A United Nations report says the Palestinian Authority´s statehood bid is on shaky ground. The report, entitled “Palestinian State- Building: An Achievement at Increased Risk,” is to be submitted this Wednesday in Brussels at a meeting of donors to the PA cause.

A similar report was submitted six months ago to the group, but did not include the word “increased.”

The prominent notation in the title indicates a general recognition that matters in the PA are not only at a standstill financially, but also politically and in other ways since September 2011.

The report, which points out there has been “little progress” made by the entity politically and otherwise, notes that “political and financial pressure on the Palestinian Authority has only increased.”

The government of the PA continues to be split between two primary factions; Fatah, which rules PA-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria from Ramallah, and Hamas, which rules Gaza. In addition, Hamas leadership has recently begun to lose control over Gaza, the region it seized from Fatah in a militia war in 2007, to more radical Iranian-sponsored terrorist groups as well as Al-Qaeda-sponsored Salafi terrorist groups, further fragmenting the entity.

Neither faction leader allows the other to enter his territory, even for the purpose of unity and reconciliation talks -- which eventually took place in Cairo and Doha.

It was in September that the PA attempted to bypass direct final status talks with Israel by submitting an application for membership in the United Nations and demanded recognition by the United Nations Security Council as an independent, sovereign country.

The United States, a permanent member of the Council, immediately responded by warning that it would veto the move if the application were not otherwise sidelined. Eventually the international body found a way to tie the matter up for an indefinite period in committee. (IsraelNationalNews © 2012 03/19/12)