The rivalry between Fatah and Hamas, the Palestinian Authority's two main political parties, is a fierce one. But despite their intractable differences, the two organizations have a lot of similarities. Fatah and Hamas face common pressures, for instance, not only from their support bases in the West Bank and Gaza Strip but also from regional powers such as Turkey and Egypt. Over the past few months, they have both undertaken leadership transitions to prepare for hard days ahead, restructuring their chains of command by installing younger leaders in prominent positions. And now that Israel has the unequivocal support of the new U.S. administration, the parties have more incentive than ever to band together to advance the Palestinian cause. Nonetheless, their common concerns will not bring Hamas and Fatah any closer together, nor will they bring the region any closer to peace....
