“The ‘Al Jazeera effect’ is playing out in an arena closer to Israel. The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan announced this week that it will resume its demonstrations against the regime, and opposition groups are demanding that the king be stripped of the power to form governments and dissolve parliament.

Similarly, there are growing indications that the Palestinian Authority is seriously considering creating a unity government with Hamas. The PA’s most important ally, Hosni Mubarak, is gone. Senior Fatah officials have also despaired that the United States will convince Israel to stop building in the settlements.

Fatah’s concern that demonstrations could break out against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) led the PA to declare municipal elections within six months. The PA’s desire to assuage the Palestinian public can also explain Fatah’s angry demonstrations in a few West Bank cities, in which American flags were burned.”

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