Palestinian infighting is the only thing worse than Israel's occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. The conflict between the Palestinian Authority (PA) led by President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian government led by Ismail Haniyeh is undermining everything the Palestinians have fought for. The Palestine Liberation Organisation, of which Fatah is the main faction, has agreed to a two-state solution in keeping with UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338. Hamas, along with Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, do not wish to recognise Israel, although they seem willing to accept an independent state in Gaza and the West Bank. The PA has negotiated with the Israelis and signed the Oslo Accords, which Hamas opposes. Since the Oslo Accords were signed, Palestinians and Israeli officials met dozens of times in Camp David, Wye River, and Sharm El-Sheikh. But the Israelis had no intention of fulfilling their commitments. To this day, the Israelis haven't agreed to settle the critical issues of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees. Despite the promises of the Roadmap, Israel continues to besiege Gaza and rip the West Bank apart. Late President Yasser Arafat was the man who sponsored the Oslo Accords. He ended up besieged in his headquarters in Ramallah. To many, this was the beginning of the end. Israel proceeded to arrest key Palestinian officials, such as Marwan Barghouti, and kill others. Israel methodically destroyed Palestinian cities, including the heroic Jenin. Under Israeli occupation, the Palestinians became prisoners in their own land. The tribulations of the Palestinians should have united them, but the dispute between Fatah and Hamas only got worse. The PA couldn't deliver the diplomatic solution it worked so hard towards. The Palestinian resistance lacked a pragmatic political programme. In the end, Hamas did the unthinkable: it ran in elections and won, without even recognising the Oslo Accords that allowed elections to take place. Hamas, many hoped, would change tack once in power. A change ultimately happened, but it was rather timid. Hamas offered Israel a 10-year truce and said it didn't discount direct negotiations with the Israelis. Some people warned Hamas of the dilemmas ahead. It is one thing to be an armed resistance movement and another to be in office running national affairs. Once Hamas formed its government, many said that both Hamas and Fatah should learn to get along. So far that hasn't happened. Now Palestinian blood has been shed. But this is no time for settling scores. Palestinians need to work together and present the world with a united front. They should keep in mind that Israel, humiliated in Lebanon, is ready for another military adventure. Palestinian divisions will only help their enemies.
