RAMALLAH — The mood on the streets of Ramallah can best be described as tempered excitement as the Palestinian leadership begins its bid for statehood recognition at the United Nations. Flags attached to car windows proudly feature the words U.N.-Palestine State. Massive billboards advertise the statehood bid with colorful depictions of the Palestinian flag flying at the U.N. Fatah-backed rallies are scheduled throughout this featuring dancing and singing.
But while people do seem genuinely jubilant, it is not reminiscent of the vintage film footage from celebrations that took place in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem after the State of Israel came into existence. Hardly anyone believes that life is going to change after the United Nations’ vote.
Just under the surface, seemingly lurking behind every conversation, growing discontent can be found all over Ramallah. In the middle of a straight razor shave, my barber, Abdallah, stopped and said, “Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s sobriquet] works for Israel, not for Palestinians.” Abdallah’s sentiments are echoed inside the Ramallah Café, a local leftist hangout popular among older Palestinians and younger intellectuals alike. “The problem is that no one really trusts Abu Mazen anymore,” Ahmed Nidal, a freelance Palestinian photographer based in Ramallah, said between sips of sugary tea peppered with mint leaves. “Since no one trusts the man, no one really trusts the statehood bid.”
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