Palestinian “Day of Rage” Fails to Live Up to Expectations

Seeking to take it to the United States for what the Palestinians see as lopsided largess in favor of the Israelis after President Trump declared that Israeli communities in areas conquered in the 1967 war are not inherently illegal, factions called for a “day of rage” which was staged on Tuesday. Despite some areas where violence took over the demonstrations, the daylong protest failed to live up to the Palestinian Authority’s hopes. Each area where violence broke out saw only several hundred protesters participate in the demonstrations which featured the burning of tires and the hurling of rocks. The low turnout was despite approval of the plans by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the leadership of a respected Fatah-linked official. At an emergency meeting in Cairo, the Arab Leagued again deemed the United States unfit to serve as an honest broker of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict saying Washington has forfeited its role as arbiter of the conflict.