Editorials

The dishonor of frivolous challenges

Last weekend’s demonstrations in Washington, Republican observers had been barred at a vote count and court rulings on the challenges — that is not D.C., and other cities by President Donald Trump’s site. But in response to court questioning, the Trump going to happen. supporters made clear that there are a lot of people team conceded that “a nonzero number of [Republican Bluster and groundless claims are expected during who believe that there were improprieties in the observers were] in the room.” In other words, the claim campaigns. We got a lot of that, and have had our fill. recent presidential voting — perhaps enough to have that Republicans had been barred was false. This week, In the run up to and on Nov. 3, the voters spoke. While stolen the election. the president’s legal team withdrew the claim that clearly divided, the voters elected Joe Biden. Frivolous

Although the claim that the election was stolen absentee ballots were processed without campaign lawsuits and baseless accusations won’t change is false, improprieties can never be ruled out. Trump representatives being present. that result. They will just prolong the agony, further and his supporters have every right to challenge So what is the Trump team thinking, and what is embarrass the loser and increase hard feelings and what they see as errors in the vote. But they need their game plan? The history of success in challenges resentment. None of that can be helpful to Donald evidence to support their allegations. Thus far, to vote counts is not great. Indeed, when thousands of Trump. there is no evidence of systemic impropriety and no votes separate the candidates, recounts almost never One of the most respected traditions of our explanation has been offered as to how the election change the result. But even assuming some success democracy is the orderly transfer of power following was supposedly “stolen.” in the challenge effort, does the Trump team really a control changing election. We have had our election,

The Trump team has seen virtually no success in believe that one or two victories will actually change and the results are clear. It is now time for Trump their court challenges. The president’s lawyers have the election outcome? to show humility, a grasp of reality and respect for struggled to justify many of their claims and have The numbers don’t add up for the Trump dream. American tradition by cooperating fully in the orderly had to backtrack from others. In Pennsylvania, for Biden’s certified Electoral College numbers guarantee transfer of information, authority and governance to example, where a razor thin victory was declared for victory unless Trump essentially runs the table in his the Biden team. Failure to do so will bring dishonor, Biden, attorneys for Trump asked a judge to halt the voter fraud challenges. And based upon what we have embarrassment and further failure to the Trump team, counting of ballots in Philadelphia, claiming that seen thus far — both in terms of evidence produced and an enduring black mark on Trump’s legacy. WJW

Palestinian leadership vacuum

Saeb Erekat was the Palestinians’ chief peace approach has negatively impacted the daily lives of negotiator with Israel since the 1990s. He was millions of Palestinians. accusatory, confrontational and uncompromising in his Will a new generation of Palestinian leadership public persona, but was reportedly more realistic and accomplish what the ever-optimistic Erekat and everaccommodating in private. When he died in an Israeli obdurate Abbas could not? Is there a new, credible hospital last week of complications from COVID-19, the Palestinian leader who can engage with Israel and test 65-year-old’s death symbolized the intertwining fate of Israel’s repeatedly proclaimed willingness to come to the Palestinians and Israel, and his trust in the humanity terms? If so, who? of his people’s adversary. We hear the names Marwan Barghouti and Mohammed

Erekat belonged to the generation of Palestinian Dahlan as possible answers. Barghouti is in an Israeli leadership that abandoned the ideology of armed struggle jail, where he is serving five life sentences for terrorist against Israel and sought nonviolent means to reach an murders. Dahlan — who served as Arafat’s security man agreement that would include a two-state solution. His in Gaza — is in exile in Abu Dhabi, following a falling out role in the failure of that mission, thus far, is a reflection with Abbas. But Dahlan has surfaced as a player of sorts, of his willingness to go along with, rather than oppose, spreading the largesse of his UAE host’s money over the the uncompromising demands of his movement’s political West Bank and Gaza. Through those efforts — and his leadership. apparent political dexterity and alliance flexibility — he

But Erekat had his fans: “Any reckoning of Erekat’s has managed to get on good terms with many senior legacy includes his consistent espousal of nonviolence, Palestinians, except Abbas. his consistent embrace of two states, and his consistent What’s frustrating for the Palestinian people, and willingness to reject the anti-normalization movement for those eager to engage with them, is the dearth of and engage with Israelis of all stripes,” the Israel alternative leadership possibilities in the Palestinian Policy Forum wrote last week. And according to the political ranks. Part of the problem is that none of Washington Institute’s David Makovsky writing in the the younger generation have been given meaningful Forward, Erekat “definitely wanted peace with Israel [even though] he could be tenacious and his style could Saeb Erekat opportunities to lead, and another is there hasn’t been a Palestinian Legislative Council election since 2006. be very strident.” move beyond the Palestinian National Movement’s Without a next generation of leaders, the Palestinians

Erekat and his fellow negotiators were limited by the initial blood oath against Israel. That intransigence has are left with the dwindling remnants of their old, famously indecisive and wholly uncreative Palestinian prompted repeated refusals to consider any deal that unsuccessful leadership, as Israel and the world await the president, Mahmoud Abbas, who has not been able to did not turn the clock back to 1948. And that failed emergence of a credible peace partner. WJW