The Palestinian National Reconciliation: Regional and International Implications

After seven years, fragmented Palestine has come together to form a unity government that has implications for the entire Middle East. Unrest and conflict throughout the Middle East prompted compromise, suggests Fadi Elhusseini in the Middle East Monitor. “Developments in Syria and its repercussions in Lebanon have also prompted the Palestinian factions to reconsider their domestic policies.” He explores the future for a united Palestine and the ability to present a single front when negotiating with Israel and Arab neighbors. He suggests that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate, will have trouble reining in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip in addition to managing an array of political, security and financial struggles. The international community expects peaceful resolution of the decades-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Israel could annoy long-time allies and isolate itself by refusing to negotiate with the unified Palestinian government. – YaleGlobal