Reunification!

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, shakes hands with Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, right, as the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, center, looks on, after signing an agreement in Doha, Qatar, Monday, Feb 6, 2012. The main Palestinian political rivals on Monday took a major step toward healing their bitter rift, agreeing that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would head an interim unity government to prepare for general elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal) By Karin Laub and Ibrahim Barzak

The distant, but distinct hope of a flood of moderating influence that might turn the Palestinian Authority into a genuine and trustworthy partner in a peace process that might, at long last, settle the issues surrounding Israel and the Palestinians, appears now to finally have had its death knell. When Mahmoud Abbas, President of the PA, had appointed a Palestinian with an international reputation as a skilled financial expert, and a moderate, it was hoped that his influence would filter through to the PLO.

Now Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, respected in the international community for his level-headed, realistic view and moderate stance on the historically irresolvable differences between the Israeli and the Palestinian authorities, is to be no more. President Abbas initially resisted the Hamas demands for his removal, holding up the long-awaited (and long-feared) alliance between the two factors, one considered "moderate", the other "fanatics" (these being a matter of degrees).

With the coerced absence of Mr. Fayyad, Mr. Abbas has taken upon himself both titles. At least for the time being. Until such time as the elections take place, and the world sees a re-enactment of the previously-held elections that brought Hamas into government of the PA. With the ascension of Hamas back into the folds of a unified PA, it must be acknowledged that a potential to achieve peace through a 'peace plan' is effectively beyond resurrection.

Hamas continues its historical non-recognition of Israel, continues its fiercely-dedicated determination to wipe Israel off the Middle East map, continues its threats, its acquiring of weapons, its confrontations and depictions of Israel as an enemy occupier of Arab-Palestinian lands. There is nowhere in the Hamas agenda a whisper of the potential for compromise. Israel must go. So that Palestine might exist.

Six years yawn between the 2006 election that brought Hamas originally into the PA fold. And then a year passed, when Hamas created two separate, antagonistic governments, one for the West Bank the other for Gaza. At that time Hamas demonstrated its obligations to the unity government by pursing Fatah supporters in Gaza and killing them or throwing them out of Gaza. Thereafter, Hamas reigned supreme within Gaza.

In the West Bank, Fatah fought with Hamas, and the PA security arrested and imprisoned Hamas members. In Hamas-held Gaza, the compliment was vigorously and heartily returned. And in both territories any Palestinians who were suspected of siding with or aiding Israel in any way were deprived of their lives. PA maps of the area are devoid of any image of Israel, and Palestinian children continue to be taught that Israel represents an evil occupier.

Martyrs to the cause of the Palestinians recapturing their land from the unacceptably grievous occupation of Jews are celebrated, their families paid handsomely for their sacrifice, streets named after them in glorious triumph. This, then, is the partner for peace that Israel has at its front door. The back door has just been slammed, the front door locked tight.

The question is, how long will this reunification last, this time around?