The results of Israel's recent elections, combined with the 22-day offensive against Gaza, have led many to wonder about the future of peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. But the jockeying for power in Israel between the centrist Kadima party and the right-wing Likud overshadows another significant obstacle standing in the way of any future peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians: namely, determining who, between the more secular Fatah leaders in the West Bank and the Islamist Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip, represents the Palestinian people. "No matter the outcome [of negotiations to form an Israeli government], the fact remains whether you are right, left or center, you are not going to be able to get back on track the peace process while there is a Palestinian civil war," Jonathan Schanzer, author of "Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine
Palestinian Divisions Obstacle to Peace Talks
