Palestinian reconciliation?
Secret talks aimed at solving internal Palestinian instability are being held between Hamas and Fatah officials, Ma’an reported on Friday.
According to the Palestinian news agency, the aim of the negotiations was to reestablish the Palestinian Authority unity government which crumbled several weeks ago. — Jerusalem Post
It’s impossible to expect that the situation in which there are two Palestinian “governments” can continue forever.
It isn’t likely that Hamas will disappear. Fatah isn’t capable of destroying it, and it won’t go away on its own.
Israel and the US seem wedded to the idea that they have a moderate partner in Fatah, and that the quick signing of a peace agreement with them that will produce some kind of Palestinian state will somehow render Hamas irrelevant.
But no agreement that can be signed can possibly include enough concessions to make this happen. Imagine what Israel would have to give up on the issues of borders, refugees and Jerusalem!
So the more likely scenario is that Israel will be dealing with another Palestinian unity government before too long, whether or not a ‘peace’ treaty has been agreed to.
Hamas, after its conquest of Gaza, has a much stronger position toward Fatah than before, so it’s hard to believe that it won’t end up dominating the government, de facto if not in number of ministers.
So the situation will be that all of the military ‘bolstering’ that the US has done for Fatah will be accessible to Hamas, as will international aid funds (since everyone will have to recognize the unity government).
Further, if a ‘peace’ treaty has been signed with Fatah, Israel will certainly have been forced to make real compromises on the major issues in order to get it. But what will it be worth?
Technorati Tags: Israel, Palestinian Authority, Fatah, Hamas