With much at stake in the Middle East this summer, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice traveled to the Palestinian Territories and Israel last week. Rice met with President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah and then with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, attempting to motivate both sides to work together. This summer, Israel is scheduled to exit 21 settlements in Gaza. But Rice?s efforts did not do much good, as the two leaders met on June 21 in Israel and failed to see eye to eye on a number of issues.

With the summer heating up and Sharon intent on evacuating the settlements in Gaza, it has been decided that a coordinated effort between the parties would foster a smooth transitions. But that is unlikely. Abbas has nothing to negotiate with. With him facing an internal struggle between the old turks of Arafat and the new guard, Abbas must walk a very fine line in how he uses his authority to do anything. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been sending not so subtle messages that they do not take direction from a paper tiger. Rice, in her meeting with Sharon, reminded him that Abbas is in a ?difficult internal struggle.?