Arafat To Turn Over Security Forces

I have learned to be skeptical that the diverse, fragmented and embattled Palestinian leadership would ever be able to make progress on its own. I am still skeptical.

But according to an article in Haaretz this morning, Arafat will turn over the security forces to Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and allow him to reshuffle the cabinet. These were Qureia's key demands to Arafat after his resignation was rejected.

I guess I'll go on with a little bit of hope for a while. Sometime that is absolutely essential for peace is for the Palestinian leadership to be able to prevent militant groups like Hamas from attacking Israeli civilians.

"If we can't restore public order and law ... this will bring the greatest damage to the Palestinian people and their cause," PA Minister Saeb Erekat said Wednesday. "It's the whole social fabric that is collapsing now."

I won't say that they must do this "first" because that's simply not true. There are many things that must happen at once on both sides. But somewhere between "here" and "peace," the bombers must be stopped, and I think the only way that can be done is internally. The power to do that is certainly lacking, but any attempt to do it from outside will do nothing but redouble the militants' efforts.