Fayyad Intends to Establish De Facto State Within Two Years

Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister, has announced plans to circumvent the peace process and establish a de facto Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza within the next two years.

“We have decided to be proactive, to expedite the end of the occupation by working very hard to build positive facts on the ground, consistent with having our state emerge as a fact that cannot be ignored. This is our agenda, and we want to pursue it doggedly.”

It is important to remember that Fayyad is a member of Hamas. His group violently overthrew the status quo of PA leadership in Gaza and has helped to ensure a hard, impoverished life for most Gaza residents.

Benjamin Netanyahu is in London with British PM Gordon Brown and US envoy George Mitchel to discuss settlements and the future of Israel-Palestinian peace.