I have been reporting on how the PLO had signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 2014 – without any real intention of implementing it, but to make it look like they are a liberal modern state so they can use that impression to attack Israel at the ICC and elsewhere.
Now we receive confirmation from both the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority and their Constitutional Court that there was never any intention of implementing CEDAW, and that Islamic Sharia is more important than adhering to signed agreements with the West.
Prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said, “The government adheres to Palestinian values and principles, and does not violate the Sharia. …Our religious and national values are above everything else, and this is in keeping with the decision of the Constitutional Court’s decision, and as a protection of our (women’s) honor, the unity of our society and the rule of law.”
What did the Constitutional Court rule?
Al-Monitor reports, quoting an Abbas aide: “There is also a decision by the Constitutional Court whereby international agreements prevail over local laws, provided these are consistent with the Palestinian religious and cultural legacy.”
They did not tell the UN this little fact that they follow Sharia over international agreement when they signed CEDAW. There were no reservations included in their agreement.
This goes way beyond CEDAW and women’s rights. This goes to the fundamental issue that the PLO and the Palestinian Authority will happily sign agreements they have no intention of keeping. They will tell the West that they signed the agreement, yet will privately ignore the agreement – just as they have with CEDAW.
Which means that even if the PLO would sign a peace agreement with Israel, the agreement would be literally worthless if it violates Sharia law. If it is against Islamic law to make a permanent peace agreement with Jews, or to allow non-Muslims to control any land that is considered an Islamic waqf (endowment for a religious cause) – and I am fairly certain that both of those are against Islamic law – then Sharia would outweigh any agreement with Israel.
In fact, it is worse – not only Sharia but “Palestinian cultural legacy” are considered more important than signed agreements. Meaning, every single agreement signed by Palestinian leadership does not have to be honored if someone believes it contradicts their “culture” of killing Jews and achieving martyrdom.
In short: The “State of Palestine” does not consider any of its signed agreements to be binding if they don’t like them. And any agreements with Israel are, by definition, contradicted by not only Islamic law but by Palestinian “values.”
(h/t Ibn Boutros)
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