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Time Out for Terror?
(Jerusalem Report) Ehud Ya'ari - Are we witnessing a hudna that reflects genuine recognition that the terror campaign boomeranged into failure? Or will it emerge as a mere opportunity for the armed factions to use the truce to make gains, something that Hamas and its ilk are stubbornly pressing for? There is a risk that along with the instant short-term advantages expected to accrue as a result of the cease-fire, in the long term, a "cohabitation" arrangement will emerge between the PA and the unholy alliance of terrorist gangs. This would amount to a copy of the Lebanese model, where Hizballah exists alongside the legitimate government as an armed movement, equipped with thousands of long-range rockets. Hizballah is represented in the parliament in Beirut and takes part in all the elections, but maintains an independent policy along the border with Israel and initiates incidents without recourse to the approval of the central government. Becoming a Palestinian version of Hizballah is exactly what Khaled Mashal, the head of the Hamas political bureau, is aiming for.