Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has said he will not lead a crackdown on militants.
He asked parliament to back him, saying that otherwise there can be no progress on a US-backed peace plan.
In his speech, Mr Abbas said there were "problems" between his government and the Palestinian leadership, but did not mention Mr Yasser Arafat by name.
Mr Abbas hinted he would resign if he did not win support, saying he would not put up a fight to keep his job, which he described as a "difficult mission that some would say is impossible".
Mr Abbas said: "Without a legitimate force in the hands of one authority and without political pluralism, we will not advance one step on the political track," he said, referring to the road map peace plan.
The prime minister told MPs it is up to them to create these conditions.
"You either provide the resources of power and support those things . . . or you take it back," he said, but stopped short of demanding a vote of confidence.
Earlier, in an angry demonstration outside the Parliament building in Ramallah, about 200 activists in Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement promised to defend the veteran Palestinian leader.
Seven masked men from the crowd broke down a door to the building and smashed windows. Unarmed guards eventually forced the men out.
AP