Palestine - singing from the same hymn book

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has now claimed that a "country" exists in that area of the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority's complete administrative and security control prior to the Authority's demise in January 2013.

Speaking at the re-opening of the Palestinian embassy in Kuwait - Abbas was reportedly quoted in Gulf news.com as stating it was:

A historic moment in the deep-rooted relations between the two countries.

Granted Abbas spoke in Arabic and his words may have been misunderstood or mistranslated - international acceptance of this region as a country called "Palestine" could be a significant step forward in progressing an end to the long running Jewish-Arab conflict.

Abbas's claim was further strengthened with a reportin Turkish Press.com that Turkeyhas becomethe first country to appoint an ambassador to "Palestine" after its envoy in Ramallah - Sakir Ozkan Torunlar - presented his Letter of Credence to President Mahmoud Abbas - being officially titled as the first ambassador to "Palestine"

Yet - according to Yahoo 7 News - the Palestinian Authority is still slowly progressing to statehood despite the admission of "Palestine" as a member state of UNESCO and an observer at the United Nations.

Prime minister Salam Fayyad's resignation is likely to raise questions over donor support for the Palestinian Authority and may slow its steps towards statehood, experts warn.

However - confirming the demise of the Palestinian Authority - Shir Hever -an economic researcher in the Alternative Information Centre - an Israeli-Palestinian Organization - told Real News:

The State of Palestine, formerly known as the Palestinian Authority, has placed a single condition to resume talks that Israel will freeze the construction in the illegal colonies.

John V Whitbeck - an international lawyer who served as an advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team in negotiations with Israel - declared the Palestinian Authority dead and buried four months ago:

In an article in the Cyprus Mail on 13 January headlined "Finally the State of Palestine exists" - Whitbeck revealed that the Palestinian Authority "had been absorbed and replaced by the State of Palestine" in a decree issued by Mahmoud Abbas on 3 January and signed by him acting in his capacities as president of the State of Palestine and chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)

Making sure his message was fully understood by those willing to listen, Whitbeck stated unequivocally: