Friday December 23, 2011

I've Been Thinking:

Yesterday Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with Hamas Politburo Chief Haled Mashaal. The meet was held in Cairo, Egypt.

Hamas agreed in principle to join the PLO, the political party of the PA. And then they decided to set up a series of committees - including an election committee to plan the next election for the PA.

This is a huge step.

It is hard to say whether it is a positive or a negative step, but it is a step.

Hamas has never recognized the PA government because Hamas won the plurality in the last election but then never had an opportunity to govern because Abbas ousted Hamas and their prime minister. That led to Hamas throwing the PLO and booting the PA out of Gaza in a bloody coup.

Since then Hamas and the PA have not been able to agree on power sharing.

Because Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have come together it does not necessarily follow that Hamas will not run in the election.
The PLO is by definition an umbrella for many Palestinian organizations. What it means is Hamas is confident that if they do run, they will once again win the plurality.

These are not the Republicans and the Democrats - they are and will always be the PA and Hamas.

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