THE DIVISION of the Palestinian territories into a "Hamastan" in the Gaza Strip and a "Fatahland" in the West Bank is a disaster.
A disaster for the Palestinians, a disaster for peace, and therefore also a disaster for Israelis.
The Israeli political and military leadership is happy about the split, according to the doctrine "What's bad for Palestine is good for Israel".
The Fatah people in the West Bank, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, condemn Hamas as a gang of fanatics, who are imitating Iran.
The Hamas people accuse Abbas of being a Palestinian Marshal Petain, who has made a deal with the occupier.
The propaganda of both sides is full of venom, and the mutual violence is reaching new heights.
It looks like a cul-de-sac.
But in private conversations in Ramallah, one name pops up more and more often: Marwan Barghouti.
SOME SEE Marwan as the Palestinian Nelson Mandela.