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Fatah in Gaza much-needed sign of reconciliation

By Earl Bousquet: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, January 10, 2013

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[By Jiao Haiyang/China.org.cn]

The grand celebration of the 48th anniversary of the Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip, with a rally attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, is the brightest beacon of hope to come from inside Palestine since the United Nations (UN) agreed to give the occupied territory non-state observer status. It's a welcome New Year sign that's already sparking visions of a reunited and re-energized Palestinian liberation movement of the singular type once led by Yasser Afafat in the heyday of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).

The fact that Fatah, formed in 1965, has been able to host such an event in Gaza for the first time since 2007 is a real sign that players on both sides have come to accept that the progress achieved with the UN vote needs to be consolidated – and quickly – if the Palestinian cause hopes to gain from the latest installment of increased international support. (Hamas had previously been allowed by Fatah to host its own anniversary celebrations in the West Bank, much to the disappointment of Israel and the West, which quivered over the warm reception the Gaza-based entity got in what used to be regarded as "hostile territory".)

Recent events in the Middle East have conspired to create the need for broader national Palestinian unity across the borders between the West Bank and Gaza. The events of the so-called "Arab Spring" somewhat eroded the regional support base for the Palestinian cause, but the last Israeli bombardment of Gaza helped shape the historic UN vote which created the diplomatic umbrella under which Fatah and Hamas can now better shelter Palestine from international isolation.

The importance of the UN vote cannot be underestimated. It provided the nest in which the egg of Palestinian nationhood can be kept warm until hatched. But this is stage closer to the start of the hatching period rather than its end. The embryo of the Palestinian nation is still taking shape (and growing, as always) inside the nest egg of the ongoing Palestinian reality. But dangers will continue as long as Israel insists on rejecting the UN's recognition – and as long as Hamas is regarded and treated by Israel and its allies as a "terrorist organization."

Israel is naturally uncomfortable about the possibilities that will arise from Fatah and Hamas smoking the peace pipe. The U.S. and the European Union also support Israel's stance on Hamas, despite its ability to win democratic elections. Concerned that Hamas is growing in domestic popularity within Palestine, they have also accused Hamas of seeking to "take over" the West Bank.

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