12/15/04 11:40a EST

Militant Palestinian groups categorically rejected calls to lay down their arms by Mahmud Abbas, the presumptive frontrunner for Palestinian Authority President leading up to January 9th elections. The rejections by Hamas and Islamic Jihad underscore the difficulty faced by anyone attempting to lead the Palestinian people. This difficulty, faced by Arafat particularly since the 1992 Oslo accords until his recent death, is little understood in the west, particularly by the political right in the US.

If a Palestinian leader is too militant, he will be pronounced as unacceptable as a negotiating partner by both the US and Israel. If he appears to be too peaceful or too conciliatory, he risks losing legitimacy and the ability to influence hardliners and groups such as the previously mentioned Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The fact that Abbas is facing this dilemma before even assuming the mantle of the Presidency is a bad sign for future Palestinian-Israeli peace hopes. Abbas is one of the more senior veterans of the PLO and enjoyed a close relationship with Arafat. If the militant groups are already openly challenging his authority, he and the peace process face a long road ahead.