Thursday, February 2, 2012

PA Gets Upgrade in Germany

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

Yesterday Germany upgraded the diplomatic status of the Palestinian Authority. The PA had been a "representation" and now they are a "mission." A mission means that the top representative to the host country is a ambassador that they may fly their flag.

This is a serious increase in diplomatic clout. Germany follows France, Spain, Portugal and Ireland in upgrading the PA.

Israel responded to the diplomatic upgrade by saying that the PA is getting the wrong message. Israel is saying that the Palestinian Authority is being rewarded with diplomatic upgrades for walking away from the negotiation table.

Israel is trying to suggest that the opposite should have taken place. Dangle the diplomatic upgrade as a reward in order to influence the PA to act diplomatically - don't just give that diplomatic perk away.

There is something fundamentally flawed in this picture. Diplomatic upgrades are huge and they just don't slip back down in status, they should be achieved as the result of serious transitions, not wishful thinking and vacuous promises.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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