Palestinians Appear Pessimistic on Trump, New Poll Shows

Of interest will be the next edition of a new poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research and released as President Trump’s Mideast envoy makes his first visit to the region. The newly-released survey shows a strong sense of pessimism among Palestinians regarding chances for peace brokered by the Trump administration. Only a mere 9 percent  polled in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip even believe that negotiations can be re-started, much less result in an agreement. A super-majority of 70 percent doesn’t believe there will be a ‘two-state solution’ within the next five years according to the poll. In addition to peace, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was the big loser in the survey. The octogenarian leader whose actual elected term-in-office already expired several years ago could best please some 64 percent of the Palestinian people by resigning. Equally ominous was among the poll’s results was that if Abbas were to face Hamas leader Ismail Haniyyeh in a head-to-head election, the result would be a toss-up.