WHEN GRASS WAS GREEN AND GRAIN WAS YELLOW:

U.N. Praises Palestinians’ Progress Toward a State (ISABEL KERSHNER, 4/12/11, NY Times)

The United Nations praised Palestinian Authority efforts at strengthening its institutions in a report on Tuesday, describing aspects of its administration as sufficient for an independent state.

The endorsement came at a crucial time for the Palestinian Authority, which has set a September deadline for the completion of its state-building program and is working toward international recognition of Palestinian statehood in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem that month.

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