Abu

The Palestinian legislature will likely approve Arafat's "choice" of Mahmoud Abbas (aka Abu Mazen) as Prime Minister today. Really it was Colin Powell (or somebody)'s choice; Arafat had to be cajoled and coerced to accept the loss of authority of appointing a prime minister from another Fatah faction.

Abu Mazen is definitely an accomodationist. That is to say, not pro-Israeli by any stretch of the imagination, but pro-peace, and willing to cooperate with the powers that be to realize Palestinian goals. WIth Arafat becoming testy in his old age (weekly bombings have that effect), the U.S. and Israel needed a new negotiating partner before they could try and implement the "road map." I fervently hope that it works, that Bush et al will it to work, that God intervenes and makes it work. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with Abu Mazen. Or something like that.