Will Trump end the Obama-Abbas-UN love triangle?

If love is blind, former US president Barack Obama must have truly loved Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas. During his entire eight years in office, Obama never wavered from calling Abbas a ‘peacemaker’. He never wavered from turning a blind eye to Abbas’ open incitement to kill Jews. He never wavered from his commitment to support Abbas over Israel.

He also never condemned Abbas for anything (Morton Klein, Daniel Mandel, “Obama’s inconsistent treatment of Netanyahu and Abbas, washingtontimes, April 7, 2015). Instead, he condemned Israel (ibid).

But as those who know well the history of Abbas, “it is a lie to say that Mahmoud Abbas is committed to a diplomatic resolution” to the Arab-Israel conflict (Matthew Continetti, “The Obama Intifada”, nationalreview, October 17, 2015). It’s a lie to call Abbas a peacemaker (ibid).

But even when Abbas fuelled terror-wave after terror-wave against Jews in Israel, Obama couldn’t restrain his praise. In 2016, Obama actually said of Abbas, “I have to commend President Abbas…He has been somebody who has consistently renounced violence, has consistently sought a diplomatic and peaceful solution that allows for two states, side by side, in peace and security” (ibid). It was, of course, all lies.

The UN has been just as bad. The UN is obsessed with censuring Israel at every turn (Hillel Neuer, “The Demonization of Israel at the United Nations in Europe” , jerusalemcentreforpublicaffairs). During Obama’s two terms, the UN unleashed a virtual torrent of anti-Israel decisions and actions. The flood of anti-Israel votes by UN agencies and organizations got so bad that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in 2016 that the UN has “a disproportionate volume of resolutions, reports and conferences criticizing Israel" (“Ban Ki-Moon says UN has ‘disproportionate’ focus on Israel”, jerusalempost, December 16, 2016). That’s an understatement. Between the period 2007-2017 (including all of the Obama years), the UN condemned Israel more than 220 times (ibid). At UN organizations and agencies, Israel was condemned more times than all other nations combined.

Obama, Abbas and the UN were perfect political love-mates. Each carried an animus towards Israel. Each condemned Israel. Each used lies—or empowered lies--against Israel.

Thank G-d, this love triangle appears to be over. Obama is no longer president. Abbas is close to the end of his rule. The UN has not only lost its richest cheerleader (Obama), it’s just gotten its first (and bitter) taste of having to deal with a tough, anti-UN, pro-Israel 8000-pound gorilla (Trump).

For Abbas and the UN, Trump is a shock (Adam Kredo, “White House Puts Palestinians, United Nations in Crosshairs”, washingtonfreebeacon, February 13, 2017). In office less than a month, Trump has already got Abbas and the UN reeling.

According to Washington insiders, the White House sends an aggressive signal to both Abbas and the UN: the US will no longer tolerate ‘Palestinian’ intransigence (ibid). The US will no longer tolerate continued anti-Israel actions by the UN (ibid).

Trump has just blocked the appointment of a ‘Palestinian’ to be UN envoy to Libya. UN officials are not happy with that (Olaniyi Deborah, “UN Chief Defends Choice Of Palestinian As Libya Envoy”, newsofafrica, February 13, 2017). They’re not happy with Trump, either (Barbara Crosette, “Trump Could Be the Most Hostile American President the UN Has Ever Faced”, thenation, January 9, 2017).

The UN is in trouble. Trump has promised that things will be different at the UN during his term of office (Crosette, ibid). The UN sees Trump as an ignorant bull in a luxury china-shop. It’s afraid Trump will wreck everything the UN has worked for since at least 2009 (ibid).

Can the UN survive a tough, demanding Trump? It may not.

Abbas is also in trouble. If he doesn’t continue to build a winning (anti-Israel) record at the UN, his days will be numbered. He is not popular. Grassroots support among ‘Palestinians’ for his PA is extremely low (Rafael Medoff, “Jewish Leaders Denounce Palestinian Authority’s ‘Fort of Torture’”, algemeiner, February 7, 2016). In the Hevron area, Abbas’ support could be as low as 2% (ibid).

On a national level, 65% of ‘Palestinians’ polled wanted (in 2016) Abbas to resign (Ahmad Abu Amer, “Poll: 65% of Palestinians want Abbas out”, al-monitor, June 21, 2016).  Six months later, that number didn’t change (Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No (62), December 29, 2016).

Can Abbas survive a tough Trump? Possibly; but if he fails to convince the UN to criminalize Israel, he may not survive.

If a tough Trump forces the UN to decide between Abbas or surviving as a world body, will it embrace Abbas? It may not. 

With no Obama in the White House, the Obama-Abbas-UN love triangle could collapse. The UN could shrink in size, stature and impact. Abbas’s international reputation could plummet along with his popularity among ‘Palestinians’. Abbas' anti-Israel dreams could evaporate.

If this  political love triangle does collapse, it will because Donald Trump does the opposite of Barack Obama: Trump ties his fortune to Israel, not ‘Palestinians’.

Perhaps this is why Trump got elected. He knows how to win.