[iron81]

When that paper writes about Arafat's legacy, they aren't talking about his past as a terrorist, they are disappointed that divisions among the Palestinians are hindering the goal of a Palestinian state. Actually, I think that the division might be the best thing to happen to Mideast peace in a while.

With Hamas largely out of power in the West Bank, Abbas has a chance to get concessions because Israeli leaders can credibly make the case to their constituents that they are not rewarding terrorism. The Israelis also now have the ability to help Abbas weaken the Hamas power base by giving concessions: Gaza residents who see progress in the West Bank are going to start wondering why they aren't getting any goodies.

Of course, the reason why Israel is cracking down on Gaza by closing most border crossings but has a peace conference scheduled with Abbas is that since the split Hamas has become more extreme but Abbas has been working toward compromise. It will be hard for Hamas to hold onto power if the residents of Gaza see that their lot can improve if they stop attacking Israel with a successful West Bank as proof.