Huckabee Holds 'Rare Meeting,' Forgets Actual Power Dynamic
Governor Sanders reportedly discussed West Bank tensions, Israel’s withholding of Palestinian funds, and restrictions on Christmas celebrations with the Palestinian Authority. While The New Arab frames this as a significant diplomatic encounter, the underlying reality is less a meeting of equals than an American official observing a carefully managed client entity. (And presumably, not asking
tough questions about the PA's cooperation with Israeli occupation forces.) This 'rare' meeting omits the more pressing, less diplomatic, realities: the PA's limited actual power under Israeli occupation and its role in maintaining a semblance of order for the occupying force. While Sanders was meeting the PA, the daily grind of demolitions, settlement expansions, and settler violence continued
unabated, consequences of policies the US funds, not just observes. The real question isn't why the meeting was rare, but why anyone pretends the PA holds genuine authority.