Years of on-again, off-again talks between the two primary Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, have ended with a formal accord to end years of hostility, and a goal to form a unity government in the Palestinian Authority within five weeks.
The final deal was signed in Gaza City today, after recent talks went deep into the night, and Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh declared the “era of discord is ended.”
The most recent Palestinian elections came in 2006, when Hamas defeated Fatah by a surprisingly large margin, winning a significant number of seats in the legislative council.
Under pressure from the US, Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas ultimately refused to recognize the results, and in the ensuing conflict Fatah took the West Bank, while Hamas took the Gaza Strip.
Since then, the two factions have remained at odds, and managed their respective territory independently. The lack of Palestinian unity has often been cited as a reason why they have not achieved statehood, though since the unity announcement today Israeli officials have suggested the deal, and not the lack of one, is the new excuse for statehood to be deferred.
The Israelis now have a new excuse for getting out of the negotiations: Gaza does not recognize Israel. As long as Israel has full suppórt from Washington it will step by step occupy entirely the West Bank. Both the U..S, and Israel don't care about International Law.
well this can't be good for the israel/amerikan neo-con world. Hell the next you'll now they want freedom and their land back, pretty uppity I say. I can hardly wait for the spin puppets on this.
Good for them
Now this can be a really good move to check the Netanyahou government if and only if the combined Palestinian governmental entity strictly pursues non-violent means. Surely they should have learned by now that if they use violence, they play right into Netanyahou's hands. There is nothing he would like to see more. Then he can send in the army and the air force. Rather they should persue the UN route! the international Criminal court, etc. The Palesinians need to be on thier best behavior and also on their guard for surely there will be false flags making it appear as if the Palestinian side to be violent. This you can bet your ass on.
The Palestinians need to let go of any silly fantasies of Israel ceasing to exist, that will never happen, nor should it. BOTH sides have every right to co-exist in peace and security. Arguments about whether the state if Israel should have ever been created are stupid and irrelevant as Israel is a fact on the ground. They are armed to the teeth and they are not going anywhere.
What should be clear by now is that Netanyahou government always was completely insincere about peace with the Palestinians or the eventuality of a two state solution, that is the very last thing they want. As long as the far right wing hard ass hard liners are in power in Israel there can never be a peace accord.
But the Palestinians need to live in reality and use their heads and be smart about this. Another violent intifada would be about the stupidest thing they could do right now, or I the future. It would backfire on them big time.
That's the only alternative they have right now, an 'intifada' nothing else seems to work.
They still haven´t denounced Israel in the ICC. The Palestinians do have other tools, but have to stop being distracted by the Israelis and Americans with peace talks that were never meant to go anywhere.
A lot of wishful thinking there. Your comments remind me of the old Jewish liberal left. Still attached to Israel, you accept for the Palestinians what you don't accept for yourself. We are like the brave Jews of the Warsaw ghetto uprising. We silently refuse to go like lambs into the night. This drives the oppressor mad because he so much wants the victim to succumb to the oppression so the oppressor can show his "mercy". It doesn't work that way. The Jews phenomenally built a state to their credit and they will ultimately destroy it by their own actions. Give it another 20 years or so and the state of Israel will not exist. And why should it exist on my home? We Muslims can give the Jews something else that no one can; freedom to live in peace from the Euphrates to the Nile but not as usurpers. Finally, no human being has a capitalization on violence we are all prone to it. The question is how and when do you use it. Last time I checked armed resistance against occupation is international law.
It is time to dump the 2 state solution and work non violently for one state covering all the Palestinian mandate with equal political rights for all it's inhabitants.
About time.
About time.
The Palestinian lands been stolen every day by the Israeli government, the western Neo liberals or others done nothing to solve this issue, nor they are or have been serious about Israel behavior, it is unrealistic and idiotic of anyone to think that Palestinians should have chosen otherwise. In this regard, if USG is angry or for that matter the result of such unity angers EU governing body or others, then be it, what they got is a unity between Palestinian people and is solid, the west negotiations, however, has been words after empty words after another.
There goes all those years of divide and conquer!
Good to hear, but I wouldn't be surprised if Israel launches Operation Cast Lead II in response to this. After all, it's been over 5 years since the Israeli Offensive Forces dropped significant quantities of US-made bombs and missiles on Gaza and they are short on their quota of dead Palestinian women, children and elderly people.
The Palestinian unity government should demand that Israel renounce violence
The dividing of the Palestinians may have just failed but the conquering will go on. Hamas is bad press for the Palestinians. It will be interesting to see how the world treats this new unity government. The inclusion of Hamas does complicate the fake peace process, but it isn't going to change anything. It just provides an excuse for the peace process to stall. The reason now is that Hamas is in the unity government instead of the truth that it wasn't going to happen anyway. Israel has no incentive to make peace. Also there is an asymmetrical war going on between Gaza and Israel. Is this unity government better than dissolving the Palestinian Authority? Is it just to keep the dream alive while rattling the Palestinian people's enemies?
Palestinians finally picked up their marbles and walked away from the 'peace talks' weeks ago when Israel failed to complete the next stage of the agreement ie the release of imprisoned Palestinians, which was the main incentive to continue talking with Big Satan and Little Satan.
US and Israel have now set about putting an alternate spin ie lie and blame the Palestinian not Israel for the failure of the talks. Abbas is to be castigated for not wanting peace with the warmongers but choosing to join forces with Hamas. Hamas who we remember was originally spawned by Israel to 'divide and conquer' the Palestinians.
Palestinians finally picked up their marbles and walked away from the 'peace talks' weeks ago when Israel failed to complete the next stage of the agreement ie the release of imprisoned Palestinians, the main incentive to continue talks with Big Satan and Little Satan.
US and Israel have now set about putting an alternate spin ie lies and blame the Palestinian not Israel for the failure of the talks. Abbas is to be castigated for not wanting peace with the warmongers but choosing to join forces with Hamas. Hamas who we remember was originally spawned by Israel to 'divide and conquer' the Palestinians.