Read the full essay here.
January’s remarkably free and affair parliamentary elections broke the PLO’s long-standing monopoly over Palestinian politics. As future free elections unfold, the prospects for a multiparty system await testing through the creation of a third option that is distinct from what Fatah or Hamas represents. For Palestinians who love democracy; believe in moderation; long for peace, prosperity, and improved governance; and want to honor national and religious sentiments within a humane and well-built framework of liberal constitutionalist political principles, the time to act is now.