A welcome rapprochement

Israel’s decision to withdraw from peace talks certainly shows the side which is least interested in achieving peace.

What should have been welcomed has been unduly condemned. The recent rapprochement between Fatah and Hamas, which is not the first, nonetheless, should have been seen as a show of seriousness on the part of the Palestinians. They broke ties after Hamas swept the 2006 elections and seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Though the reaction from the US has not been as strong as that from Israel, US Secretary of State John Kerry termed the Fatah-Hamas unity disappointing. As Kerry has pointed out that this may complicate the ongoing negotiations; however, we must not forget that Hamas must be considered an equal partner in this peace process since it has considerable influence over a section of the Palestinians.

On hearing the decision between Hamas and Fatah to form a unity government in the third week of April, the Israelis were quick to issue a condemnation and cancelled a negotiation session due to take place that same evening.

Perhaps, the critics of this newfound unity between Fatah and Hamas forget that such steps might help in mainstreaming Hamas more and compel it to change its hardened historical stance. Only by coming to terms with the political realities will Hamas be able to help in achieving the long-standing dream of a Palestinian homeland. History is evident that extreme political solutions have only left Hamas more isolated and Gazans cut off entirely from the international community. The Gaza Strip is the most densely-populated piece of land on the planet with its residents not even able to enjoy the barest essentials of human existence. In addition, the threat of raining Israeli bombs and excursions always looms.

Considering that Palestinian unity is the first real step towards the realisation of a Palestinian state, Israel’s decision to withdraw from the peace talks certainly shows the side which is least interested in achieving Middle East peace.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2014.

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