Palestinians sometimes joke about the fact that, when written in Arabic, “Palestinian National Authority” looks the same as “Palestinian National Salad”. And to many here, the PA’s handling of Richard Goldstone’s UN report on the conflict in Gaza has been mixed up and limp. What began as the publication of a damning report on Israel’s military conduct – although it also condemned Hamas – has turned into an embarrassing debacle for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president and Fatah leader.
