Paul Martin
It suits the Egyptians, aiming to achieve a new image, to appear involved and successful in bringing Palestinians together. But is the agreement like the impressive Muchabarat exterior - just a façade?
Lurking behind the plentiful expressions of unity, brotherhood, and reconciliation is a far less wholesome reality. Both
The right noises emerged from both camps as the Agreement was signed, with the Egyptians making a significant statement of priorities. Their new intelligence chief spoke first and introduced only
But in truth the irascible Abbas has very little credibility inside his supposed heartland, the
But far more worrying for
At the very least, to accept a UN resolution recognising an as-yet-fictitious State would imply an end to the pretense that a 'right of return' by descendants of those who left, fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1948 war can be achieved. Hence the strange insertion by Abbas in his 'Unity Government' speech of a demand for implementing the six-decades-old Resolution 194, which incorporates that very same right of return, or compensation, for all Arabs who fled the formerly British-mandated Palestine in the 1948-1949 conflict. Under a two-State solution the descendants of those refugees would be offered places to live in the
For its part,
In
Instead of holding fast to a new Unity Government after elections are held, at least one influential strand within
It also means
By being part of a planned new government,
There are other reasons to be sceptical about the longevity of a Hamas-Fatah alliance. While they have the same stated objective of destroying
If
It seems unlikely that a Hamas-Fatah unity government would survive for long. The enmity of the two movements' military wings would not evaporate. After all, in
Indeed Haniya and I were speaking even as he was conducting talks that led to a previous Unity Government deal, in 2007. It had also been cemented by a solemn swearing ceremony in which Meshaal, Haniya and Abbas, under the tutelage of the Saudi king, donned the white clothes necessary for a pilgrimage to
There is now room for independents to emerge as a serious alternative. But in their elections, the people of
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- Environment: Worlds of Water
- Environment: Rebuilding Sandcastles
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- Egypt and Palestine: Internecine Alliance
- In New Egypt Old Conspiracies Live On
- Show Stolen From Egyptian Superstar in Anti-Mubarak Drive
- Russia Has Syrian Blood on Its Hands
- Syrian Revolution Gets Islamic Seal of Approval
- Muslim Brotherhood Challenges Jordan's King
- A Dumb and Dumber War in Libya
- Libya and the Problem with The Hague
- Are Palestinians Getting Cold Feet on Independence?
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- Open Air Market at Heart of Jerusalem's Downtown Revival
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- Somalia's Pirates: Ransom Cash 'Easy Come Easy Go'
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- Syria: The Last Domino
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- Ignoring the War Powers Act
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- Re-examining the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan
- The Bin Laden Operation: Tapping Human Intelligence
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- The Kaspersky Kidnapping - Lessons Learned
- A Political Vision for Israel
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- Going Cold on Bin Laden
Available at Amazon.com:
Aftermath: Following the Bloodshed of America's Wars in the Muslim World
Displacement and Dispossession in the Modern Middle East (The Contemporary Middle East)
The End of History and the Last Man
The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order
The Tragedy of Great Power Politics
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