PROGRESS IN PALESTINE

by MONITOR
Yesterday's news of the possibility of the emergence of a government of national unity in Palestine was indeed encouraging even though the initial Israeli response to it was predictably negative. Negotiations are not complete but the hope is that the Palestinian president Mahmou Abbass will reach an agreement with the elected Hamas government to create a new cabinet containing all the main Palestinian parties and factions. While the current Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh would probably retain his role, the task of negotiating with Israel over the two-state solution would be handled by President Abbas who is leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation which, unlike Hamas, recognises Israel. Whether or not this new alignment of the Palestinian leadership is acceptable to Israel for the purposes of negotiation remains to be seen. However, it is also important in that it gives the United States and the European Union an opportunity to abandon or at least ease their withdrawal of financial support to the Palestinian Authority which was imposed immediately after Hamas was elected to office. The impact of these sanctions on the Palestinian people in Gaza has been appalling, even though largely forgotten during the Israeli/Lebanese war. More than 150'000 doctors, teachers and members of security services have been unpaid to seven months and food and medical supplies are in short supply. The alleviation of this situation would be a positive response to the a new Palestinian political alignment.