There should be no delay in instituting a comprehensive national Palestinian dialogue, writes Ibrahim Nafie Arabs are exerting strenuous efforts to provide financial assistance to the Palestinian people. They are also trying to persuade international parties, especially the Quartet, that the Palestinians are ready for a negotiated peace settlement. Meanwhile, things are going out of hand in the Palestinian territories. Chaos in Palestinian streets matches the conflict among politicians. The Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian government led by Ismail Haniyeh are at loggerheads, in style as well as vision. There are two diametrically opposed agendas on the Palestinian scene. On the one hand, we have President Abbas who believes in a peaceful settlement in accordance with international resolutions and through Quartet-sponsored talks. On the other hand, we have the Hamas government, whose programme underlines that armed resistance is the only way to win all of Palestine back. Hamas pays little heed to international resolutions and sees no point in negotiations; at least its programme doesn't, the same programme that brought it into office following a landslide victory in the recent legislative elections. While the Palestinians remain divided between two contradictory agendas, the Israeli government is telling the world that it has no credible Palestinian peace partner. Israel is getting the Quartet on its side. It is getting major donors to consider the discontinuation of all forms of assistance to the Palestinian people. Some, such as French President Jacques Chirac, believe that humanitarian aid must reach the Palestinians through an internationally supervised trust fund. Israel is benefiting from the current Palestinian deadlock. What better alibi could it hope for? Now it could do what it wants while the world finds Hamas at fault. Meanwhile, the Haniyeh government is trying to adjust its position a little, but it is moving slowly and reluctantly. This is why Abbas has called for a national dialogue on the priorities of the nation, its legitimate rights, and the way of seeking these rights. Abbas has said he's not going to run for a second term in office, so we cannot accuse him of being power- hungry. All he wants is put together a common Palestinian position, a unified national agenda, acceptable to all Palestinian factions. President Abbas wants to restore order and get gunmen off the streets. He wants to refute Israel's claim that no Palestinian partner exists. He wants international financial assistance resumed. And yet his call for dialogue was greeted with less than the enthusiasm it deserves. Many questioned the president's intentions. Others wanted the dialogue to be postponed to mid-May, then again to a later date, which defeats the purpose. As tensions continued, the interior minister decided to form new security force of 3,000 Hamas supporters. Fatah responded in kind, forming a 2,000-strong security force to confront the one formed by Hamas. One Fatah official went as far as calling the Hamas force "illegitimate." Such developments are dangerous. One the one hand, they could lead to civil war. On the other hand, they give the world the impression that the Isrealis were right all along. Olmert's new government must be very pleased, for now it could proceed with its disengagement plan without having to worry about international resolutions or opposition. Is this what the Palestinians want? Hamas and other Palestinian factions should heed the president's call for national dialogue. The Palestinians need to formulate a common national vision. They need to speak as one. Unless they do so, Olmert will get away with his unilateral schemes.
