A REVIEW OF THE HISTORY AND ORGANIZATION OF THE PALESTINIAN MOVEMENT INDICATES THAT IT SATISFIES ALL OF THE TRADITIONAL CRITERIA EXCEPT UNITY. FAILURE TO RESOLVE INTERNAL IDEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES THREATENS THE PALESTINIAN QUEST FOR NATIONHOOD AT A TIME WHEN A GENERAL MIDDLE EAST SETTLEMENT COULD AWARD TERRITORY GIVEN UP BY ISRAEL TO THE PALESTINIANS. REALIZATION OF NATIONHOOD DEPENDS ON THE NEUTRALIZATION OF THE RADICAL GUERRILLA LEADERS. AVAILABLE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS CONTINUING TERRORISM AND ASSASSINATION WHICH MIGHT PRODUCE UNITY ESSENTIAL FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT, BUT COULD ALSO LEAD TO FRAGMENTATION OF THE MOVEMENT AND CONTINUED INSTABILITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)...MSP