This diary is cross-posted at my commentary site.
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Political fault lines in the Palestinian territories are shifting – altering the landscapes both on the streets and in the halls of government.
At the state level, there has been a sudden flurry of activity by Palestinian leaders – particularly those in the Palestinian Authority – activity that appears to be inching both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority towards some form of reconciliation (likely to be limited in scope).
However, those first four words – at the state level – are the operative ones, for as Amira Hass noted in a recent Haaretz feature, Palestinians on the street are conflicted about how the rift dividing Hamas and the PA should be addressed.
While there is an element of young activists actively pushing for, and supporting, reconciliation between Hamas and the PA, it seems that many Palestinians view their leaders' reconciliation efforts as nothing more than a distraction from the conflict with Israel. True unity, they argue, should manifest itself through a cooperative struggle against a common enemy rather than through bargaining sessions and internal reconciliation efforts.
It is a different group, though, that may end up having the greatest influence on the political landscape in the territories, a group largely uninterested in this prospective PA-Hamas unity. This group, comprised of a growing number of Palestinians and inspired by what they witnessed in Cairo, is pushing to jettison Hamas and the PA for an entirely new leadership, one that can represent all Palestinians, including those living in the West Bank, Gaza, Israel and abroad.
Which begs the question: could Palestine be the next Egypt?