Two election results pose deep dilemmas for democrats who support reconciliation in the Middle East. In recent municipal ballots in the Gaza Strip, the Islamic militant group Hamas made a surprisingly strong showing. Soon after, a coalition of parties led by Hezbollah swept elections in southern Lebanon. In both cases, voters backed groups that reject relations with Israel.
In elections held in early May, Hamas won nearly one-third of the 84 municipal councils in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, several in larger towns. Its chief rival, Fatah, claimed majorities in 50 councils. Subsequently, a court canceled results in several districts after finding voting irregularities. Nearly 40 percent of the Gaza Strip's 74,000 voters will have to cast ballots again. Despite complaints, Hamas' leaders have said they will support the court decision.
That is not surprising. The real prize is parliamentary elections that were scheduled to be held in mid-July, but have been postponed for "technical reasons." Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas is fighting the old guard in his own party, Fatah, and Hamas over the format of the ballots. Mr. Abbas wants national lists that will allow the party to project a different image; the opposition prefers smaller, district-size lists that better allow them to bring their own influence to bear. Mr. Abbas has compromised with a proposal that will allow half the seats to represent districts and half to come from national lists. Sensing that it will do well in the vote, Hamas has agreed to field candidates in the ballot for the first time.