Palestinian reconciliation. Will Abbas follow through? Saleh Al-Naami investigates
Hassan could not believe he was reunited with his family. Five years of exile ended this week when he returned to his family home in Gaza City after a boost in relations between Fatah and Hamas. Hassan returned to his family as one of 20 Fatah members who were allowed to come back to the Gaza Strip on orders of the Gaza government headed by Ismail Haniyeh. These Fatah activists had fled to Egypt after military clashes erupted between Hamas and Fatah in the summer of 2007, which concluded with Hamas taking control of the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of Fatah elements quickly escaped after participating in attacks against Hamas members.
Bringing Hassan home was one of several steps by the Gaza government in a show of goodwill towards Fatah, reflecting closer ties between the two groups after what Palestinians viewed as a “victory” over Israel in recent confrontations, and “Palestine” being granted full state “observer status” at the UN General Assembly. The Gaza government decided to release all Fatah members who were arrested during the years of division, and rescinded many travel bans against Fatah leaders.
In return, Fatah delegations from the West Bank poured into the Gaza Strip to express their solidarity with Gaza. There are many signs of closer ties between the two sides in the West Bank on the organisational and population levels; together, the two groups sponsored an event celebrating the “Gaza victory” and there are other forms of coordination between them.
The Palestinian masses in the West Bank sent a clear and strong message to President Mahmoud Abbas that reconciliation must be reached as soon as possible. At the Palestinian Authority event welcoming Abbas home from the UN, crowds chanted and interrupted Abbas’s speech. They demanded reconciliation because it is “key to strengthening Palestinian resilience”. Abbas promised to reach reconciliation, and his words were well received by Hamas leaders.
Salah Al-Bardaweel, a leading Hamas figure, described Abbas’s political rhetoric as “realistic and not provocative”, adding that he no longer places any preconditions on reaching Palestinian reconciliation and ending division. Al-Bardaweel suggested holding an urgent meeting for all Palestinian forces to close ranks and rebuild the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) based on partnership.
There are many indicators that Gaza’s steadfastness in standing up to Israel’s military onslaught and the Palestinian president’s victory at the UN contributed to creating a conducive atmosphere for national reconciliation. Sources told Al-Ahram Weekly that Cairo will soon host Palestinian factions to discuss applying already signed reconciliation agreements. Informed sources said that Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal might meet with Abbas in Cairo based on an initiative by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. There is also a possibility of holding a meeting for all secretary generals of Palestinian factions, headed by Abbas, in Cairo.
Abbas secured the support of key Hamas leaders on the eve of his departure to the UN. Meshaal called him to express support for the move, and Haniyeh supported the step as well. Both Hamas leaders, however, reminded Abbas that genuine reconciliation would only be achieved through agreement on a new political agenda, unlike the one Abbas advocates that leaves no room for resistance.
Haniyeh also reminded Abbas that Palestine becoming a “non-member state with observer status” at the UN “crowns the victory by the resistance in the Gaza Strip based on the principle of no compromise or waiver.” “We welcome developments at the UN, but we are still committed to our unyielding strategy for the liberation of Palestine — all of Palestine from the river to the sea, from East to West,” declared Haniyeh.
Meshaal echoed the same: “We must view recognition of Palestine as a non-member with observer status as one strategy to accomplish the liberation project.” He added that the outcome of the war on Gaza encourages reaching reconciliation because Hamas is in a position of power. Meshaal also highlighted the importance of the UN move because “it unites nationalist Palestinian efforts as part of the reconciliation process”.
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