Khaled Abu Toameh (via Elder of Ziyon) explains the honesty gap exposed by the PaliLeaks. It says a lot that the PA can’t be straight with the Palestinian people:
It is no secret that most of the Arab governments do not represent their constituents, at least in regard to making peace with Israel. If Arab leaders seem to be more “moderate” in their views toward the Middle East peace process than their people, it is because these leaders have been telling Westerners what they like to hear.
Even if the Palestinian Authority may be a peace partner, what about the Palestinians?
. . .
If anything, Al-Jazeera’s sensationalist revelations show that Arab regimes are still afraid of telling their people the truth.
Real risks for peace are when leaders — who are democratically accountable to the public — put their careers on the line by talking straight, proposing solutions, and letting the voters decide. The PaliLeaks show that Palestinian political discourse is as dead as Palestinian democracy.
