[New York Daily News] Elliott Abrams - The real question at the Gaza donors conference is whether the nations present will fully support the Palestinian Authority in its efforts to regain a presence in Gaza or will press for some kind of "reconciliation" or "national unity government" that legitimizes a Hamas role in governing all Palestinians. If they do the latter, chances for the future development of free and responsible Palestinian institutions, and for some kind of Palestinian independence under an agreement with Israel, will likely be doomed. Today moderation among the Palestinians is best represented by the Palestinian Authority itself, not the sluggish Fatah leaders. Governmental functions in the West Bank are performed by the PA, and many are in fact performed with competence and efficiency under the leadership of Prime Minister Fayyad. Strengthening the PA, then, is the best way to help Palestinian moderates right now. So reconstruction efforts in Gaza are far more than a humanitarian issue: They will either regain a foothold for the PA in Gaza or will give Hamas some of the money - and perhaps even an official foothold in the West Bank through some "unity government" farce. Clinton and Mitchell need to play their cards carefully to ensure that the money we pledge helps the people - and the long-term prospects for peace - and not Hamas terrorists. The writer, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, was a deputy national security adviser under President George W. Bush.
2009-03-02 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive