Eager to turn their victory at the United Nations last month into facts on the ground, Palestinian Arabs have begun posting official-looking signs on roads throughout Judea and Samaria delineating the new “State of Palestine.”
Under a bold headline of “Warning” the signs state in English, Arabic and Hebrew that the visitor is now standing on “illegally occupied land. State of Palestine.” Included is the date this new state was internationally recognized—Nov. 29, 2012.
The U.N. General Assembly vote last month merely upgraded the Palestinian Authority to the status of a non-member observer, and is not legally binding. But the PA has been busy transforming that small achievement into something much larger.
Israeli leaders argued that by going this route, the Palestinian leadership and the U.N. had effectively killed all hopes of a negotiated peace. Analysts note the Palestinians now have little incentive to hold bilateral talks, and even less incentive to make any compromises in the quest for peace.
Rather, they can now sit back and let the international community bring its full weight down on Israel to unconditionally leave what is now a recognized national entity.
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