There are already two models for statehood. One is the corrupt and violent kleptocracy in the West Bank presided over by the so-called moderates of Fatah, who run the Palestinian Authority. The other is the independent Palestinian state in all but name that exists in Gaza. Neither should give any confidence to those who view the creation of such a state as not only the solution to the conflict with Israel but also a boost to regional stability. (…)
Fatah is supposed to be Israel’s good option for peace due to its supposed moderation, but it has never accepted the notion of a peace treaty recognizing the legitimacy of a Jewish state. Moreover, its weakness raises the possibility that, without Israeli security assistance, Fatah’s rule in the West Bank will be toppled as easily as was its hold on Gaza in 2007. Replicating Hamastan in Gaza in the larger and more strategic West Bank would be a disaster for Israel, as well as its Arab neighbors. They fear the creation of a new Islamist-run terror state as much as the Jews.
Yet even if we assume that Fatah will hang onto power, that is also bad news for Palestinians languishing under the rule of a party that quashes political dissent and has squelched attempts to promote economic growth and good government. Such an entity would be highly unstable, and its leaders would likely continue to use the continuing conflict with Israel – which it fuels with daily incitement to hate Jews in its official media and schools – in order to distract its people from their shortcomings.
At best, either the Fatah or Hamas models for Palestinian statehood don’t end the war on Israel but would degrade its security and ability to deter terror. At worst, another Palestinian state is an invitation to another round of bloody violence with incalculable consequences due to the pressure on Israel not to defend itself against the new entity.“ (Jonathan S. Tobin „Pick Your Palestinian State“)
