Prospects of a negotiated peace between Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank are looking bleak. A firefight on Monday left seven Palestinians dead and 90 wounded, and retaliatory attacks the following day killed four Israelis. The increasing violence has left many questioning Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ effectiveness in office.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) stood powerless as Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian towns, and is significantly less powerful than armed Palestinian groups in the cities of Jenin and Nablus. Abbas, also the current chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), refuses to give up the Presidential seat he technically lost in 2009. Polls from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research revealed that 80% of Palestinians want him to resign. Some fear Abbas’ departure could trigger a civil war between various political and armed groups in Palestine. A senior Israeli government official stated Palestinians must decide their own leadership, but Israel would likely prevent Hamas from rising to power. Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip after winning elections in 2006 and is gradually expanding its reach into the West Bank.
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