Naftali Bennett
Naftali BennettFlash 90

Jewish Home Chairman Naftali Bennett published a manifesto on Sunday morning explaining why he believes that the Palestinian Authority (PA)'s application to international organizations for legitimacy will not do much harm to Israel - and, according to him, is really bound to hurt the PA itself. 

"Every year we renew a 'festival of threats': if we don't do what the PA wants, they will go to the UN, they will turn into a country and slam us at the Hague," Bennett wrote. "This is their 'judgement day' weapon. A Defense Minister once gave it this name: the 'political tsunami." 

"But it's time to change this concept," he declared. "This is not the PA's 'judgement day' weapon. The rifle is empty." 

"There is good reason why the Palestinians are not members of the Hague, and not members of the UN," he continued. "There is a reason why the gun is almost empty. What should be done about this threat? Understand what it is, stop being afraid - and, of course, act on it." 

Bennett noted that threats against Israel at the Hague may look menacing on paper, but will probably not change much in reality. 

"A lawsuit against us in the Hague will have Israel join the ranks of other distinguished countries brought to court there, such as the US and UK, and no one is telling London to withdraw from their land over it," he stated. 

If anything, according to Bennett, "Israel and other countries should bring the PA to the Hague over war crimes." 

Fatah, Hamas - It's All the Same

"There are two reasons for this: first - the PA's killing and terror against innocent people," he continued. "The Palestinians deliberately fired thousands of rockets at schools, hospitals and kindergartens. Shooting to harm civilians is clearly a war crime." 

Bennett also shot down possible counter-arguments to this, including the claim that the PA and Hamas are utterly unconnected.

"The PA leadership in Ramallah will tell them that it is Hamas who shoots at civilians, not them," he said. "But this is like saying that it is [Justice Minister Tzipi Livni's party - ed.] HaTnua that is conducting negotiations with the PA, not the State of Israel. "

"Hamas is a political movement operating under the PA umbrella in Gaza," he fired. "[PA Chairman Mahmoud] Abbas transfers funds every month from the PA to Gaza for 'public servants' there."

"He believes that Gaza is part of the same 'Palestine' that he asks the UN to unilaterally establish. Therefore, he is responsible for Hamas's war crimes." 

Incitement Kills

The second accusation Israel should launch against the PA, according to Bennett, is over its ongoing incitement against Israel. 

"Every month the PA issues stipends to murders of women and children that Israel released [as part of preconditions to negotiations - ed.], as well as to those who are still in prison" Bennett noted. "They tell murderers: go kill a Jew and instead of receiving compensation now, you'll receive compensation later."

"This is encouraging terror. This is incitement." 

Last month, the PA allocated another $74 million to the families of terrorist 'mayrtrs,' despite suffering from 4.8 billion dollars in debt.

The pledge was announced just a few weeks after news surfaced that a man had killed several Jewish Israelis for financial reasons, using the stipend money as an incentive to fund his own wedding. 

The Israeli government only recently released its annual "Palestinian Incitement Index", which showed that incitement against Israel and the Jewish people is continuing on official media channels including - inter alia - by bodies that are very close to the PA Chairman and in educational and religious networks.

Such incitement ranges from the glorification of Nazism and the lionization of Adolf Hitler, to programs on official PA television featuring heavily-stereotyped Jews as villains (and encouraging violence against them), and various TV and radio shows which literally wipe the Jewish state off the map.

'The Only Fear is Fear Itself'

Bennett concluded by noting that the only danger Israel faces by the PA going to the UN is self-inflicted. 

"Threats of the PA going to the UN are groundless," Bennett stated. "But the fear of it in itself has allowed the PA to continue blackmailing us at a heavy price."

"It's time to stop the cycle of blackmail," he continued. "The only nation to be damaged from the PA's application to the UN will be the PA itself."