Political Developments in the Palestinian Authority in the Context of "Arab Spring" (2011–2012)

The article examines the political developments in Palestine in the context of the "Arab Spring". The Middle East peace settlement was influenced by the shift in the region's power dynamics and the emergence of new key players. The revolutionary wave of the "Arab Spring" led to significant changes in the ruling elites and domestic policies in several countries in the Arab world. Meanwhile, despite well-coordinated protest waves and demonstrations, the Palestinian Authority escaped being toppled. The "Palestinian Spring" soon sub-sided; however, the implementation of political and socioeconomic reforms, as well as the reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, remained essentially unchanged. The Arab Spring intensified foreign policy initiatives: Fatah chose the diplomatic path, seeking to raise Pales-tine’s status in the UN, while Hamas reorganized its network of external allies, leaving Damascus and strengthening ties with Egypt and Qatar. At the same time, protests in the West Bank and Gaza Strip showed that the Oslo Accords were no longer perceived as a relevant and effective basis for continuing the peace process with Israel. Thus, the Arab Spring was not a time of revolutionary change for Palestine, but a period of consolidating losses and maintaining the political status quo resulting in inertia within the Palestinian political system and leaving public expectations for fundamental change unfulfilled.