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    February 16, 2012

Will Fatah/Hamas Accord Affect Mideast Peace Process?

   André de Nesnera
   Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin
   Khalifa al-Thani and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal (L-R) talk before an
   agreement signing ceremony in Doha, Qatar, February 6, 2012.
   Photo: Reuters
   Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin
   Khalifa al-Thani and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal (L-R) talk before an
   agreement signing ceremony in Doha, Qatar, February 6, 2012.

   []Two rival Palestinian organizations, Hamas and Fatah, agreed on a
   power-sharing accord earlier this month. In this report from
   Washington, VOA Senior Correspondent Andre de Nesnera looks at what
   effect - if any - the accord will have on the Middle East peace
   process.
   The power-sharing agreement was brokered by the Emir of Qatar and
   signed in Doha by the leader of Fatah - Palestinian Authority President
   Mahmoud Abbas - and Khalid Meshal, leader of Hamas.
   The accord calls for Abbas to lead an interim unity government that
   will prepare for new presidential and parliamentary elections this
   year.

   Challenges ahead
   Fawaz Gerges, Middle East expert with the London School of Economics,
   welcomes the accord. But he says many challenges lie ahead given what
   he calls the "deficit of trust" between the Fatah and Hamas
   leaderships.
   'This particular rivalry has been going on for years," said Gerges.
   "Grievances have become deeply entrenched. Vested interests exist
   within Fatah and Hamas to maintain the status quo. Fatah is the ruling
   authority in the West Bank, and Hamas the governing body in Gaza. How
   do you dismantle deeply entrenched interests? How do you reconcile the
   ranks between the two movements? This is the first step in a million
   mile journey between the two rival movements.'
   The U.S. State Department reacted cautiously to the unity accord,
   saying it is seeking more information. The United States and Israel
   consider Hamas a terrorist group.
   'One or the other - not both'
   For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was clear when
   he said President Abbas can have either a pact with Hamas or peace with
   Israel. It's one or the other, he said - not both.
   Gerges says Netanyahu's statement was expected. 'It doesn't matter what
   Hamas does. Netanyahu's position is ideological - Hamas is evil, Hamas
   is the enemy of the peace process. Mahmoud Abbas can either have peace
   or have reconciliation with Hamas. Well the reason why Mahmoud Abbas,
   the leader of Fatah is trying to reconcile with Hamas, is because there
   is no peace,' he said.
   The latest negotiations for a lasting peace between Israel and the
   Palestinians have been stalled for more than a year.
   Key issues are the geographic outlines of a new Palestinian state, the
   status of Jerusalem, the return of Palestinian refugees and the
   construction of Jewish settlements in occupied territories.
   Analysts say one major stumbling block to the peace process is the
   division in Palestinian leadership - the Palestinians are not speaking
   with one voice.

   Effect
   John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, says this
   might happen now that there is a Fatah/Hamas unity government.
   'Yes, but you also have Hamas not renouncing terrorism, not recognizing
   Israel's right to exist, not signaling its agreement with all of the
   previous agreements between Israel and Palestinians - and that has
   always been a precondition to recognizing Hamas as a legitimate partner
   for peace,' he said.
   Alon Ben-Meir, a Middle East expert with New York University, says the
   Fatah/Hamas accord is crucial for the peace process. 'It is impossible
   to make peace only with the Palestinian Authority on the West Bank and
   leave Hamas to its own devices. That isn't going to work. So any peace
   agreement will require, by necessity, some kind of - not necessarily a
   unity agreement - but some kind of collaboration, cooperation between
   Hamas and Fatah,' he said.
   But for Fawaz Gerges, the Fatah/Hamas power-sharing agreement
   represents a gift for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
   'Netanyahu will say look, Abbas has chosen an unholy alliance with
   Hamas and thus since Hamas, in his eyes, is the enemy of peace, I don't
   have to make any changes, I don't have to stop the building of
   settlements, I don't even have to put any concessions on the table -
   the end of the story,' said Gerges.
   Many experts say the United States must play a more active role in
   order to revive the Middle East peace process. But they also expect
   little progress in the months ahead because it is a presidential
   election year in the United States.
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References

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