Is Hamas preparing to inherit the Palestinian Authority?
Jonathan D. Halevi There is growing evidence that Fatah, the Palestinian faction that today dominates the PLO, may not remain the power center of Palestinian politics in the post-Arafat era. Hamas is preparing itself to inherit the Palestinian Authority. At the Cairo talks in December 2003, for the first time, Hamas openly and confidently challenged the basic Palestinian view that the PLO is the sole and exclusive representative of the Palestinian people. Hamas demanded partnership status in the adoption of all decisions. It also used the Cairo talks in order to achieve recognition from Egypt and other Arab states. In this spirit, it insisted that the U.S. remove it from the list of recognized terrorist organizations. The erosion in the PLO’s standing was accelerated by the establishment of the supreme coordinating framework known as the “National and Islamic Forces” at the onset of the intifada, with Arafat’s approval. This body has become the PLO’s rival, since it is the sole body th
