(Middle East Monitor-UK) Dr. Adnan Abu Amer - The Palestinian Authority called for Nov. 26 to be a "Day of Rage" against America's claim that Israeli settlements do not violate international law. Senior officials from Fatah, which President Mahmoud Abbas heads, said that the protests would leading to an uprising against Israel. However, the demonstrations were few and poorly attended, a catastrophic failure for the PA, with only around 1,000 demonstrators. This suggests that the main concerns of the Palestinian people are the economy and living standards rather than action in support of the PA. Moreover, Abbas ordered his forces to disperse a protest by former prisoners in Ramallah because the PA has cut their stipends. In Nablus, the largest city in the northern West Bank, there was not a single meaningful demonstration. The gap between the Palestinian leadership and the people is getting wider by the day. The writer is head of the Political Science Department at the University of the Ummah in Gaza.
2019-12-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive