Bitter infighting has always been the Achilles heel of the Palestinian struggle, and Arab regimes have long propped up these power struggles, supporting one faction over another when they felt it was to their benefit. The aims of these governments have been pursued with no recourse to what might be best for the Palestinians they purport to help.
The examples of these divisions and their outside influence abound. Take, for example, fighting in Palestinian camps in Syria, which has essentially come down to a split between those who support the Syrian regime and those who do not.
The most prominent division is that between Fatah and Hamas. The deep division between the two presents a weak Palestinian front to the international community, the Arab world and the Palestinians themselves.
All efforts made, whether by Egypt, Saudi Arabia or Qatar, to resolve this split, have failed.
And while Fatah and Hamas may each be convinced of their own truth, and perhaps even believe that is worth fighting for, it is ultimately only the Israelis who are the winners from these conflicts.
The Jewish state has repeatedly used the deep divisions in the Palestinian political elite as an excuse not to acquiesce, arguing that they have no Palestine to negotiate with; saying, not unfairly, that neither side can claim to be representative of the Palestinian people.
Despite their disagreements, both Fatah and Hamas share the same goal. Unfortunately they have been unable to recognize this fact and unite to achieve it, and factional fighting has always won the day.
The current tragedy ripping through Gaza is regrettable, but in this regard it may have one positive outcome: to unite Hamas and Fatah in a way that nothing else has been able to achieve.
There are signs – albeit tentative ones – that the two may have been brought closer during the latest violence. In public at least, they have ended their division for the time being, in a show of solidarity for the suffering in Gaza.
If the Arab leaders who have been financing these factions are really sincere about confronting Israel they should without any exception encourage and promote this trend in every possible manner, recognizing that this is the way to create a stronger Palestinian side with some hope of facing the Jewish state.
It is regrettable that it took the deaths of more than 100 Palestinians before their leaders were able to put their political bickering behind them, but these individual tragedies should not go to waste.
This represents an opportunity for the Palestinian leadership. With unity, they can face the Arab and the Western world as one, and subsequently have a much greater chance of commanding respect and in garnering the response they seek.
No revolution has succeeded without unity in its ranks. The momentum the Palestinian leadership has gained in this regard in recent days should not be lost. The new unity must be built on, and the leaders must be strong enough to withstand any division that will ultimately weaken the Palestinian cause.
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