Yasser Arafat has gotten behind his new prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas. Arafat is allowing the Abbas to select his own subordinates. If this convinces the Israelis that the Palestinians would be willing to shut down terrorist operations, then the Israelis would be willing to resume negotiations for Palestinian independence. 

Police tracked down the team responsible for last week's suicide bombing outside a railroad station and arrested local leaders of  the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and  Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, both of which took credit for that bombing.