Ahead of the scheduled meeting on Thursday between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Mashaal, imaginations ran wild. There were reports that the Fatah-Hamas unity government would be located in the Gaza Strip and that Salam Fayyad would relinquish his role as prime minister. This would be a recipe for disaster, and officials in Ramallah immediately denied the reports. Abbas did not travel to Cairo to commit political suicide. American and Israeli analysts remain inclined to believe that Abbas is playing the Hamas card to urge Israel to renew peace negotiations under the conditions it has demanded over the last two years. Abbas has no interest in a partnership with Hamas, they say. This analysis lacks solid proof; but if it is true, it is bound to disappoint the Fatah leadership. That is the fate of those who choose to enter the lion's den. The addition of Hamas to the Palestinian government will only strengthen those in the U.S. and Israel who want to deny the Palestinians the funds Israel collects on its behalf. Without these resources, Abbas and Fayyad cannot maintain their already weak government. The U.S. is disappointed in the Israeli move to freeze the transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority both because that money rightfully belongs to the Palestinians and because they cannot exist without it. It is unfortunate that the ministers who support cutting off funding (even temporarily) did not consider that in the absence of a Palestinian unity government, the Quartet will pressure Israel even more. The government will be unable to stick with its decision and will ultimately have to open its wallet. There are two schools of thought in Israel. One says that the firestorm plaguing Egypt and Syria and threatening stability in Jordan should have encouraged Israel to renew peace talks with the Palestinians, even at the cost of additional symbolic concessions such as a temporary settlement freeze without seeking anything in return. The other says that, considering the volatility in the region, no gesture on Israel's part would register and it would be a futile effort and result in missed opportunities. The logic that claimed we cannot maintain the status quo for a long time has not changed. It provided a good reason to criticize the government, not just for the opposition, but also for members of the coalition and even a minority from Likud. However, recent events in neighboring countries have put all political assumptions in doubt.
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