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The Folly of the Palestinian Statehood Bid
(Telegraph-UK) Houriya Ahmed and Julia Pettengill - Recent polls suggest that the majority of Palestinians remain united in their commitment to independence, but are increasingly ambivalent about the value of the statehood gambit, and more focused on measures which will tangibly improve their daily life. As Dr. Hussein Ibish, a senior fellow at the American Taskforce on Palestine, told us: "Palestinians aren't stupid - they know this UN bid is not going to create a Palestinian state. Now that they've had time to see what the costs will be, it's clear that many Palestinians are re-evaluating the effectiveness of the bid." The potential loss in American aid to the PA as a result of the bid could have serious fallout for the fledgling economy of the West Bank. The U.S., which currently contributes approximately $500 million in annual aid to the PA, objects to the statehood bid on the grounds that it subverts the negotiation process with Israel, and has threatened to withdraw or severely curtail these funds. The writers are Research Fellows at the Henry Jackson Society.