While many in Israel were hoping for Netanyahu's electoral defeat, Palestinians were more reserved. They now expect the international community to exert more pressure on Israel.
"Let's just hope that Netanyahu wins the election," said a young Palestinian intellectual as he bid me farewell on the day of the Israeli election, before the final results had been announced.
Even after it became clear that Benjamin Netanyahu had won, many Palestinians seemed unperturbed by the result. This response should not be understood as fatalism. On the contrary, it reflects a sober analysis of the political balance of power both within and outside of Israel, as well as the prospects for Palestinians to finally make political progress on the path to attaining statehood instead of continuing with a failed peace process.
This article by Dr. René Wildangel was originally published by Qantara.de on 31/03/2015. To read the full article in English please press here