ISRAEL'S latest military offensive in Gaza, for all its devastation and destruction, has opened a small window of opportunity for those who have been working for Palestinian unity, in particular a Fatah-Hamas rapprochement. Already there are some encouraging signs. The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, used his visit to the beleaguered territory last month to call for reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah. He was the first head of state to visit Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007 leaving only West Bank under Fatah-led Palestinian Authority's jurisdiction. Egypt is moving in the same direction. The announcement about the Hamas-Israel cease-fire was followed by reports that President Mohammed Morsi intends to bring push for internal Palestinian unity as soon as possible. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have announced that they would support Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas' UN bid, slated for Thursday. There is a growing realization that the division between the Palestinians on the one hand and disunity among Arabs on the other is inflicting more damage on the Palestinian cause than repeated Israeli military assaults, as Sheikh Hamad put it aptly in a speech at the Islamic University in Gaza. This is not the first time Qatar is playing a key role in the Palestinian reconciliation process. Earlier this year, the emir brought together Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas' supreme leader in exile, Khaled Meshaal, to make a deal under which Abbas was to lead an interim unity government to pave the way for new elections in the Palestinian territories. Nothing came of the deal as Fatah and Hamas were suspicious of each other even as the US and Israel tried every trick in the book to ensure that they did not have to confront a united Palestinian leadership. Now is the time for both the US and Israel on one side and the Fatah on the other to rethink their strategy. The fact is that the US-Israel maneuver to isolate and eliminate Hamas even at the cost of starving the people of Gaza has failed miserably. Hamas is firmly in control of the territory in spite of economic blockades, political boycotts and military incursions. The people of Gaza have not revolted against Hamas, as US and Israel hoped. Added to this is the total loss of US-backed Fatah's credibility. It has nothing to show for its moderation. Israel continues to build settlements in 22 percent of the territory that is to constitute a Palestinians state. What is more, by forcing Israel to negotiate with a “terrorist” organization, Hamas has effectively rendered the Palestinian Authority irrelevant. The next phase of this week's cease-fire agreement, in which Hamas is to negotiate an end to Israel's blockade of the strip, may meet the fate of final-status negotiations, but there is no denying that Hamas has succeeded in undermining the efficacy of the blockade and in rallying regional support around the Palestinian cause. Fatah has to come to terms with this reality, even if the US does not. If it turns its face against unity either out of fear that in a free and fair election it has little or no chance against its main rival or under pressure from the US, it may face a fate worse than a complete electoral rout.
