Deadlock has been plaguing political life of the Palestinians after two major developments took place four years ago. In April 2014, Israel announced freezing negotiations with the Palestinians on the heels of the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement, which was followed by the outbreak of the third Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in July-August of that year.

The Palestinians have been suffering under the same situation ever since. There are no negotiations with Israel, no implementation of the internal reconciliation agreement and the security tension in Gaza remains the same. The situation worsened when US President Donald Trump announced in December 2017 his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the US Embassy there in May.

Consequently, the Palestinians have expressed striking positions, reflecting unconventional convictions in terms of negotiations and resistance.

A poll by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center (JMCC) published Oct. 16 revealed differences among the Palestinians on the best means to achieve their goals to end the Israeli occupation and establish a Palestinian state. The poll showed that 46.9% now believe peace negotiations are the best solution. In January, 25.2% believed this, 37.6% in February 2017 and 33.6% in March 2015.