Better Late Than Never

With the takeover of Gaza by Hamas, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has done something he previously vowed he'd never do. He has banned Hamas militias.

The key provision of the Quartet's Road Map was the dismantling of the terror infrastructure built up by the Palestinian Authority since it took over administration of much of the disputed territories.

Israel accepted the Road Map with some well reasoned reservations; the Palestinian Arabs said they accepted it but made it caduc by refusing to adhere to the first and most important provisions while simultaneously, and typically hypocritically, criticizing Israel for its reservations.

Had Abbas adhered to the provisions, Gaza would not now be Hamastan and the Palestinian Arabs would be well on their way to a prosperous state of their own.

As Abba Eban said, the Palestinian Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Someday they may realize the Israelis are their best friends. Already, nearly half have indicated in a poll they would prefer to go back to the pre-Oslo situation, i.e. the so-called Israeli occupation which improved their lives for two decades until the intifada started reversing that progress and the Palestinian Authority brought them chaos, insecurity and general disaster.