NEWS | Wednesday, 01 April 2009

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Palestinians cynical about Arab unity

Karl Schembri in Ramallah

As Arab leaders in Qatar were striving to forge some kind of unity among their states, Palestinians in Ramallah were largely dismissive of the Summit and the rhetoric of unity surroundingit.
Dubbed as “the Arab reconciliation summit” by Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Al Malki amid a general positive mood preceding the Doha summit – including pledges to reconstruct Gaza and seek reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas – Palestinians in the streets around Al Manarah Square made it clear that they harboured no illusions.
“Just like the past 200 summits and the next 300, nothing will come out of this one, just nothing,” said Naser Abd Al Hadi, the owner of the popular Zeit u Za’atar restaurant. “They are meetings for kings and sultans, not for us. Until there is democracy in the Middle East, there will never be unity.”
Hiba Abu Rijla, a 20 year-old woman studying commerce at Bir Zeit University, was equally cynical. “They will come back with no results, as has happened in all the previous summits. It’s always the same story. They will pose for the photos, say there is a positive mood, and everything will be forgotten.”
A carpet seller who did not want to be named said: “I don’t know anything about the summit and I don’t want to know.”
And while criticism was not spared for the leaders meeting in the remote Qatari capital, Hamas and Fatah were no less than lambasted for squandering money intended for reconstruction and development.
“I don’t believe in these summits,” said fish vendor Dris Natour. “They’re always the same, always a failure, never producing results for the people. That’s why the people have no faith in them. The leaders might pledge some money for Fatah and Hamas, and all they will do is go and gamble it. It’s a disaster for the people.”
At the El Ghoetah takeaway, Ahmed Zit, 45, had a fatalistic outlook about the prospects of unity between Hamas and Fatah, slamming the power struggles taking place both between and within the factions.
“It’s always been like that and that’s how it will remain, while the people continue suffering.” Hamad Liftawi, the owner of a clothes shop, said Arab states will be “asked” to close all Hamas offices in their countries. “Hamas does not represent us, and it will have to accept the closing down of its offices abroad even if it doesn’t want to, because Israel will start negotiating directly with the Syrians,” he said.
Mr Liftawi lamented the limelight reserved for the Sudanese President, Omar Al Bashir, who saw Arab leaders rallying around him in support following last week’s issuance of an international arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
“The Summit has been stolen by Al Bashir,” he said.
Even two police officers directing traffic in the same street were pessimistic about the prospects of unity.
“As in past Summits, nothing will come out of this for the Palestinian people,” one of the officers said. “It’s a routine meeting leading to nothing. We’re used to it now. Of course we pray to God that Fatah and Hamas seek some kind of unity one day, but this will not happen in this summit.”
His colleague was cautiously optimistic. “There will be a movement towards unity, somehow, after this summit, but nothing direct,” he said.
In stark contrast, IT consultant Khalifa Abd Al Moti said the struggles between Hamas and Fatah will, in the long term, prove beneficial for Palestinians.
“I’m sure it will be a good summit. It will bring advantages for Arab unity and for Palestine in general. Of course the infighting between Hamas and Fatah is bad for the Palestinian Authority. I’d like to see unity but this will come later. I think the summit will pave the way for that. Both of them will be in government. Fatah and Hamas want to appoint their own people in government, and that’s good because we will get the best. It’s like free competition.”
Egypt and Saudi Arabia are staunch supporters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, while Syria, Qatar and Iran have been backing Hamas since it ousted Abbas’s Fatah loyalists from the Gaza Strip in deadly factional fighting in June 2007.
Since the 22-day Israeli war on Gaza last January, Egypt has been leading negotiations for reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, which are due to resume on 1 April after disagreements on the composition of a unity government.
Saed El Sawry, a hawker from Nablus selling strawberries in Al Manarah Square, expressed his hope for a united future.
“It’s a bit embarrassing for us,” he confessed regarding the internal strife. “Hopefully it will work out for the Palestinian people, insh’allah.”

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