There is a real sense of satisfaction among the Palestinian leadership about the outcome of the Paris Middle East peace conference that took place Jan. 15. Nevertheless, in their usual manner, Palestinian representatives complained that the Obama administration prevented clearer resolutions on permanent status issues.
That said, a senior PLO official close to President Mahmoud Abbas, who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, said outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry will be missed, given his honest ambition to advance Palestinian statehood.