The majority of Palestinians in the West Bank believe that they can't freely speak their minds under Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, according to a new poll released Wednesday. The Associated Press writes:

Two-thirds of Palestinians say they are afraid to criticize Mahmoud Abbas, according to a poll, and some of the Palestinian president's recent actions only seem to confirm claims that dissent comes at a price.

Last month, Abbas outlawed the West Bank's largest labor union and briefly jailed its two leaders for organizing strikes. Security agents routinely monitor social media and send threats or complaints to some of those criticizing Abbas. Meanwhile, the Palestinian leader's Fatah movement continues to purge supporters of an exiled rival.

Critics say that after a decade in power, Abbas is overseeing a largely authoritarian system with shrinking room for dissent — a claim denied by Abbas supporters who say Palestinians enjoy more political freedoms than most in the Arab world.

The lack of liberty under Palestinian rulers is frequently overlooked in the Western world, especially on college campuses. Critics are quick to point out flaws in Israel's democracy, which are more often than not alleged by Israeli NGOs, without any attempt to connect the dots and determine why Palestinian governments are not enduring the same level of scrutiny. 

To make matters worse, some state actors are encouraging such behavior. As Khaled Abu Toameh noted in the Gatestone Institute on Thursday, the European Union is rushing to recognize a Palestinian state despite the tyrannical nature of the Palestinian Authority.

European parliaments that are rushing to recognize a Palestinian state are ignoring the fact that the Palestinians have been without a functioning parliament for the past seven years.

The Palestinian parliament, known as the Palestinian Legislative Council [PLC], has been paralyzed since 2007, when Hamas violently seized control over the Gaza Strip and expelled the Palestinian Authority [PA].

These European parliaments are also turning a blind eye to the fact that, under the PA in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, there is no respect for the rule of law, free speech, transparency or accountability.

"We face an autocratic regime that doesn't believe in any freedoms, in freedom of unions or freedom of speech," said Jihad Harb, a writer and Fatah member to the Associated Press. "The people are now terrified. They don't speak up, fearing reprisal."