With leaders on both sides of the Palestinian political divide claiming they are ready for reconciliation, the people have taken to the street to demand it, writes Khaled Amayreh Thousands of Palestinians representing various political orientations took to the streets Tuesday, 15 March, demanding national unity and a speedy end to the enduring rift between Fatah and Hamas. The rallies were originally organised by Facebook activists and the Palestinian youth, but were soon joined by leftist and independent groups as well as supporters of Fatah and Hamas. Both Hamas and Fatah have sought to direct the protests in their favour. Both movements praised the protests, voicing their readiness to embrace national unity. Protesters carried placards and shouted slogans, urging the governments in Ramallah and Gaza to abandon their partisan agendas and immediately start forming a government of national unity. Among the slogans voiced in Ramallah, where more than 5,000 showed up for the rally, were "Abbas, Haniyeh, Palestine is the essence!" and "Ending the division is the way for liberation!" Leaflets distributed by the protesters urged both governments to release political detainees, foster civil liberties and prepare for democratic elections. Imitating the main slogan of the Egyptian revolution ("The people want to bring the regime down"), protesters shouted, "The people want to end the division!" Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas voiced his support for the protests, saying it was time to end both inter-Palestinian divisions and the Israeli occupation. "For our part, we have done what we had to do; we built the institutions of statehood, we have done our utmost efforts to end divisions, and we have called for organising national elections. We have also emphasised the need to lift the siege on Gaza," he said. Other PA officials spoke along the same lines, suggesting that the key to national unity was in Hamas's hands. Toward the evening, slogans were heard in Ramallah criticising the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and lambasting the Oslo Accords, drawing a violent reaction from plain-clothed Fatah security personnel. A minor scuffle took place between the Fatah men and some leftist protesters, but was soon under control. In Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, prime minister of the Hamas-led government, called for an urgent meeting between Fatah and Hamas officials in Gaza, or in any other agreed- upon place, to discuss all outstanding contentious issues. "I invite brother Abu Mazen [Abbas] to an urgent meeting in which we can discuss all outstanding matters including all obstacles impeding national unity so that we translate our sincere inclinations into national reconciliation. I am talking about a comprehensive national dialogue that would lead to a lasting national reconciliation and unity," he said. Earlier, thousands of Hamas supporters joined pro-unity activists at Unknown Soldier Square in central Gaza, turning the site into a mass of the green Islamist banners. This infuriated Fatah and other secular protesters who moved en masse to Kateba Square several blocks away. Hamas, which had earlier facilitated the event and provided logistical support, warned the protesters it wouldn't allow them to camp overnight. The protesters defied the authorities, leading to them being dispersed by force. Some of the protesters called Hamas's security personnel baltagiya, or thugs, a provocative epithet that made the Hamas authorities visibly angry and more determined to bring the crowd under control. Some of the more enthusiastic protesters said they would remain camped in public squares in both Gaza and Ramallah until division between Hamas and Fatah was over and until a government of national unity formed. Most protesters had dispersed by the evening. But organisers promised more actions in the future to keep the pressure on. The protesters, many of them carried away in their zeal to imitate other Arab uprisings, appeared to overlook the fact that all Palestinians languish under foreign military occupation that ultimately calls the shots. For example, the formation of a national unity government between Hamas and Fatah would necessitate an end to all security coordination between Israel and the PA, which would jeopardise the very existence and survival of the Ramallah-based Palestinian government. The formation of such a government would also prompt the Jewish-friendly US Congress to pressure the Obama administration to cut off financial aid to the PA government. Similarly, the fact of Israeli occupation makes near impossible the holding of fair and transparent elections through which Palestinians can freely choose their representatives. Moreover, Israel has given every indication that it will not tolerate Hamas taking part in any future elections in the West Bank. The occupation authorities arrested and imprisoned nearly all Palestinian Islamist lawmakers for an average of four years following the 2006 elections. In the last few months, Israel started re- arresting and re-imprisoning freed Hamas lawmakers. Hence, one can wonder how Palestinian officials speak seriously of holding elections in the West Bank under such circumstances. Some Palestinian intellectuals believe that demanding national unity is too ambitious given the facts on the ground. "I think that we should begin with trying to achieve modest goals, such as coordinating positions and unifying our respective media discourse. There are many issues on which we have complete concordance, let us begin with these issues," said Mamoun Maraka, an Islamist intellectual in Hebron. "If we keep insisting on the everything or nothing approach, I am afraid we will remain disunited for a long time to come," Maraka added. Israel has said it won't allow any serious rapprochement between Fatah and Hamas, as this would endanger Israeli interests. The US, meanwhile, continues to reject the inclusion of Hamas in any national unity government, citing the group's refusal to recognise Israel, refusal to renounce resistance against the Israeli occupation, and refusal to recognise the Oslo Accords. Hamas insists on rejecting all bilateral and multilateral agreements that compromise inalienable Palestinian rights, including the right of millions of Palestinian refugees for repatriation and restitution.
