MUDDLE EAST: So Hamas is taking their ball and going home:

"We have stopped the dialogue with the Palestinian Authority," Hamas founder and spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin told Reuters. "This is our choice and we have no alternative. (Armed) resistance will continue."

Great. Thanks for the heads up. (By the way, when Yassin says 'resistance' he means 'aggression'.) Now we can use your own words to declare you an outlaw, terrorist organization.

What will Abbas do?

Commenting on the Hamas move, Palestinian cabinet minister Ziad Abu Amr signaled Abbas would do his utmost to steer clear of armed conflict with the group. The government, Abu Amr said, made a commitment "not to resort to force" in internal affairs.

Here we go again.

Either Abbas is in charge or he's not. If he is in charge, he'll likely have to undertake armed conflict with Hamas. If he's not in charge, he'll shirk this duty. All we have to do is watch. If he doesn't control Hamas he's less than a figurehead. And if he's not in charge, well, then no one is. And at least we'll know this once and for all and quit pretending.

What to do next? You can't negotiate when there's only one party at the table. So, in the absence of negotiation, there's only one option: You lead. No more pretending to mediate. It's time to dominate.

The phrase "it'll end in tears" comes to mind. But short of abandoning Israel, what else can we do? Status quo? I hope not.