Palestinian UN joy, but uncertainty lies ahead

The membership push prompted the peacemaking international Quartet to offer a new proposal for negotiations.


Afp September 24, 2011

RAMALLAH: Palestinians basked in the joy of their historic UN bid on Saturday, but difficult questions about the move's consequences and the future of their dream of statehood remained.

The membership push prompted the peacemaking international Quartet to offer a new proposal for negotiations, but it lacked the preconditions sought by the Palestinians and received a lukewarm reception in Israel.

And the contrast between the joyous scenes in the West Bank and the silence in the Gaza Strip, where the ruling Hamas movement opposed the bid and stymied celebration rallies, served to underscore deep Palestinian political divisions.

On Friday night, seemingly intractable obstacles were set aside by many in the West Bank, eager to forget the lack of progress towards peace and revel in a rare moment of optimism and pride.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians packed into the centres of cities across the West Bank to cheer their president Mahmud Abbas as he urged the United Nations General Assembly to approve their historic membership request.

As he waved a copy of the formal bid from the UN podium, thousands broke into ecstatic chants of "God is great!" and "With our souls and our blood we will defend Palestine!"

The three main Palestinian newspapers splashed pictures of the scenes on their front pages underneath proud banner headlines.

"President Abbas: the hour of the Palestinian Spring... the hour of independence," roared Al-Quds daily over a picture of Abbas brandishing the formal request.

"The President: Palestine is resurrected," trumpeted Al-Ayyam, which also carried a cartoon depicting a soaring eagle with a breastplate in the colours of the Palestinian flag over the logo "The state of Palestine."

In Al-Hayat al-Jadida newspaper, columnist Adel Abdul Rahman lavished praise on Abbas for his UN address, underlining the unprecedented boost in popularity the unassuming president currently enjoys in the West Bank.

"President Abu Mazen's speech was great and brave by all standards, as the leader of a liberation movement, and as the president of the Arab Palestinian people and as a statesman," he wrote, using Abbas's nom de guerre.

But as the celebratory mood recedes, Palestinians now have to confront a series of tough questions about what comes next.

Shortly after Abbas's speech, the members of the peacemaking Quartet, the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia, announced a new negotiations proposal, calling for talks to start within a month and for a deal before the end of 2012.

However, there was no mention of an Israeli settlement freeze or a clear framework for such talks, without which the Palestinians say they will not return to the negotiating table.

And while Israel said it was "studying" the proposal, deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon told Israeli public radio the Quartet timetable was "not sacred."

The contrast between the scenes in the West Bank and the enforced quiet in Gaza also underscored the continuing division between Abbas's Fatah party and the Hamas movement, despite the reconciliation deal they signed in May.

In Gaza, some expressed support for Abbas's speech.

"I take pride in president Abu Mazen and the power of his speech before the whole world; he wasn't scared of America or (US President Barack) Obama and step by step there will be a state of Palestine in spite of our enemies," said Ziad Abu al-Jaysh.

But others, including an employee of the Hamas police who declined to give his name, slammed the address.

"Abu Mazen's speech was weak because he went alone and he didn't agree with the other parties. This speech had no substance and the world will not give us a state except by force, the force of weapons," he said.

Even among those who supported the bid, excitement was tempered by the expectation the United States would block its approval, either by persuading enough Security Council members to abstain or vote against it, or by simply vetoing it.

There was also the spectre of punitive measures against Abbas and the Palestinians as a whole, with large majorities telling pollsters this week that they fear both Israeli and US sanctions in response to the bid.

In Ramallah, taxi driver Ghassan Zawahri said economic sanctions would be "the worst scenario."

But Lama Jerdat, a student in the city, was confident life would go on.

"I expect the Israelis will impose economic sanctions, but when we are one people with one country we will be stronger than everyone," she said.

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