grounded in Palestinian political reality,” Rubenstein said.

“Because recognition is not linked to real, verifiable change, Australia and other countries risk rewarding extremism and corruption, not building peace.”