The Fatah factor

Let's start with what I believe is the obvious: Fatah and Hamas are two very different organizations. Not only are they at each other's throats whenever they have the opportunity, but they speak very different languages. Hamas talks of an Islamic state, Fatah of a Palestinian national state. Hamas calls for Israel,s destruction, Fatah talks of two states living side-by-side. Hamas proudly takes credit for terrorist attacks against civilians, Fatah in public statements decries such attacks.

In other words, it is not helpful and not accurate to suggest, as some do, that there is no difference between the organizations. Hamas cannot be a partner for peace. Fatah could be.

The words "could be" point to the continued ambivalence toward Fatah. The potential for a peace partner is there but it has not been realized. We've seen this ambivalence in the behavior of Israeli governments over the last 15 years: engagement during the Oslo process and at Camp David, followed by non-engagement during the second intifada, followed by re-engagement during the tenure of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

It was in this context that Fatah held its first conference in 20 years. It provides an opportunity, based on examining the declaration of the gathering and seeing the document through the prism of recent events, to assess whether Fatah is more than a potential partner for peace.

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Gaza goes global

Israel's operation to defend its people from Hamas rockets is having repercussions far beyond Gaza and the besieged cities of Sderot and Ashkelon. It is taking on a global reach and having a global impact, particularly for Jews in much of Western Europe and Latin America.

Assaults against Jews are on the rise. In Europe, Jews have been threatened and beaten on the street and synagogues firebombed. "Jews to the gas chambers" has been chanted at anti-Israel demonstrations in Europe and similar calls for death to Jews have been heard across the Arab and Muslim world.

While much of the violence and anti-Semitic graffiti has spilled over from anti-Israel rallies, where Israel and Jews are routinely likened to Nazis, it is part and parcel of the incitement against Jews and "World Zionism" endorsed by the terrorist leaders of Hamas. 

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Preventing the weapons flow to Hamas

In a media world which features images of destruction of human beings and property, the words "cease fire" have an understandable allure. Israel itself succumbed to that allure six months ago to bring respite to Sderot.
    
Whether a cease-fire is a good thing or instead an event that makes the next conflict inevitable at a higher level of violence depends almost entirely on whether it will provide mechanisms to ensure its reliable implementation.
     
Look at Lebanon and UN resolution 1701 which generated the cease-fire there. Its two most important components were barring Hizbullah from entering territory south of the Litani river and from getting weapons from Syria and Iran.

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