RAMALLAH, West Bank— As Israel continues to pound Gaza with air attacks and contemplates a ground invasion, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is preparing his bid for Palestinian non-state membership at the UN General Assembly. The question is: With Gaza on their minds, Abbas’ plummeting popularity and negotiations with Israel at a standstill, are Palestinians paying attention?
In stark contrast to the euphoric atmosphere of last year’s Palestinian bid for recognition of statehood at the United Nations, Palestinians today are ambivalent, skeptical, even downright angry at the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) upcoming request for non-state membership later this month.
