This is a very good sign, and a play from Arik's playbook. Classic, pro-active Sharon approach. Good luck to the new party. I hope it offers Palestinian citizens some good options. Like when Likud and Labor failed, Kadima. No need sticking around and limiting the voters to lousy politics as usual.

no palestinian would vote for this party. this will show the qualitative difference between israeli and palestinian politics because the palestinians can't support anyone who might work toward a negotiated solution (ie "collaborators"). even if this party won they would be as impotent, or more impotent (if that's possible), as abbas is now. but it would be funny to watch.

What a brilliant idea. Pity it was not thought of Post -Arafat era. The team is highly respectable in the Palestinian quarters. they can afford and must be choosy who they take onboard. For example, Marwan Barghouti could be an asset if he departs from Fatah and denounce any arms struggle. He stands a much better chance to be pardoned by the Israeli President. Finally some shining light at the end of a very dark, long tunnel of middle eastern history. Lets not lose the momentum and call the party "Forward to Peace". The name will say it all. Good luck!

unfortuantely, they will not gain as much support as needed. not a this time at least. on the long run, they could though. but i think they have to run while promoting a real clear vision of what the final solution of this conflict will be, no more unrealistic, and emotional slogans that go lead to no-where. salam fayad is a decent, honest guy. my personall favorite is Hanan Ashrawi..... she is an excellent politician....... i will vote for them.....

dream on buddy You will not get your Barghouti free . He should be on the gallows.

Because Palestinians are a myth! htttp://www.sullivan-county.com/id3/palestine.htm

But there were some wrong information displayed here. None of the mentioned people, Fayyad, Ashrawi, Abed-rabbo were ever Fateh members. Fayyad was a banker and opportunist who was imposed on late President Arafat by the Americans and he never had any political activity on any level. Ashrawi on the other hand was never a Fateh member, although she mentioned once in a tv interview that she joined Fateh in 1966! (which means she cofounded Fateh with late President Arafat!) She was known to be near to the communist circles before the beginning of the 1990's and the Madrid process. Yasser Abed-Rabbo is the leader of a party-Fida- Arabic acronym for Palestinian Democratic Union, and he formed his party from DFLP-Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine defectors. Perhaps the idea itself is not such a bad one, since there should be a third power to balance the two main powers in Palestinian politics, but with such figures it would be very hard to convince anyone to vote for them. Daisy, get a life.

If there was a trophy for funny politics, it would definitely go to Israeli politicians. They broke records for broken promises, like Sharon for example did, when he promised the settlers in Gaza that their settlements are as important as Tel Aviv. Not to mention having no loyalty whatsoever to their party, and the permanent switching of loyalties between parties. It seems like every other day a politician wakes up and says to himself: I'll make a new party! The Palestinians have supported each and every politician who headed towards a negotiated solution and have supported ones who said they would negotiate with Israel on accepting the 1967 lines, but to the disappointment of the majority of the Palestinians they didn't find any Israeli leadership who thought of achieving peace with the proper concessions. The Israelis think that they should have a counterpart which takes the bits and pieces they throw and be thankful for that. Such a Palestinian leadership will not be able to convince anyone in Palestine of their line, and the ones portrayed in this article are the least convincing on the political arena, so I agree that they will not win, but not for the reasons you think of.