The outcome of talks in Cairo between Palestinian factions is still uncertain, writes Saleh Al-Naami Although the weather remains hotter than normal, Ali Al-Zaidi, 45, who lives in the district of Al-Sheikh Radwan north of Gaza City, went out last Saturday to buy an umbrella in case of rain. Having an umbrella is a matter of distinct importance for Al-Zaidi, since he is one of a few in Gaza who roam the streets and residential areas persuading people to pressure the leaders of Fatah and Hamas to end internal divisions, which Al-Zaidi believes represent a "dire national crisis". "My comrades and I are coaxing the people to put an end to the divisions, but another year is closing without an end to this tragedy," Al-Zaidi confided to Al-Ahram Weekly. "We have no other choice but to continue our fight to make this goal a success. That is why it is important for me to buy an umbrella so that changes of weather do not pose an obstacle to my work." While Al-Zaidi insists he does not have a pessimistic bone in his body, he is not very optimistic about the anticipated re-launch of inter-Palestinian dialogue in Cairo. "If there was a sense of responsibility, there would not have been a need for me and my comrades to organise ourselves this way in order to convince people to make a move," he noted. As representatives from all Palestinian factions head to Cairo to respond to Egyptian ideas about how to end internal divisions, Al-Zaidi is distrustful of Fatah and Hamas's intentions. An informed source told the Weekly that despite the fact that all Palestinian factions have expressed reservations about the Egyptian plan, unlike in the past everyone is willing to show flexibility in order to make Egyptian efforts a success. The general sense is that if this round of talks fails then all hope will be lost to end the rift. Sources cited the fact that Hamas Political Bureau Chief Khaled Meshaal will lead the Hamas delegation in the dialogue -- an indicator that it is being taken seriously. Meshaal reportedly told several Palestinian figures who visited him in Damascus that his movement will show much flexibility in order to make the next round successful. For his part, leading Hamas figure Ismail Radwan told the Weekly that the movement has submitted several points in response to the Egyptian proposal, including reaching a one package deal covering all issues to be implemented simultaneously. Second, the restructuring of the security apparatus should include forces in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip simultaneously, and not just Gaza. Third, elections should not be held until inter-Palestinian reconciliation is achieved. Fourth, Hamas rejected the Egyptian suggestion of changing the electoral system since it proposes the election of 25 per cent of representatives according to districts, while the remainder is elected on the basis of relative quotas. Fifth, it wanted clarification on the scope, mission and power of the joint committee that will be responsible for the administration of the Gaza Strip until legislative and presidential elections are held. It further argued that this committee should be in charge of both Gaza and the West Bank. Finally, Hamas also wants guarantees that any agreement reached regarding political detainees will be implemented. Radwan insisted that his movement has shown flexibility in previous talks, and blamed Fatah for reneging on previously agreed understandings as a result of outside pressure. He called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to hasten the forging of Palestinian unity, especially after the failure of last week's three-way meeting between him, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama at the UN General Assembly. "He should not count on outside factors," advised Radwan. Meanwhile, the Islamic Jihad has submitted its response to the Egyptian side, according to Mohamed El-Hendi, member of its political bureau. This included a number of requests for clarifications, such as keeping the institutions of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA), and not assuming that members of the Palestinian parliament are members of the Palestinian National Council (which is considered the PLO's legislative body). Also, that reform of the PLO should be based on the Egypt-sponsored 2005 agreement between the Palestinian factions, which stipulates that Hamas and the Islamic Jihad be incorporated under the PLO umbrella. Another official Palestinian source told the Weekly that despite the importance of the Egyptian proposal, it requires some revisions unrelated to the positions of the Palestinian factions. For example, the plan does not make any reference to a timeline for implementation. "Without a timeline and mechanisms for implementation, the parties can procrastinate and waste time," cautioned the source. Some parties, he added, have made suggestions to make the Egyptian plan more capable of achieving Palestinian national reconciliation. The most important of these ideas is revising the clause regarding the faction committee that would be charged with administering Gaza. An alternative suggestion is the creation of a government, without a political platform, to be in charge of paving the way for legislative and presidential elections. At the same time, several contentious issues such as the future of the PLO should be postponed, and agreement should be reached on the electoral system. Ibrahim Abul-Naga, a leading figure in Fatah, believes that "it would be a shame to miss the opportunity to discuss the Egyptian suggestions in Cairo." Abul-Naga told the Weekly that despite the fact that there are no more issues that require extensive discussion, the national dialogue has entered its second year without any results. "All the issues have been discussed at length, and the world community is holding us responsible for what is taking place," he stated. The Fatah leader called on all sides to abandon their agendas and myopic outlooks for the sake of national dialogue, and end bilateral talks to make way for a comprehensive national dialogue. All parties should respect each other, Abul-Naga asserted, noting that the nation and the people continue to be threatened by an unrelenting Israel. Many Palestinian observers believe the margins of manoeuvrability for the governments of Ramallah and Gaza are almost non-existent. The government of Gaza realises that managing the backlash of a strangulating siege has become very difficult or almost impossible. The continued siege is cutting down Hamas's popularity on the street, since the current situation has inhibited its freedom to swap between resistance and governance. At a recent panel discussion in Gaza attended by a large number of political analysts, there was consensus that Hamas realises that its very existence relies on its role as a resistance movement. However, it has been unable to continue targeting Israel because it acknowledges that resistance negatively affects its ability to provide services to the people, as witnessed after the latest Israeli assault on Gaza. Observers point out that the same applies to Fatah, whose political platform has lost credibility after Obama stopped calling on Israel to freeze settlements. In response to the Palestinian political situation, a pressure group was created in the Gaza Strip to resolve problems resulting from the siege and internal divisions. Tala Okal, writer and spokesman for the group that comprises more than 300 members, said the group would try to find solutions for problems such as border closures, health, education, electricity and water. The group comprises businessmen, academics, writers, representatives of civil society and public figures. It also includes the chairmen of the three universities in Gaza. So far, the group has held five meetings and is concerned with prioritising people's grievances that politicians have ignored. Okal realises that while this new group cannot reopen the Rafah Crossing, it can demand that citizens are not humiliated at the border and lobby to put an end to this suffering. He emphasised that the new group is not a political party and does not represent a political movement. "It is neutral to all sides in the internal quarrel," he stated. "We want to serve the Palestinian individual." In the next few days all eyes will be on Cairo.
