Doaa El-Bey followed the writers' calls for both Palestinian as well as Arab reconciliation Now that the war in Gaza appears to have come to an end, all eyes are on ways to avoid a similar confrontation in the future. One of the most effective ways is to bridge the Palestinian differences. The United Arab Emirates independent political daily Al-Bayan pointed to the deterioration in the inter-Palestinian relations anew. The situation appears much more dangerous now when Gaza is just emerging out of the rubble of the Israeli massacre. Contrary to all logic, that deterioration came when all efforts are being directed towards reaching a truce between Gaza and Israel. Given that the Israeli war against Gaza aimed at widening the rift between Fatah and Hamas, and increasing the separation between the West Bank and Gaza, the Palestinians should have reacted by engaging in constructive dialogue in order to reach a détente between the two main factions. However, the editorial expressed surprise that the contrary happened: tension and conflict have reached an unprecedented level as each party directs its arsenal of political weapons against the other. The division, as the editorial emphasised, conforms to Tel Aviv's policies. Since it started, Israel was able to built more settlements, judaise Jerusalem and finally wage its genocide against Gaza. "A truce between Israel and Gaza is required. Equally important is a similar truce between Fatah and Hamas. The former will never last without the latter. In addition, the failure of the latter could lead to the civil confrontations that Israel is aiming at and waiting for," the editorial read. Talal Owkal wrote that this is not possible or appropriate for the Arabs or Palestinians to bet on political changes after the new US President Barack Obama comes to the White House. Although he repeatedly confirmed that he will stick to the two-state solution, he also emphasised that he will abide by protecting Israeli security and that both parts of Jerusalem are the capital of Israel. The writer pointed to a number of facts: first; US policy is drawn up by well established US institutions and it hardly changes from one president to another. Second, the Zionist lobby is very influential in the political decision-making in the US. Regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it is clear that the new management has decided to give the peace process and the negotiations a strong boost. That is why Obama appointed George Mitchell as his peace envoy to the Middle East. However, as Owkal argued, Israel would not stand by and watch until Mitchell takes steps that do not conform to their policies. It has already started criticising Mitchell. Moreover, it is strongly pursuing its policy of imposing changes on the ground to balance any US effort to strike a balance between Israeli plans and Palestinian expectations. The most important tool it is using to reach its target is deepening the Palestinian differences. The Palestinians, in their turn, should realise that their division harms their issue and gives Israel a pretext to usurp their rights. In addition, the Palestinian division has led to a similar division among the Arab states. "Israel is still waging a war against Gaza, but is using political tools like separating the different files and deepening the Palestinian division. Can the Palestinians realise that the core and crux of their issue lies in resuming dialogue and ending division as soon as possible?" he questioned in the Palestinian independent political daily Al-Ayyam. Gamil Al-Zayabi expressed his bitterness that even after the end of the ferocious Israeli aggression against Gaza involving thousands of casualties, the war of words between Hamas and Fatah has restarted. He criticised Hamas for declaring victory in the war although there are over 1,300 dead -- most of them women and children -- and some 5,000 injured. Instead of rising above the differences and conflicts, Khaled Mashaal, in his latest press conference in Damascus, seems to have forgotten about the victims of the war and added a new series of differences. In addition, he heaped criticism on Fatah and accused it of allying with Israel against the Palestinian resistance. Fatah also heaped accusations against Hamas claiming that it is carrying a "separatist project" and stealing and selling the humanitarian aid coming to Gaza. In the London-based political independent daily Al-Hayat, he questioned why the two parties shouldn't rise above their differences and work for the Palestinian national interest. "Apparently the war against Gaza has ended, but in fact it hasn't. And the inter-Palestinian conflict is as serious as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," he concluded. Belal Al-Hassan focussed on the impact of both the Arab and Palestinian divisions. He hailed Gaza's steadfastness before Israel's ferocious 22- day war and stifling blockade. He praised Gaza for refusing to surrender or allow the Israelis to achieve victory. In addition, Gaza's steadfastness gained worldwide support when people around the world protested in support of Gaza. The protests are not only a show of worldwide support for Gaza but for the Palestinian issue as well. The Palestinian issue has not seen such support since 1948, and has led to an unprecedented worldwide denunciation of Israel. However, in light of that, as Hassan saw it, Palestinian division and Arab political division have actually increased. In spite of all the efforts to bridge the Arab rift -- the Egyptian and Turkish mediation, the Doha summit, the Kuwait summit, and King Abdullah's initiative for reconciliation -- the Arab states failed to reach agreement. However, the writer added, in the coming days, the Arab states need to reconsider their strategies regarding the different issues, mainly Israel and the inter-Palestinian differences. They need to decide whether they would negotiate with Israel or confront it, and whether they would take sides with either Fatah or Hamas and deepen their differences, or find a third way in which all the Palestinian and Arab parties could meet. That is, they need to draw up a new Arab strategy which all the Arab states would agree and stick to. "It is our mission in the coming days to outline a new Arab strategy that is engulfed by the spirit of agreement and rises above differences," he wrote in the London-based political daily Asharq Al-Awsat.
