Analysis / A PA that may be passe

The Palestinian Authority's official responses to the "dangerous turn" in American policy - calls for help from all elements involved in the conflict, first and foremost the UN, Russia, and the European countries, America's partners in the Quartet, as well as the the committee of Islamic countries and the Arab states - reveal helplessness. PA Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's speech yesterday afternoon in which he stated that the Palestinian people will never give up their national rights was also part of the response.

Speaking on Palestinian television to mark the 16th anniversary of the death of Khalil al-Wazir (Abu Jihad), Arafat not only said that the struggle would continue until the establishment of an independent state with its capital in Jerusalem, but also mentioned the refugees' right of return. In previous years, Arafat usually tried to obscure the issue or to indirectly relate to it by mentioning UN Resolution 194, which speaks of the right of Palestinians either to return to their homes or receive compensation. This time, his reference to the refugees was as clear as a bell: they would never give up the right of return.

Rumors were rife in Ramallah yesterday that senior PA officials were discussing the possibility of dismantling the authority, since from a Palestinian perspective, the understandings between U.S. President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon meant the end of the political process. This process was the basis for establishing the Palestinian Authority: without it, there is no reason for its existence.

The idea of Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia resigning was also raised yesterday in light of what appears to be a dead end in the peace process. Qureia spent a great deal of time in discussions over the past few weeks in several Arab countries and in Europe, none of which bore fruit.

It was clear to the Palestinian leadership yesterday that Bush's support of Sharon's disengagement plan was the death knell for the road map and its heir.

Palestinian cabinet members said yesterday that the contradictions between the road map and the disengagement plan are crystal clear. Among them, for example, is the blessing the United States gave Israel on the settlement blocs, while the road map spoke of a total settlement freeze.

A senior Palestinian journalist wrote yesterday that the PA may have no reason to continue to exist. The authority still will supply essential services to residents, but many already believe that its continued operation enables Israel to impose a "deluxe" occupation in which it militarily controls the territories while not taking responsibility for the lives and welfare of its residents.

The only Palestinians who were "happy" with Bush's declaration yesterday were Hamas and Islamic Jihad. "The end has come to the illusion of a political solution under the patronage of the U.S.," said Khaled Mash'al, head of Hamas' political bureau.