Israel rules the West Bank like an obedient province, while it views the Gaza Strip as a hostile state. The result, as Barack Obama administration embarks on the second term, is not the contest framed by Obama’s predecessor between a strong, successful model of nation-building in Ramallah and a weak one confined to Gaza, but rather the divide and conquer model established by Israel, defined by a besieged mini-state under Hamas’ rule in Gaza and an even more fragile Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.