(Hudson Institute-New York) Khaled Abu Toameh - Each time Fatah and Hamas announce that they are close to ending their dispute, the Palestinians quickly discover that the two rival parties are not telling the truth. In fact, the two parties have a common interest in maintaining the status quo for as long as ever. Fatah is now sitting in the West Bank and benefiting from the millions of dollars that are being poured into its coffers every month. Ironically, Israel's security presence in the West Bank is one of the main reasons why Abbas and Fayyad are still in power. The Fatah leaders know that the day Israel withdraws from the West Bank, Hamas will become so strong that it will seize control of the area in a matter of days or weeks. For Hamas, the status quo is good because the Islamist movement continues to control Gaza without facing real challenges. Both Fatah and Hamas know that unity means losing the financial backing of their patrons in the West and Tehran and the Arab world.
2011-12-02 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive