25 apr 2014
China and Turkey have thrown their weight behind a recent unity deal between the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).
Beijing “believes this will be conducive to Palestinian unity, and fundamentally conducive to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a news briefing on Thursday.
On April 23, Hamas and the PLO, which includes acting Palestinian Authority (PA) chief Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah Party, pledged to end their differences and form a unity government.
Under the long-awaited deal, the rival Palestinian factions of Hamas and Fatah are to form a unity government within five weeks and hold national elections six months later.
In a similar statement on Thursday, Ankara also praised the recent reconciliation deal between the two main Palestinian factions, pledging to support the establishment of a free and sovereign Palestinian state.
“We welcome the agreement between Fatah and Hamas delegations on April 23 for the establishment of a unity government and to go to elections,” said the Turkish foreign Ministry in a statement.
The recent agreement between Hamas and Fatah has irked the Israeli regime. Tel Aviv has decided to stop further negotiations with the PA and threatened to impose sanctions on the Palestinian group.
This is while Abbas has said the deal between Hamas and the PLO does not contradict the negotiations he is pursuing with Israel, and an independent Palestinian state remains his goal.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat has also said the reconciliation deal is an internal affair and Israel has no right to interfere in the issue, stressing that the PA will look into “all options” in response to Tel Aviv’s decision for sanctions.
Beijing “believes this will be conducive to Palestinian unity, and fundamentally conducive to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a news briefing on Thursday.
On April 23, Hamas and the PLO, which includes acting Palestinian Authority (PA) chief Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah Party, pledged to end their differences and form a unity government.
Under the long-awaited deal, the rival Palestinian factions of Hamas and Fatah are to form a unity government within five weeks and hold national elections six months later.
In a similar statement on Thursday, Ankara also praised the recent reconciliation deal between the two main Palestinian factions, pledging to support the establishment of a free and sovereign Palestinian state.
“We welcome the agreement between Fatah and Hamas delegations on April 23 for the establishment of a unity government and to go to elections,” said the Turkish foreign Ministry in a statement.
The recent agreement between Hamas and Fatah has irked the Israeli regime. Tel Aviv has decided to stop further negotiations with the PA and threatened to impose sanctions on the Palestinian group.
This is while Abbas has said the deal between Hamas and the PLO does not contradict the negotiations he is pursuing with Israel, and an independent Palestinian state remains his goal.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat has also said the reconciliation deal is an internal affair and Israel has no right to interfere in the issue, stressing that the PA will look into “all options” in response to Tel Aviv’s decision for sanctions.
Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh phoned President Mahmoud Abbas for the first time Friday after the announcement of a new inter-Palestinian reconciliation deal.
Haniyeh emphasized the importance of implementing the agreement according to the set timeline.
The Hamas leader said that it was critical to ensure that there was a political and financial safety net to protect the deal, and to improve trust between the two sides.
The agreement would reintegrate Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, into the PLO, which currently controls the West Bank.
The move ends seven years of Palestinian political division, but Israeli authorities denounced the PLO for reconciling with Hamas, which it deems a terrorist group.
Israeli officials subsequently halted talks and said they would refuse to deal with any Palestinian government backed by Hamas.
PLO leaders have maintained, however, that any government that emerges from the deal will honor previous PLO commitments, including to the peace talks and recognition of Israel.
Also Friday, US President Barack Obama said that the decision was "unhelpful" for the peace process.
In his first public comments on the issue since Israel halted peace talks with Palestinians on Thursday, Obama lamented the lack of political will to make "tough decisions" on either side.
But he said his administration would not give up on Secretary of State John Kerry's peace push, despite the latest setbacks and Israel's declaration that the Palestinian move had scuppered the American initiative.
Obama's statements come a day after Israel halted all peace negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization over the major reconciliation deal.
Although Hamas has accepted the idea of a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders, it has said it would not explicitly recognize the state of Israel.
Israel, however, has never explicitly recognized the right to exist of a Palestinian state.
Haniyeh emphasized the importance of implementing the agreement according to the set timeline.
The Hamas leader said that it was critical to ensure that there was a political and financial safety net to protect the deal, and to improve trust between the two sides.
The agreement would reintegrate Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, into the PLO, which currently controls the West Bank.
The move ends seven years of Palestinian political division, but Israeli authorities denounced the PLO for reconciling with Hamas, which it deems a terrorist group.
Israeli officials subsequently halted talks and said they would refuse to deal with any Palestinian government backed by Hamas.
PLO leaders have maintained, however, that any government that emerges from the deal will honor previous PLO commitments, including to the peace talks and recognition of Israel.
Also Friday, US President Barack Obama said that the decision was "unhelpful" for the peace process.
In his first public comments on the issue since Israel halted peace talks with Palestinians on Thursday, Obama lamented the lack of political will to make "tough decisions" on either side.
But he said his administration would not give up on Secretary of State John Kerry's peace push, despite the latest setbacks and Israel's declaration that the Palestinian move had scuppered the American initiative.
Obama's statements come a day after Israel halted all peace negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization over the major reconciliation deal.
Although Hamas has accepted the idea of a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders, it has said it would not explicitly recognize the state of Israel.
Israel, however, has never explicitly recognized the right to exist of a Palestinian state.
Israeli forces on Friday treated a young Palestinian girl who was choking near Ramallah in the central West Bank, an army spokesman said.
He said the 39-day-old infant had an accident in her home near el-Bireh and was unable to breathe. The mother evacuated her to a nearby army post where medics offered initial care, he said.
The spokesman said the girl was transferred by Palestinian medics to a hospital in Ramallah.
He said the 39-day-old infant had an accident in her home near el-Bireh and was unable to breathe. The mother evacuated her to a nearby army post where medics offered initial care, he said.
The spokesman said the girl was transferred by Palestinian medics to a hospital in Ramallah.
By Khalid Amayreh
The signing of a reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza Wednesday seems to have raised America’s and Israel's ire. Rabid but totally unjustified reactions from Washington and Tel Aviv threatened to decapitate the financial lifeline of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Israeli Prime Minister Benymin Netanyahu, an irredeemable racist and pathological liar, instructed Chief Negotiator Tzipi Livni to stop all contacts with the PA.
In addition, Israel on Thursday, 24 April, reportedly imposed stringent sanctions on the PA, including freezing the transfer of tax revenue and restricting travel movement of PA officials.
In truth, Israel has been utterly hypocritical about the erstwhile inter-Palestinian rift. Israeli officials and spokespersons had repeatedly argued that Israel couldn't make peace with the Palestinians as long as the latter were divided against themselves. Now, Israel is saying the PA would have to choose between making peace with Israel or reconcile with Hamas.
Let Israel go to hell
Well, let Israel and the American government go to hell. They must understand that Palestinian national unity is an internal Palestinian affair that is none of Israel's or America's business. We must communicate this message to Israel and her guardian ally as clearly and strongly as possible.
Having said that, it is important to underscore the utter unreasonableness of American and Israeli objections.
The US argues that Hamas doesn't recognize Israel and should therefore remain outside the confines of the Palestinian political system.
Well, the US should be reminded of the fact that Israel doesn't recognize a Palestinian state based on the borders of the 1967 borders. The same thing applies to most Israeli Jewish political parties represented in the Knesset or Israeli parliament.
Indeed, nearly all coalition parties forming the current Israeli government don't recognize Palestine, with some of these parties even negating or denying the very existence of the Palestinian people.
For example, the National Religious Party, renamed Habayt ha-Yahudi or Jewish home, headed by Economy Minister Naftali Bennett holds a brashly racist and Nazi-like ideology that views non-Jews as effectively animals whose lives have absolutely no sanctity.
Yet, we have heard absolutely no objections from Washington to the inclusion of that and similar other parties into the Israeli government.
A few years ago, a leader of Israeli settlement movement, the ultimate home-turf of Bayt ha-Yahudi, told a group of settler youth in Hebron that the right way to deal with the Palestinians was Joshua's way, an obvious allusion to the genocidal massacres carried out by the ancient Israelites against Canaanite tribes in Palestine. These hair-raising massacres are narrated in grisly details in the Old Testament.
The settler leader mentioned above, named Daniela Weiss, was never barred from entering the United States and collecting money from rich American Jews and Christian Zionists for Jewish terrorists ganging up on helpless Christian and Muslim Palestinians in the West Bank.
As to the issue of recognizing Israel, foreign governments and all other honest people under the sun ought to be reminded of the following fact: The PLO under the leadership of Yasser Arafat did recognize Israel upon the signing of the Oslo Accords more than 20 years ago.
However, instead of giving the Palestinians a reciprocal recognition, Israel intensified the building of Jewish colonies all over the West Bank, so much so that no room was really left for the establishment of a viable and territorially contiguous Palestinian state worthy of the name.
A few years ago, I asked a high ranking PLO official why on earth they recognized Israel without receiving a reciprocal Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state.
After a moment of silence, the elderly man looked at me and said: "We simply were stupid."
In light, Hamas will not commit the same stupidity, especially given the fact that Israel has effectively killed any remaining chances for a genuine two-state solution.
As to the issue of terror, it is amply clear that the matter is used by Washington and Israel as an expedient political tool to force the Palestinians to lower the ceiling of their national aspirations and demands.
Otherwise, the U.S. and Israel are in no way fit to issue certificates of good conduct for other peoples and other nations.
As we all know Israel was born in terror, baptized in terror and adopted terror as its national modus operandi from the very inception of its existence. Hence, Israel, which many honest historians call a crime against humanity, has not even an iota of moral legitimacy to lecture her victims about terror.
Similarly, the US which murdered and maimed numerous millions of innocent people around the world-from Iraq to Vietnam- rather knowingly and deliberately, is utterly unqualified to preach morality to other peoples.
Indeed, the timeless ideal of actively resisting foreign occupiers is inculcated in every culture. Even in America, American school children learn at an early stage Patrick Henry's iconic slogan: "Give me liberty or give me death."
In the final analysis, Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups are just following this sublime American ideal.
A final word to the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah: Don't budge to American and Israeli financial blackmail. These forces of arrogance and evil would like to enslave our people and keep us vanquished and tormented.
Tell them to keep their money and let it be as it may. We can live without it.
Khalid Amayreh is a Palestinian journalist living in Occupied Palestine
The signing of a reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza Wednesday seems to have raised America’s and Israel's ire. Rabid but totally unjustified reactions from Washington and Tel Aviv threatened to decapitate the financial lifeline of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Israeli Prime Minister Benymin Netanyahu, an irredeemable racist and pathological liar, instructed Chief Negotiator Tzipi Livni to stop all contacts with the PA.
In addition, Israel on Thursday, 24 April, reportedly imposed stringent sanctions on the PA, including freezing the transfer of tax revenue and restricting travel movement of PA officials.
In truth, Israel has been utterly hypocritical about the erstwhile inter-Palestinian rift. Israeli officials and spokespersons had repeatedly argued that Israel couldn't make peace with the Palestinians as long as the latter were divided against themselves. Now, Israel is saying the PA would have to choose between making peace with Israel or reconcile with Hamas.
Let Israel go to hell
Well, let Israel and the American government go to hell. They must understand that Palestinian national unity is an internal Palestinian affair that is none of Israel's or America's business. We must communicate this message to Israel and her guardian ally as clearly and strongly as possible.
Having said that, it is important to underscore the utter unreasonableness of American and Israeli objections.
The US argues that Hamas doesn't recognize Israel and should therefore remain outside the confines of the Palestinian political system.
Well, the US should be reminded of the fact that Israel doesn't recognize a Palestinian state based on the borders of the 1967 borders. The same thing applies to most Israeli Jewish political parties represented in the Knesset or Israeli parliament.
Indeed, nearly all coalition parties forming the current Israeli government don't recognize Palestine, with some of these parties even negating or denying the very existence of the Palestinian people.
For example, the National Religious Party, renamed Habayt ha-Yahudi or Jewish home, headed by Economy Minister Naftali Bennett holds a brashly racist and Nazi-like ideology that views non-Jews as effectively animals whose lives have absolutely no sanctity.
Yet, we have heard absolutely no objections from Washington to the inclusion of that and similar other parties into the Israeli government.
A few years ago, a leader of Israeli settlement movement, the ultimate home-turf of Bayt ha-Yahudi, told a group of settler youth in Hebron that the right way to deal with the Palestinians was Joshua's way, an obvious allusion to the genocidal massacres carried out by the ancient Israelites against Canaanite tribes in Palestine. These hair-raising massacres are narrated in grisly details in the Old Testament.
The settler leader mentioned above, named Daniela Weiss, was never barred from entering the United States and collecting money from rich American Jews and Christian Zionists for Jewish terrorists ganging up on helpless Christian and Muslim Palestinians in the West Bank.
As to the issue of recognizing Israel, foreign governments and all other honest people under the sun ought to be reminded of the following fact: The PLO under the leadership of Yasser Arafat did recognize Israel upon the signing of the Oslo Accords more than 20 years ago.
However, instead of giving the Palestinians a reciprocal recognition, Israel intensified the building of Jewish colonies all over the West Bank, so much so that no room was really left for the establishment of a viable and territorially contiguous Palestinian state worthy of the name.
A few years ago, I asked a high ranking PLO official why on earth they recognized Israel without receiving a reciprocal Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state.
After a moment of silence, the elderly man looked at me and said: "We simply were stupid."
In light, Hamas will not commit the same stupidity, especially given the fact that Israel has effectively killed any remaining chances for a genuine two-state solution.
As to the issue of terror, it is amply clear that the matter is used by Washington and Israel as an expedient political tool to force the Palestinians to lower the ceiling of their national aspirations and demands.
Otherwise, the U.S. and Israel are in no way fit to issue certificates of good conduct for other peoples and other nations.
As we all know Israel was born in terror, baptized in terror and adopted terror as its national modus operandi from the very inception of its existence. Hence, Israel, which many honest historians call a crime against humanity, has not even an iota of moral legitimacy to lecture her victims about terror.
Similarly, the US which murdered and maimed numerous millions of innocent people around the world-from Iraq to Vietnam- rather knowingly and deliberately, is utterly unqualified to preach morality to other peoples.
Indeed, the timeless ideal of actively resisting foreign occupiers is inculcated in every culture. Even in America, American school children learn at an early stage Patrick Henry's iconic slogan: "Give me liberty or give me death."
In the final analysis, Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups are just following this sublime American ideal.
A final word to the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah: Don't budge to American and Israeli financial blackmail. These forces of arrogance and evil would like to enslave our people and keep us vanquished and tormented.
Tell them to keep their money and let it be as it may. We can live without it.
Khalid Amayreh is a Palestinian journalist living in Occupied Palestine
Russian special envoy to the Middle East Mikhail Bogdanov discussed with political bureau chairman of Hamas Khaled Mishaal recent developments of the Palestinian reconciliation. The Russian foreign ministry said that Bogdanov, who is also the deputy foreign minister, hoped in a telephone conversation with Misaal on Friday that the reconciliation would push forward the Middle East peace process.
For his part, Mishaal highly praised the reconciliation agreement that was announced in Gaza on Wednesday following talks between Hamas and PLO delegations.
The ministry said that any foreign intervention in the internal Palestinian affairs was not acceptable.
It also added that restoring Palestinian national unity came in harmony with the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
For his part, Mishaal highly praised the reconciliation agreement that was announced in Gaza on Wednesday following talks between Hamas and PLO delegations.
The ministry said that any foreign intervention in the internal Palestinian affairs was not acceptable.
It also added that restoring Palestinian national unity came in harmony with the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
Spokesman for the Gaza Strip prime minister Ismail Haniyeh announced on Friday that newspapers from the West Bank would be allowed again in Gaza beginning from next week.
Issam al-Daalees said in a statement distributed by the prime minister's office that "the return of the newspapers is part of the decisions that have been taken by the government in Gaza to prepare the atmosphere on the ground for reconciliation."
He also expressed hope that the government in Ramallah would allow newspapers produced in Gaza to be distributed in the West Bank.
The decision comes after a national reconciliation agreement was announced Wednesday between Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and the Fatah-led PLO, which controls the West Bank.
Issam al-Daalees said in a statement distributed by the prime minister's office that "the return of the newspapers is part of the decisions that have been taken by the government in Gaza to prepare the atmosphere on the ground for reconciliation."
He also expressed hope that the government in Ramallah would allow newspapers produced in Gaza to be distributed in the West Bank.
The decision comes after a national reconciliation agreement was announced Wednesday between Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and the Fatah-led PLO, which controls the West Bank.
By Alaa Tartir
Alaa Tartir is a Palestinian writer and researcher who is working on a PhD at the London School of Economics. He is also the program director of Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network.
The al-Shati refugee camp reconciliation agreement signed between Fatah and Hamas in Gaza on April 23, 2014 is the most recent chapter in the intra-Palestinian reconciliation saga.
While it is promising news for the Palestinian people, the obvious challenge is whether it will be implemented.
It seems that both parties are underestimating the extent of the damage that such a long conflict has caused to the Palestinian political and social landscape. I fear that after seven years, the division has become entrenched in every single aspect of Palestinian life.
Although it took many observers by surprise, the signing of the al-Shati refugee camp reconciliation agreement at this time could be due to a number of reasons. It could have been a tactical move aimed at supporting the Palestinian negotiators in their "peace talks" with Israel and the US administration. In this context, the agreement could be understood as a move towards gaining popular and national legitimacy before offering further political compromises in the peace process.
Both Fatah and Hamas are currently undergoing a crisis of legitimacy and are eager to fend off rivals, like former PA security chief Mohammad Dahlan. The agreement, however, offers them a much-needed boost of national credibility. At the same time, the move appears to have also been a reaction to some of the major changes happening in the region -- particularly the ones in Egypt.
Assuming that the reconciliation agreement will be implemented this time around, and regardless of the reasons that led to it, the Palestinian people should continue to hold Fatah and Hamas responsible for the damage and harm they have caused over the last seven years.
Both parties are responsible for causing damages to the national liberation cause, for fragmenting the Palestinian society, for committing human rights abuses and for causing additional suffering for the Palestinian people.
Both parties helped the Israeli occupation directly and indirectly through adding another layer of oppression and repression in the lives of Palestinians. Therefore, the leaders of both sides need to be held accountable.
During a press conference held in the home of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, senior Fatah official Azzam Al-Ahmad responded to a question on who will guarantee the implementation of the agreement. He said to the journalist: "You, the Palestinian people." In a rather energetic and passionate way, Al-Ahmad argued that "the Palestinian people should monitor the Palestinian leadership step-by-step, and that they must be strong in confronting those who had prevented the implementation of the unity agreement."
Al-Ahmad failed to mention, however, the authoritarian transformation of the Palestinian Authority and its security forces (this also applies to Hamas rule in Gaza), particularly in the aftermath of the intra-Palestinian divide. Al-Ahmad dismissed the fact that the PA security forces have been suppressing the Palestinian people while also guaranteeing the security demands of the Israelis rather than supporting the Palestinian people in their resistance to Israel's colonial domination. This is most clear through the policy of security collaboration.
Certainly, Palestinians must do everything in their power to ensure that this agreement is implemented. But, they also must be aware of the challenges, and engage with them rather than simply dismiss them.
For instance, there was no mention in the press conference of the security arrangements and the role of the Palestinian security forces in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This issue has been a major obstacle in every agreement and potential agreement since the divide began to take shape. Due to the absence of trust, each party wants to keep its own security forces and control the security apparatus.
It is not clear, either, why both parties need five weeks to announce a unity government. They know very well the composition and role of such a government. This delay will give the Israeli and US governments an opportunity to threaten the implementation of the reconciliation agreement.
Finally, as was noted by Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouq in the press conference, neither party discussed their different political programs or resistance strategies in this round of talks. They did make sure to announce once again, however, that a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital is the ultimate national goal for both Fatah and Hamas and all of those who participated in the reconciliation talks. The glowing discourse of Hamas about liberating Palestine from the river to the sea is thus replaced by the Oslo Accords framework for a two-state solution.
After so many years of failing to unite, the Palestinian people remain suspicious about the viability of this most recent agreement, despite the consensus around the need for one. This reflects the deep legitimacy crisis and the very low level of trust that the Palestinian people have in their "leadership" and political factions. In fact, this is yet another golden opportunity for alternative voices, particularly leftist and secular, to emerge and flourish.
To be sure, this unity agreement means that Palestinians are most likely to be punished by Israel, the US administration, and by other actors in the international donor community. We are already seeing signs of this. In order to face these challenges, Palestinians must stand firm and united facing all the obstacles and seek alternative approaches that will empower and enable them to remain steadfast, persist, and resist.
On the political front, Palestinians need to have an open debate about representation and the role of the PLO. On the economic front, it is about time to utilize the model of a resistance and steadfastness economy as the only viable model for a nation that persists under a prolonged military occupation. In other words, the alternative needs moving beyond the framework of Oslo Accords in both political and economic terms.
Remember: when the Israeli government gets angry as a result of some Palestinian action, it means that the action was a step in the right direction. After all, Israel is an occupying and colonial power that must be resisted and boycotted as part of Palestinians' efforts to achieve self-determination, dignity, and freedom for all.
Without paradigm shifts and coordinated actions on the ground, however, including the (forced) realization on the part of Fatah and Hamas leaders that the phantom authority for which they have fought so dearly has been a key obstacle, none of this will come to fruition.
The views expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect Ma'an News Agency's editorial policy.
Alaa Tartir is a Palestinian writer and researcher who is working on a PhD at the London School of Economics. He is also the program director of Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network.
The al-Shati refugee camp reconciliation agreement signed between Fatah and Hamas in Gaza on April 23, 2014 is the most recent chapter in the intra-Palestinian reconciliation saga.
While it is promising news for the Palestinian people, the obvious challenge is whether it will be implemented.
It seems that both parties are underestimating the extent of the damage that such a long conflict has caused to the Palestinian political and social landscape. I fear that after seven years, the division has become entrenched in every single aspect of Palestinian life.
Although it took many observers by surprise, the signing of the al-Shati refugee camp reconciliation agreement at this time could be due to a number of reasons. It could have been a tactical move aimed at supporting the Palestinian negotiators in their "peace talks" with Israel and the US administration. In this context, the agreement could be understood as a move towards gaining popular and national legitimacy before offering further political compromises in the peace process.
Both Fatah and Hamas are currently undergoing a crisis of legitimacy and are eager to fend off rivals, like former PA security chief Mohammad Dahlan. The agreement, however, offers them a much-needed boost of national credibility. At the same time, the move appears to have also been a reaction to some of the major changes happening in the region -- particularly the ones in Egypt.
Assuming that the reconciliation agreement will be implemented this time around, and regardless of the reasons that led to it, the Palestinian people should continue to hold Fatah and Hamas responsible for the damage and harm they have caused over the last seven years.
Both parties are responsible for causing damages to the national liberation cause, for fragmenting the Palestinian society, for committing human rights abuses and for causing additional suffering for the Palestinian people.
Both parties helped the Israeli occupation directly and indirectly through adding another layer of oppression and repression in the lives of Palestinians. Therefore, the leaders of both sides need to be held accountable.
During a press conference held in the home of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, senior Fatah official Azzam Al-Ahmad responded to a question on who will guarantee the implementation of the agreement. He said to the journalist: "You, the Palestinian people." In a rather energetic and passionate way, Al-Ahmad argued that "the Palestinian people should monitor the Palestinian leadership step-by-step, and that they must be strong in confronting those who had prevented the implementation of the unity agreement."
Al-Ahmad failed to mention, however, the authoritarian transformation of the Palestinian Authority and its security forces (this also applies to Hamas rule in Gaza), particularly in the aftermath of the intra-Palestinian divide. Al-Ahmad dismissed the fact that the PA security forces have been suppressing the Palestinian people while also guaranteeing the security demands of the Israelis rather than supporting the Palestinian people in their resistance to Israel's colonial domination. This is most clear through the policy of security collaboration.
Certainly, Palestinians must do everything in their power to ensure that this agreement is implemented. But, they also must be aware of the challenges, and engage with them rather than simply dismiss them.
For instance, there was no mention in the press conference of the security arrangements and the role of the Palestinian security forces in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This issue has been a major obstacle in every agreement and potential agreement since the divide began to take shape. Due to the absence of trust, each party wants to keep its own security forces and control the security apparatus.
It is not clear, either, why both parties need five weeks to announce a unity government. They know very well the composition and role of such a government. This delay will give the Israeli and US governments an opportunity to threaten the implementation of the reconciliation agreement.
Finally, as was noted by Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouq in the press conference, neither party discussed their different political programs or resistance strategies in this round of talks. They did make sure to announce once again, however, that a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital is the ultimate national goal for both Fatah and Hamas and all of those who participated in the reconciliation talks. The glowing discourse of Hamas about liberating Palestine from the river to the sea is thus replaced by the Oslo Accords framework for a two-state solution.
After so many years of failing to unite, the Palestinian people remain suspicious about the viability of this most recent agreement, despite the consensus around the need for one. This reflects the deep legitimacy crisis and the very low level of trust that the Palestinian people have in their "leadership" and political factions. In fact, this is yet another golden opportunity for alternative voices, particularly leftist and secular, to emerge and flourish.
To be sure, this unity agreement means that Palestinians are most likely to be punished by Israel, the US administration, and by other actors in the international donor community. We are already seeing signs of this. In order to face these challenges, Palestinians must stand firm and united facing all the obstacles and seek alternative approaches that will empower and enable them to remain steadfast, persist, and resist.
On the political front, Palestinians need to have an open debate about representation and the role of the PLO. On the economic front, it is about time to utilize the model of a resistance and steadfastness economy as the only viable model for a nation that persists under a prolonged military occupation. In other words, the alternative needs moving beyond the framework of Oslo Accords in both political and economic terms.
Remember: when the Israeli government gets angry as a result of some Palestinian action, it means that the action was a step in the right direction. After all, Israel is an occupying and colonial power that must be resisted and boycotted as part of Palestinians' efforts to achieve self-determination, dignity, and freedom for all.
Without paradigm shifts and coordinated actions on the ground, however, including the (forced) realization on the part of Fatah and Hamas leaders that the phantom authority for which they have fought so dearly has been a key obstacle, none of this will come to fruition.
The views expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect Ma'an News Agency's editorial policy.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas still has the chance to move away from any potential alliance with Hamas. Netanyahu claimed that his government would restart serious peace talks with the Palestinians if Abbas renounced the reconciliation agreement with Hamas.
In an interview with the American NBC network, Netanyahu reiterated his reluctance to negotiate with a Palestinian authority backed by what he labeled as a militant group.
The Israeli Cabinet for political and security affairs decided, after a long session on Thursday, to impose economic and political penalties on PA in the wake of the reconciliation agreement with Hamas.
In an interview with the American NBC network, Netanyahu reiterated his reluctance to negotiate with a Palestinian authority backed by what he labeled as a militant group.
The Israeli Cabinet for political and security affairs decided, after a long session on Thursday, to impose economic and political penalties on PA in the wake of the reconciliation agreement with Hamas.
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Al-Araby appealed to regional and international concerned parties to provide the support necessary for the success of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement. Araby commended, in a press release, the Gaza reconciliation agreement which complies with the 2011 Cairo and Doha agreements, expressing his hope that the Palestinian parties could fulfil what they agreed upon.
“Such move would certainly tie up the unity of the Palestinian people and confirm their willingness to set up a joint national program so as to meet the current challenges faced at this very critical stage."
Al-Araby further announced the League’s unyielding support for PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who has come under constant Israeli pressure following the announcement of the Gaza reconciliation agreement.
“Such move would certainly tie up the unity of the Palestinian people and confirm their willingness to set up a joint national program so as to meet the current challenges faced at this very critical stage."
Al-Araby further announced the League’s unyielding support for PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who has come under constant Israeli pressure following the announcement of the Gaza reconciliation agreement.
US President Barack Obama said Friday that a decision by Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas to seek unity with Hamas was "unhelpful" for the peace process.
In his first public comments on the issue since Israel halted peace talks with Palestinians on Thursday, Obama lamented the lack of political will to make "tough decisions" on either side.
But he said his administration would not give up on Secretary of State John Kerry's peace push, despite the latest setbacks and Israel's declaration that the Palestinian move had scuppered the American initiative.
Obama's statements come a day after Israel halted all peace negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization after a major reconciliation deal was signed between the two major Palestinian parties, Fatah and Hamas.
The agreement would reintegrate Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, into the PLO, which currently controls the West Bank.
The move ends seven years of Palestinian political division, but Israeli authorities denounced the PLO for reconciling with Hamas, which it deems a terrorist group.
Israeli officials subsequently halted talks and said they would refuse to deal with any Palestinian government backed by Hamas.
PLO leaders have maintained, however, that any government that emerges from the deal will honor previous PLO commitments, including to the peace talks and recognition of Israel.
Although Hamas has accepted the idea of a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders, it has said it would not explicitly recognize the state of Israel.
Israel, however, has never explicitly recognized the right to exist of a Palestinian state.
In his first public comments on the issue since Israel halted peace talks with Palestinians on Thursday, Obama lamented the lack of political will to make "tough decisions" on either side.
But he said his administration would not give up on Secretary of State John Kerry's peace push, despite the latest setbacks and Israel's declaration that the Palestinian move had scuppered the American initiative.
Obama's statements come a day after Israel halted all peace negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization after a major reconciliation deal was signed between the two major Palestinian parties, Fatah and Hamas.
The agreement would reintegrate Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, into the PLO, which currently controls the West Bank.
The move ends seven years of Palestinian political division, but Israeli authorities denounced the PLO for reconciling with Hamas, which it deems a terrorist group.
Israeli officials subsequently halted talks and said they would refuse to deal with any Palestinian government backed by Hamas.
PLO leaders have maintained, however, that any government that emerges from the deal will honor previous PLO commitments, including to the peace talks and recognition of Israel.
Although Hamas has accepted the idea of a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders, it has said it would not explicitly recognize the state of Israel.
Israel, however, has never explicitly recognized the right to exist of a Palestinian state.
This week's reconciliation deal between the PLO and Hamas faces a swift reality check, with president Mahmud Abbas the focus of both Israeli fury and US concern and Hamas seeking to salvage relations with Egypt.
"Hamas and the Palestinian Authority had no option but to reconcile," Naji Sharab, a political science professor at Gaza's Al-Azhar University, told AFP.
Abbas "realized (peace) negotiations (with Israel) have failed, and wanted to strengthen his position as regards Israel by reconciling with Hamas," he said.
On Wednesday, the PLO -- internationally recognized as the sole representative of the Palestinian people -- and Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, signed a reconciliation agreement.
A day later, the Israeli cabinet announced it was halting the US-led peace process, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the Palestinian unity deal "a giant leap backward" for peace.
Under the Palestinian agreement, the two sides agreed to form a "national consensus" government under Abbas within weeks.
However, this was not the first unity agreement between the rival factions.
Hamas and Abbas' Fatah, the central faction of the PLO, already signed reconciliation deals in Cairo (2011) and Doha (2012), aimed at ending the political division between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Neither accord was implemented.
And many Palestinians doubt that the latest reconciliation move will succeed because of "previous bad experiences," said Mkhaimer Abu Saada, a political science professor also at Al-Azhar University, adding that the deal will be "hard to implement."
In addition to a furious Israel mulling punitive measures against the PA, Washington was both "disappointed" and "troubled" by the fresh agreement, with a State Department spokeswoman warning that "there would be implications."
Any Palestinian government must commit "unambiguously" to the principles of non-violence and to the existence of Israel, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, referring to Hamas's refusal to recognize Israel and advocating an armed struggle against it.
'Pragmatic' Hamas
Jibril Rajoub, a Fatah leader, told AFP "the next national consensus government will proclaim loud and clear that it accepts the Quartet's conditions."
The Middle East Quartet -- the European Union, the United Nations, Russia and the United States -- demands that Hamas recognize Israel and existing agreements between it and the PLO, and renounce armed struggle.
Analysts say the Islamist Hamas government, besieged in Gaza and outlawed in Egypt, has an interest in reconciliation.
Hamas's fortunes have slipped since last July, when the Egyptian army ousted the movement's ally, president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
And Egypt's military has since destroyed hundreds of the tunnels through which not only weapons and ammunition were smuggled, but also commodities and construction materials.
"The (Palestinian) division became really harmful to Hamas after the Muslim Brotherhood loss in Egypt and its dire financial situation," Sharab said.
The destruction of the tunnels has generated losses estimated at $230 million by the admission of the Hamas government, which is struggling to pay its civil servants.
"Hamas wants to escape Egyptian pressure. Reconciliation is its window to improve its regional and Arab relations, particularly with Egypt," the political scientist said.
The Islamist movement "is closer to political pragmatism in dealing with the negotiations" between Abbas and Israel, Sharab said.
Ashraf Abu al-Houl, deputy editor of Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper, thinks "Egyptian pressure pushed Hamas to sit at the table and reconcile," predicting a warming of relations between Hamas and Cairo.
According to Abu al-Houl, the Palestinian reconciliation deal is actually "workable this time."
Adnan Abu Amer, professor of politics at Gaza's Umma University added: "Any setback will affect both parties badly."
"Hamas and the Palestinian Authority had no option but to reconcile," Naji Sharab, a political science professor at Gaza's Al-Azhar University, told AFP.
Abbas "realized (peace) negotiations (with Israel) have failed, and wanted to strengthen his position as regards Israel by reconciling with Hamas," he said.
On Wednesday, the PLO -- internationally recognized as the sole representative of the Palestinian people -- and Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, signed a reconciliation agreement.
A day later, the Israeli cabinet announced it was halting the US-led peace process, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the Palestinian unity deal "a giant leap backward" for peace.
Under the Palestinian agreement, the two sides agreed to form a "national consensus" government under Abbas within weeks.
However, this was not the first unity agreement between the rival factions.
Hamas and Abbas' Fatah, the central faction of the PLO, already signed reconciliation deals in Cairo (2011) and Doha (2012), aimed at ending the political division between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Neither accord was implemented.
And many Palestinians doubt that the latest reconciliation move will succeed because of "previous bad experiences," said Mkhaimer Abu Saada, a political science professor also at Al-Azhar University, adding that the deal will be "hard to implement."
In addition to a furious Israel mulling punitive measures against the PA, Washington was both "disappointed" and "troubled" by the fresh agreement, with a State Department spokeswoman warning that "there would be implications."
Any Palestinian government must commit "unambiguously" to the principles of non-violence and to the existence of Israel, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, referring to Hamas's refusal to recognize Israel and advocating an armed struggle against it.
'Pragmatic' Hamas
Jibril Rajoub, a Fatah leader, told AFP "the next national consensus government will proclaim loud and clear that it accepts the Quartet's conditions."
The Middle East Quartet -- the European Union, the United Nations, Russia and the United States -- demands that Hamas recognize Israel and existing agreements between it and the PLO, and renounce armed struggle.
Analysts say the Islamist Hamas government, besieged in Gaza and outlawed in Egypt, has an interest in reconciliation.
Hamas's fortunes have slipped since last July, when the Egyptian army ousted the movement's ally, president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
And Egypt's military has since destroyed hundreds of the tunnels through which not only weapons and ammunition were smuggled, but also commodities and construction materials.
"The (Palestinian) division became really harmful to Hamas after the Muslim Brotherhood loss in Egypt and its dire financial situation," Sharab said.
The destruction of the tunnels has generated losses estimated at $230 million by the admission of the Hamas government, which is struggling to pay its civil servants.
"Hamas wants to escape Egyptian pressure. Reconciliation is its window to improve its regional and Arab relations, particularly with Egypt," the political scientist said.
The Islamist movement "is closer to political pragmatism in dealing with the negotiations" between Abbas and Israel, Sharab said.
Ashraf Abu al-Houl, deputy editor of Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper, thinks "Egyptian pressure pushed Hamas to sit at the table and reconcile," predicting a warming of relations between Hamas and Cairo.
According to Abu al-Houl, the Palestinian reconciliation deal is actually "workable this time."
Adnan Abu Amer, professor of politics at Gaza's Umma University added: "Any setback will affect both parties badly."
The UN said that the Palestinian reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas factions was an important development. UN spokesman Farhan Haq stated on Thursday that the UN would continue to support the Palestinian unity that is based on the PLO's commitments under the leadership of Palestinian authority president Mahmoud Abbas.
Haq added that the UN special coordinator for the middle east peace process Robert Serry visited Ramallah to discuss the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation deal with Abbas and listen to his assessment of this development.
The spokesman affirmed that members of the international quartet for the middle east would meet to evaluate this inter-Palestinian development and pressure the Israelis and Palestinians to achieve the two-state solution.
Haq added that the UN special coordinator for the middle east peace process Robert Serry visited Ramallah to discuss the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation deal with Abbas and listen to his assessment of this development.
The spokesman affirmed that members of the international quartet for the middle east would meet to evaluate this inter-Palestinian development and pressure the Israelis and Palestinians to achieve the two-state solution.
