(Ha'aretz) Avi Issacharoff - Bulldozers were flattening the hill opposite Yasser Arafat's mausoleum and PA headquarters in Ramallah in the West Bank on Thursday, preparing a large plaza for the "independence celebrations." 94 flags of states that have already recognized the Palestinian state surround the plaza. But nobody is speaking about an intifada here. The Palestinians have learned the lesson from the last intifada. All the organized events will take place in Palestinian city centers, a clear sign of wishing to avoid confrontations with the IDF. "Forget the third intifada," a leading Palestinian journalist, seen as close to Fatah, told Ha'aretz. Throughout the West Bank people say no third intifada is expected. The general feeling among the Palestinian public is of weariness. Yet the possibility for escalation and deterioration exists.
2011-09-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive