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Palestinian Leadership Fails to Rally Public Against Israel
(Ha'aretz) Jack Khoury - On Monday, Palestinian factions organized a demonstration in Ramallah against Israel's plans to apply Israeli law in parts of the West Bank. Fatah and the Palestinian security forces were asked to recruit people to attend, but barely 200 people showed up. The sparse crowd provided a clear indication of what the Palestinian leadership now faces. The crisis of confidence between the leadership and the public has deepened so much that the public can no longer back its leadership. The masses will not take to the streets over Israel, but would over the economic crisis. "It's not that Palestinians have forgone their dream....It's just that Palestinians have gotten to a situation in which they no longer believe in anyone," a longtime Fatah member remarked. "The disconnect between the leadership and the public is worsening." Under President Abbas' leadership, the Palestinian public is not interested in returning to the days of the intifada, and nonviolent struggle is also far removed from reality. Fatah would have a hard time mobilizing support for protests.