There is no reason to be anxious about the delay in an agreement among Palestinian factions to solve pending issues and reach a true national reconciliation. If anything has given cause for anxiety, it was the exchange of pleasantries, hugs and kisses before the cameras and television camera lights, along with the issuing of receptive and affectionate statements, and perhaps ones of praise and "polishing," while each side harbors non-positive sentiments vis-à-vis the others. The reasons for hatred still linger, the very reasons that have hurt the Palestinian cause and were behind the quarrel, which then turned into actual fighting.
It appeared strange when the factions were given one month, via committees that were formed during the Cairo dialogue sessions, to solve the impasses over the government, security, detainees, elections and other issues. The events that took place between "brothers" and the contradictions that exploded between the Palestinian Authority and other factions could not be solved in one month or two, despite the Egyptian efforts and the desire by all parties to the Palestinian dialogue to arrive at common denominators. The struggle of interests among them, the impact of regional factors on the Palestinian tracks, the conditions of the international community for dealing with the Palestinians, the new extremist Israeli government and the results of the Israeli offensive on Gaza - all of these constitute the factors and conditions that have rendered the parties to national dialogue certain that they do not have many options, that the Palestinian issue will be lost amid their disputes, and that the biggest service that they can offer to the government of Netanyahu and Lieberman is a continuation of Palestinian division, with the people of the West Bank distant from those in the Gaza Strip. Thus, being careful and deliberate while treating the Palestinian ailments is much better than hurrying too fast without treatment, and retaining the viruses and microbes in the Palestinian body, even if it appears to be recovering from its maladies.
One reason for optimism is that the parties to dialogue, which will continue their efforts in Cairo in less than three weeks' time, have not resorted to the media. They have abandoned their custom of exiting closed-door meetings and heading for the studios, microphones and cameras, to popularize a given "scandalous" event and incite one group against another. Likewise, the regional parties with influence on Palestinian conditions and relations have abandoned their exploitation of the Palestinian cause to achieve domestic or external gains. This might be merely an impression gained from seeing these parties remain distant from the media and leave behind their customary intimidation of a given side, or claims to support another. Perhaps coordination among the Palestinian sides and these regional powers exists, but outside the media's scope. But this is an intrinsically positive thing and a qualitative change that reflects the transformations in dealing with Palestinian matters.
A change has taken place in the method of dealing with Palestinian disputes by those who disagree over the issue and those who are allied with them, support them, or even hate them. Everyone is waiting for what the recent round of Palestinian dialogue will produce, when it convenes in Cairo by the end of this month. It is certain that the international community, which was angered by the initial statements of the Israeli government and the provocative statements by its leading figures, cannot tolerate provocative Palestinian positions. If the situation of Arabs compared to other nations is not what the Arab peoples desire, then merely achieving a true Palestinian reconciliation, a solution to inter-factional disputes, a method of dealing with the Netanyahu government and talking to the world in a single language represent positive items - and the Palestinians have no other option but to achieve them.
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