The assertion that the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) days are numbered has been oft repeated recently, especially after last month’s fatal torture of popular Palestinian activist Nizar Banat at the hands of PA security personnel in Hebron.

Many Palestinians believe that last month’s military confrontation between Israel and the Gaza resistance, along with the simultaneous popular revolt across Palestine, was a game changer. Israel is doing everything in its power to prove them wrong.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is as much American as he is Israeli. While other Israeli leaders have made a strong relationship with Washington a cornerstone of their politics, Netanyahu’s political style was essentially American from the start.

To begin, let us clarify some of the language used to depict the ongoing violence in the Occupied Territories of Palestine and throughout Israel. This is not a “conflict.” Nor is it a “dispute” or “sectarian violence,” or even a war in the traditional sense.