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Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/11/the-palestinian-guy-fawkes/264529/
How Will History Judge Abbas?
(Atlantic) Michael Koplow - PA leader Mahmoud Abbas is constantly being influenced by larger forces beyond his control. He needs to appear moderate in order to secure any concessions from Israel and to keep the flow of donor money coming from the U.S. and Europe. At the same time, he also needs to maintain credibility among Palestinians and cannot be seen as a mere stooge of the U.S. and Israel - not to mention that he is fighting a rearguard action against Hamas. Leadership means taking a stand. In some ways Abbas has been more willing to stand up for peace than his predecessor, Yasser Arafat - and in others ways, he has been a graver disappointment. It is also undeniable that he has undermined himself with self-defeating positions such as refusing to negotiate absent a set of preconditions that have only weakened his hand.