The declining prospects of the Palestinian political movement

The Palestinian Authority has announced that it will hold parliamentary and presidential elections in mid-2021 for the first time in 15 years. The move is intended to consolidate the Palestinian political position, both to confront dire domestic challenges and to signal unity to Israel and the United States in the event that the parties revive negotiations over a two-state solution. However, even if elections help heal the long-standing rift between Fatah and Hamas, there is little prospect that the Palestinian political movement can much improve its economic and international position.