BY Taghreed Saadeh
It is concerning to hear, on Arab television screens, statements made by commentators presented as “experts” or “directors of research centers,” who are in fact Palestinians affiliated with leftist or Islamist organizations and are well known for their prior opposition to the Palestinian Authority. These commentators consistently launch attacks on the Authority, accusing it of failing to confront Israeli settlement expansion and occupation practices, with little regard for objectivity or journalistic integrity.
Many ordinary viewers may not realize that a large number of these analysts are not independent voices, but rather operate from clear ideological and organizational positions. This turns their so-called “analysis” into political opposition rather than an assessment grounded in verified information and informed understanding.
True analysis does not mean shouting, nor does it mean merely describing events or maintaining constant opposition. It is based on facts, on reading realities critically, and on offering a deep understanding of what is taking place, rather than confusing public awareness, as is increasingly the case today.
Let us take the issue of settlements as an example. What the Palestinian Authority has undertaken on the political and diplomatic levels, through sustained engagement at the United Nations and the pursuit of international resolutions and legal frameworks affirming that the West Bank is occupied Palestinian territory and part of the land on which a Palestinian state is to be established, is an effort that cannot be denied or dismissed. Acknowledging these efforts is both a moral and political obligation.
On the ground, however, it is unreasonable for a member of a leftist or Islamist organization to accuse the Authority of “facilitating” settlement expansion, when settlements are, in essence, a blatant act of occupation that violates all international laws and disregards even European and international pressure. The logical question here is, where is the role of the left? Has it proposed a concrete plan to confront settlement expansion that was rejected? Have political factions or non-governmental organizations receiving European funding presented viable field strategies that were ignored?
This deliberate conflation aims to entrench a misleading narrative among Palestinians that the Authority is failing to fulfill its duties, while ignoring everything it is implementing politically and diplomatically. Denial here is not opposition, it is misinformation, and that is the core of the problem.
The loud voices we hear today benefit from the prevailing state of confusion, yet they are also required to answer a simple question, what are you doing on the ground? What is the role of the NGOs that were originally established to critique the Authority? Where are your strategies? This noise and constant undermining of the Authority’s actions will not conceal your own shortcomings. Unfortunately, many prominent figures within the left have well-known corruption files, yet they continue to appear in the media cloaked in the image of the devoted patriot.
Like many others, I await the adoption of the Political Parties Law and the enforcement of Interior Ministry regulations to bring order to a state of chaos that the average Palestinian is largely unaware of, particularly regarding the scale of funds received by individuals and organizations under the banners of “struggle” and “resistance.” In any country in the world, receiving money without oversight or legal frameworks constitutes illicit funds, leading to accountability and imprisonment.
The irony is that some of those currently demanding elections are themselves deeply implicated in corruption, having led non-governmental organizations for decades to secure continued profit and personal gain. These files must be opened with courage if genuine reform is to take place and if truths are to be revealed beyond empty slogans.
As for Hamas, which has long accused the Palestinian Authority of corruption, it itself collects billions in the name of the Palestinian people, keeps these funds for itself, and then leaves the population abandoned and exposed, despite being a direct cause of the collective punishment and devastating wars inflicted on Gaza.
Fairness is not blind defense, and opposition is not constant shouting. What we need today is self-accountability first and foremost, and the accountability of everyone, without exception based on actions, not slogans.
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