RAMALLAH, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Protests against the high cost of living increasingly erupted all over the West Bank over the past few days, during which some demonstrators burned Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's posters while others attempted to set themselves ablaze.
Observers and analysts were divided over the issue -- some believe that these protests are just a political storm in a teacup as an imitation of the so-called "Arab Spring" aiming at removing Fayyad, a veteran economist who has been the premier of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) government since 2007.
Others deem that it is another kind of political pressure on the PNA, in addition to the financial pressure it suffers from with a shortage of one billion U.S. dollars in its budget.
Naji Shurab, a political science professor of the Gaza-based al- Azhar University, told Xinhua that the ongoing financial crisis is the biggest economic challenge facing Fayyad's government.
"The high cost of living in the West Bank does not result from global economic crisis as many believe, it is because the Palestinian economic dependence on the Israel [2]i economy," said Shurab, adding that "once these protests mount in the West Bank, Fayyad's government might be toppled."
Well-informed Palestinian sources told Xinhua on condition of anonymity some factions in the West Bank, without naming them, are inciting people to protest against Fayyad, adding that with or without Fayyad, the economical crisis will remain the same.
On Wednesday, Fayyad told reporters in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem his government is exerting tremendous efforts to improve people's living conditions and deal with any difficulty, mainly the financial crisis.
Nasser Abdul Karim, an analyst and economist, expressed confidence that the PNA and the government are "very wise in dealing with it and there was no use of violence against the demonstrators," noting that "but still the PNA must find a quick solution to the crisis."
Karim's words came against a backdrop of increasing reports of Palestinians setting themselves ablaze hoping to lead to huge popular demonstrations as what happened in Tunisia.
Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the Palestine [3] Liberation Organization and labor minister in Fayyad's cabinet, told Xinhua the financial hardship the PNA is passing through "is unprecedented compared with previous crises the PNA had suffered from."
"I believe that the recent protests all over the West Bank are a constitutional and democratic expression of our people. I would say in this respect these protests are peaceful and we were keen that these protests would go in the frame of law," said Majdalani.
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