After initially jumping on every pro-Israel decision, statement or tweet by US President Donald Trump, Palestinian leaders appear to have adopted a new tactic. They seem to have come to the conclusion that many of Trump's actions and words are intended for his base rather than part of a well-thought-out foreign policy. This shift is exemplified by the most recent decision by the White House on the US Embassy.

The announcement that the ribbon cutting for the embassy in Jerusalem would take place May 14 caught many off guard. During a visit with Jordanian King Abdullah II on Jan. 22, US Vice President Mike Pence had publicly said that the move would not take place until late 2019. Palestinian reaction has been muted regardless of the motivation behind the latest statement or whether the event will only be the hanging of a sign on a building in Jerusalem.

Normally bombastic Nasser Laham, the editor-in-chief of Maan News Agency, downplayed the matter during the Feb. 24 edition of his popular TV program, “Harvest.” Laham, a supporter of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, told the Saudi-based Arab News that he thinks the decision to move the embassy in May “was designed to cause panic in the ranks of the Palestinian leadership.” He argued, “A muted response was, therefore, the best way forward.”

Laham also said, “The Palestinian message should be that our goal is to support the steadfastness of our people in Jerusalem and not to jump at every provocative decision coming out of Washington.”