GOING FOR THE WHOLE ENCHILADA INSTEAD OF THEIR PIECE OF THE PIE:

Palestinians consider abandoning peace process (Adrian Blomfield, 08 Nov 2009, Daily Telegraph)

Just days after Mahmoud Abbas, the moderate president of the Palestinian Authority, announced his intention to quit, his colleagues gave warning that they were prepared to deploy the much feared "nuclear option".

Officials in the West Bank told The Daily Telegraph that the most important Palestinian decision making bodies were preparing to meet to discuss a proposal to dissolve the Palestinian Authority itself.

Even so, some Palestinian officials signalled they were prepared to discuss the long-feared "nuclear option" in response to what they described as Israeli intransigence and American betrayal. [...]

Were the PA to be abandoned, Israel would be forced to extend the scope of its occupation and retake control of social services. It would also effectively end all hopes for a two-state solution.

Once Ariel Sharon was gone there was no Israeli leader strong enough and wise enough to force a state of their own upon them.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 8, 2009 8:56 PM