Abbas’ standing improves but the public is worried about possible deterioration in internal conditions in case of his absence and the majority demands compliance with the Basic Law in selecting his successor, as the case was in Arafat’s succession. By contrast, the public is dissatisfied with the manner in which the PNC managed its recent meeting and with the ability of the PLO leadership it elected to represent Palestine and its diaspora. An overwhelming majority demands immediate halt to all measures taken by the PA against Gaza. Despite wide support for popular resistance, the majority believes that the March of Return has failed to achieve its goals
The Palestinian Authority has in recent years cracked down on its perceived political enemies and civil society more generally in an unprecedented fashion. This discredits the PA – which has rhetorically embraced two states – and its political agenda among ordinary Palestinians, and makes it difficult to conceive of a Palestinian state next to Israel that would be stable and capable of sustaining itself. It also leads to radicalism and violence in response, which ultimately damages Israeli and Palestinian efforts to achieve peace and a permanent status agreement.