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The Palestinian Cause Has Lost Its Resonance
(Economist-UK) President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital has also highlighted the decrepit state of the Palestinian national movement. Protests against the decision were relatively small - only a few thousand Palestinians turned out at their peak. The Palestinians feel alone and despondent. Their cause has lost its resonance in a Middle East convulsed by civil wars and proxy battles between Iran, a Shia power, and Saudi Arabia, the region's Sunni champion. In the West Bank, young people dream of leaving for a better life in the West or the Gulf states. On the streets of Gaza, where Hamas once enjoyed broad support, it is now common to hear criticism of the group, and even nostalgia for the days when Israel controlled the territory. Mr. Abbas has little legitimacy to negotiate on behalf of his people, two-thirds of whom want him to resign. But Hamas has done no better. Hamas' three wars with Israel have brought only misery to the territory, where half the population is unemployed.