Palestinian Politics in the Post-Arafat Period

The article examines the key developments in Palestinian politics in the post-Arafat era, including the decision of Hamas to participate in the democratic political process. Even though the issue of succession was settled with much more ease than expected, the divisions within the Palestinian movement came to the fore with the electoral victory of Hamas in the January 2006 legislative elections. The subsequent power struggle between Fatah and Hamas completely fragmented the Palestinian community. The author argues that the external actors—particularly the US and Israel—are mostly, though not entirely, responsible for such political fragmentation and the subsequent weakening of the Palestinian movement.