Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with the leaders of the Iranian-backed militant group Hamas on Saturday. He is seeking a resolution to the internal conflict that has been dragging on for four years and keeping the goal of a Palestinian state out of reach. Ever since Hamas removed him from the Gaza Strip in 2007, the president's power only extends throughout the West Bank. A Palestinian nation, it is generally assumed, would be composed of both areas, but the rivals' differences of opinion on peace with Israel has been a major sticking point up until now. The recent collapse of Abbas's peace talks with Israel may have opened a door for negotiations.
