Top Palestinian figures spent much of Tuesday walking back statements – aired in recent days by a range of Palestinian Authority (PA) figures, including reportedly by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas himself – threatening to dissolve the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) if Israel refused to make sufficient concessions to entice Ramallah to rejoin peace talks.

No Palestinian is speaking of an initiative to dismantle the Palestinian Authority (PA),” chief negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP.

“But Israel’s actions have annulled all the legal, political, security, economic and operational aspects of the prerogatives of the Palestinian Authority.”

The comments had generated exasperated eye rolls from the Israeli political echelon, and led State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki to emphasize that Washington would be forced to reevaluate its relationship with the Palestinians should they make good on their threats.

“A great effort has been made in the last few years to build Palestinian institutions, including with U.S. financial aid,” she said. “Dissolving the Palestinian Authority is not in the interest of the Palestinians … and will have implications on our relationship and our assistance.”

Veteran Israeli analyst Avi Issacharoff noted that threats to dissolve the PNA are part of a “recurrent ritual” leveraged by Palestinian negotiators, and outlined both political and financial considerations that would likely constrain such a move.

PA officials benefit financially from the existence of the PA and, in addition to their salary, enjoy many economic bonuses that come with their jobs — via connections with Israel, involvement in economic projects, and so on. Another equally important consideration that totally prevents deliberations on the real possibility of dismantling the Authority is the impact this would have on the future of the 150,000 PA workers and Fatah members, in the West Bank and in Gaza, who receive salaries each month and drive the Palestinian economy.

The Israel HaYom newspaper editorialized that – more specifically – Palestinian leaders waiting in the wings to take over for Abbas, and thereby to gain access to “the royal honors and red carpets… [and] the donations from around the world,” would not permit him to dissolve the PA.

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