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Three challenges for the national unity government in Palestine
an article by Ziad Medoukh, professor at Al-Aqsa University, Gaza-Palestine
The reconciliation agreement between the various Palestinian
movements was signed this week in Cairo, thanks to Egyptian mediation,
but especially thanks to the popular demonstrations of the Palestinians
who gathered in mass demonstrations to demand it. Other demonstrations
of joy and support engaging the civil population of the Gaza Strip which
suffered much from this division, followed this historical signature
and since then, everyone impatiently aw its application in practice. 
Palestinians
came out in the streets of Gaza to celebrate the signature of the
reconciliation agreement between the various Palestinian movements
click on photo to enlarge
In
this agreement, the first point relates to the formation of a
government of national unity, a temporary government which would be
composed of independent personalities, approved by Fatah and Hamas.
In
the next two weeks, a new government thus will be born in the
Palestinian territories, a government that will be charged to settle
questions related to the division, and to unify the Palestinian
institutions of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, without
forgetting the rebuilding of Gaza and btaining the end of the blockade
that has lasted for more than 4 years.
No matter who are the
members of this transition government, and no matter who is named its
chief, I think that they will have to face three principal challenges:
an interior challenge, an Israeli challenge and an international
challenge.
The interior challenge: the inter-Palestinian situation is very
complicated. We are faced with two different projects with different
strategies. The first is a project of peace negotiation with the
Israelis, a project involved within a peace process that has not led to
concrete results, but which prefers popular and non-violent resistance
against the occupation. The second is opposed to the first and prefers
military resistance as a form of resistance to the occupation, even if
this project does not have a national consensus and is often marked by a
truce not posted with the Israelis. The new government will have to
find a compromise.
Apart from this divergence, there is the question of security in the
Palestinian territories: how to organize the work of its various
services in the West Bank as in the Gaza Strip. There is also the
problem of the weapons of the various factions. Also, one should not
forget the rebuilding of Gaza, the end of the blockade, displacements
between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, geographical continuity
between the two areas, and of course, how to erase the consequences of
this division which lasted more than 4 years.
(This article is continued in the discussionboard - see righthand column of this page)
(For the original version of this article in French, click here.
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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURE OF PEACE
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(This article is continued from the article, Three challenges for the national unity government in Palestine )
The
Israeli challenge: Israel is the main loser in this agreement. Any
national unity between Palestinians requires it to face its
responsibilities. It is for that the Israeli government will try by all
the means to create problems for this new government. The threats have
already started. The Israeli authorities will be able to close the
passages which connect the Gaza Strip to the West Bank; they will be
able to prohibit to Palestinian ministers to move between these two
points, they will be able to also suspend the transfer of taxes to the
Palestinian budget.
But the true danger will come especially
from the provocations by Israel to certain Palestinian factions, in the
form of attacks, of bombardments, and incursions, in particular in Gaza,
in order to provoke their reaction by rocket fire, which would lead to a
new escalation in the region.. . ...more.
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This report was posted on May 15, 2011.
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