Elliot Kaufman points out that “The Palestinians’ Worst Enemy is Their Own Leaders” (op-ed, Oct. 31) citing Human Rights Watch’s “Two Authorities, One Way, Zero Dissent” to shred any remaining illusions about a future Palestinian state. The report documents a longstanding pattern of “systematic” human-rights abuses by both Fatah and Hamas including arbitrary imprisonment, torture and continuing postprison jeopardy for even the mildest dissent. Their double dystopias are permeated with oppression, corruption and economic privation, with public rage diverted by incessant incitement against Israel and Jews.

The Oslo Accords were meant to prevent that; there would be education for peace and growing intercommunal engagement. The White House lawn euphoria soon collapsed in a wave of Palestinian terrorism. The Second Intifada ended further heroic attempts at resuscitation. Palestinians have since fled serious negotiations and decried all “normalization.” Fatah and Hamas, which seized Gaza in a 2007 violent coup, are locked in an increasingly bitter power struggle, with Gazans as intended collateral damage. Fatah has forced severe electricity shortages amid other punishments. Hamas, in turn, has staged weekly riots at the Gaza barrier and unleashed flying incendiaries that have wreaked massive ecological damage.

How different things could have been. Palestinians are among the Mideast’s best-educated Arabs; they possess impressive entrepreneurial skills. But all that human capital and international aid continues to be squandered on the endless “armed struggle.” Yet Israel gets blamed for all the Palestinians’ pain and, despite its many offers, for the lack of peace. But the real culprits, as ever, are the Palestinians’ own irresponsible leaders.