http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/662101.htmlHere comes the next `no partner'
By Zvi Bar'el
Why would someone who has no intention of conducting negotiations with the Palestinians care whether they hold their elections on schedule or postpone them until an unknown date? Why would a proponent of the unilateral option care whether Hamas or Fatah wins the elections? And why is the question of whether citizens of the "Palestinian exile" in Jerusalem vote in the Palestinian Authority elections even relevant for someone who will never, ever divide Jerusalem?
These questions call for an answer in light of the exultation of fans of the conspiracy theory, who explain that Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the U.S. and even the European Union have plotted together to postpone the Palestinian parliamentary elections in order to prevent a Hamas victory. There is no doubt that the postponement of the elections would block Hamas' next political achievement, but this would really not change anything because Israel is starting to lose the flexibility of the "no partner" option - an option that has served in many cases as an excuse for not conducting negotiations. The beauty of this option was that Israel could conjure up a partner every time it was convenient - Abu Mazen, the Dahlan and Rajoub bunch - and even toy with the thought of using Marwan Barghouti whenever it so wished. Bring him from prison and - voila, here's a partner. On the other hand, whenever it wanted, Israel could adopt the wonderful slogan: "There's no partner." The ownership rights for this partnership were always held by Israel.
This option is disappearing, if it has not already vanished completely, following the strategic decision by Hamas that the time has come to conquer the political front in the territories and not only contribute blood to the armed struggle. Its ability to maintain absolute discipline in its ranks, its power to mobilize, and its subordination to an authorized and accepted leadership, have sharpened its advantages over the Palestinian Authority and, in particular, vis-a-vis Fatah. Its consent to a cease-fire, under Egyptian pressure, also immediately created a balance of deterrence between it and Israel, which understood that it no longer controls the agenda of escalation.
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