As the Palestinian terror organizations meet in Cairo to discuss a cease fire, today’s LA Times suggests that the groups are so splintered that leaders can’t keep their own “foot soldiers” in line. Will a cease fire offer have any value?
But the militant groups are badly splintered. However truce-minded their leaders might be, some disaffected young foot soldiers are poised to break away and violate any accord. A growing split has emerged in recent weeks between the groups’ leadership based inside the Palestinian territories and their “outside” leaders: militants in exile, based mainly in Syria.
For most of the intifada, or uprising, the militant groups have been united in the fight against Israel. Now the growing fragmentation raises questions as to whether the groups’ leaders, let alone Abbas’ government, are in a position to stave off violence that could destroy efforts to restart peace talks and set terms for Palestinian statehood.
