The saying, “After me, the flood,” should have been attributed to Methuselah. In French, it is attributed to Louis XV of France, who preceded the Revolution. It is certainly applicable to Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority.

Mahmoud Abbas is Yasser Arafat’s successor as head of Fatah, which runs the present Palestinian Authority. It is probably more accurate to say Abbas is the imposed-on-Arafat’s successor.

At the 2000 Camp David Summit -- where it was hoped that a final peace deal would be nailed down -- Arafat walked out without making a serious counter-proposal. The chief issue seems to have been that Arafat refused to give up the “right of return” for Palestinian exiles. Israel would never accept such a right as it would push the Jews into a minority demographic. And frankly, Arafat probably surmised that any acceptance of a lesser Israeli proposal would make him a marked man.

The Palestinians, [] insisting on the identification of return to Israel as one of the options open to refugees... Ben-Ami is not sure of what numbers the Palestinians proposed, but mentions 150,000 per year for ten years. If this number is accurate, coming to a total of 1.5 million returnees, it is totally untenable. Ben-Ami indicates that Yossi Beilin responded with a total of 40,000. Clearly, they were far apart, but the principle that there is no unlimited right of return appears to have been conceded. This discussion of the size of the cap came very late in the day. We do not know if it could have been bridged. It is quite possible that even if the negotiations had gone on for several more months, this gap would not have been closed. -- The Palestinian Peace Offer, Ha’aretz, October 1, 2000, Jerome Segal

Two months after the failure of those peace talks, Arafat authorized the start of the quite bloody Second Intifada (2000-2005), where over 1,000 Israelis died -- two thirds of them civilians. Naturally, the United States and Israel wanted to get rid of Arafat, and Israel eventually put his presidential compound under siege. Prior to this, in the past, Israel had considered assassinating Arafat -- and some discreditable rumors claim Israel finally poisoned Arafat during the Second Intifada, using polonium.

Something had to be done to rein in Arafat.

The United States’ “democratic reform” has consisted in imposing on the Palestinians and their elected president a “prime minister” who the overwhelming majority of Palestinians rejected as a new Quisling. The prime minister was -- surprise! -- Mahmoud Abbas, alias abu Mazen… -- Achcar, Gilbert (2004). Eastern Cauldron: Islam, Afghanistan and Palestine in the Mirror of Marxism, page 44

Mahmoud Abbas was considered a moderate to the West. It was believed that he was someone the Americans and Israelis could work with.

As bureaucrats go, Abbas is rather authoritarian (he has to be), and he has some singularly unbelievable credits to his name.  He has the equivalent of a doctorate for a book he wrote: The Connection between the Nazis and the Leaders of the Zionist Movement, where he accuses the Zionist Movement of being co-responsible for the Holocaust.  Not exactly a sterling intellectual achievement.

Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority are noted for being incredibly corrupt. Fatah survives by making deals with local clans and their sheikhs. If you are in the privileged clan, you will prosper. Outside the clan, you are on your own.

Palestinians furious and fed up with corruption of Abbas's 'mafia' PA -- Middle East Eye

Those who criticize Abbas and his administration are arrested and tortured.  Abbas critic Nizar Banat was beaten to death.

According to a recent public opinion poll published by the Palestinian corruption monitor Aman Coalition, 91 percent of Palestinians surveyed said they do not trust the PA. -- Middle East Eye

Now, to be sure, the Palestinian Authority is not North Korea. As long as one does not interfere with the nepotism, theft of public coffers, and corruption -- nor publicly complain about it -- one will probably be left alone… to fend for oneself, because getting a job will not be easy.

But make no mistake about it, Hamas is even worse in Gaza.  At least the Palestinian Authority/Fatah (PA) does not impose Islamic law.

The Israelis regularly accuse Abbas of encouraging violence against Jews, which indeed he regularly does.

So why does Israeli put up with him? 

Because anybody else would be much, much worse.

The sad truth is that Abbas may have little choice but to put on a show of resisting Israel. If Abbas didn’t, he would be assassinated. He is detested as a collaborator with the Israelis, and he knows it.

That may sound incredible to Israelis who see him as a violent opponent, but to the Palestinian street, Abbas is seen as not violent enough.

Israelis accuse Abbas of refusing to hold elections, of being a tyrant; but again, this is disingenuous.

The last time, fair elections were held, Hamas won in 2006.  Israel and America had to encourage Abbas and Fatah to overturn the vote. The result was a civil war in Gaza where Hamas took over, and Fatah had to violently suppress Hamas in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).

When Abbas tried to form a unity government with Gaza in 2017, Israel said it would not negotiate with it. The election was called off, and if truth be known, that is what Israel wanted.

The last thing Israel should want is genuinely fair elections. The youth are radicalized. The PA (Palestinian Authority) has to regularly suppress student activity. Often the Israelis intervene.

As bad as Fatah is, every other option is worse, and the Israeli government knows it.

After the recent Israeli raid on Jenin, when Abbas visited the city, he had to be under heavy guard.

Many now also see the authority less as a vehicle for national emancipation than as a corrupt and authoritarian body that helps Israel police the West Bank. Mr. Abbas has not held national elections for 17 years, the Palestinian Parliament has not met for more than a decade, and Mr. Abbas now rules by decree.  -- New York Times

To the Palestinians, Fatah is now seen as much the enemy as Israel. Their officials are attacked:

The deputy to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was driven out of a Jenin funeral for those killed in fighting with the IDF in recent days, with participants shouting “out” as they raged against the PA.

The Fatah-led PA is increasingly seen by some Palestinians as collaborating with Israel rather than fighting for their rights. -- Times of Israel

After Abbas, genuinely radical, jihadist groups will take over, and the Israel government will wish they had Abbas back.

There is no hope for peace, and Abbas, for all his corruption and fulminations, was a sort of respite.

Abbas is now 87. He cannot last forever, and after he goes, the flood.

Image: U.S. Gov.