Palestinian Authority political leaders seem very weak

Israeli forces kill 4 Jihad Islami gunmen in West Bank town of Jenin and village near Tulkarm early Saturday.

Undercover units of the Israeli army came under attack in Jenin a area under the exclusive control of  Mahmoud Abbas and  prime minister Salam Fayyad. These units were sent to Jenin to arrest would be terrorists on their way to Israel to reek havoc. The fact that the new government is not capable of curbing would be terrorists in its limited area of jurisdiction does not bode well for those trying to further peace initiatives. There is to be summit of sorts in November in Washington to allegedly pave the way for permanent solution to the Arab Israeli conflict. This summit initiated by President George Bush seems fraught with so many problems it is difficult to see how any real progress can be achieved. Let’s list some of them.

1. The rival Hamas faction in Gaza does not recognize the negotiating power of Mr. Abbas or Mr. Fayyad. This means that any agreement between the Israelis and Mr. Abbas or Mr. Fayyad will have little or no relevance.
2. The core Issues that have been historically in complete disagreement have stayed exactly the same. They include an Arab demand to a complete Israeli return to pre six-day war positions which would include East Jerusalem. Permission for all refugees and their families to return to wherever they lived before the founding of the Jewish state in 1948.
3. Even in the limited area of jurisdiction of the West Bank or Judea and Samaria the Fatah movement of Mr. Abbas doesn’t seem to be in control

Mr. Bush is apparently frustrated by the inability to implement the “ road map “ that he has pushed so insistently. He will leave office as so many other presidents without any real progress in solving the seemingly unsolvable Arab-Israeli conflict. It has been historically true that fresh waves of violence have always erupted after failed summits of one kind or another. The upcoming doomed summit will not be any different.