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Egypt key to Palestinian reconciliation

The future of Palestinian reconciliation depends more on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi than it does on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas or Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh.
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Visiting Ramallah these days, one senses festivity among many over the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation. A well-known Palestinian public opinion pollster told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that, despite Palestinian skepticism, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip both display a groundswell of support for the reconciliation agreement signed in Cairo on Oct. 12. “People are fed up with the political bickering between the two movements on account of the interest of the Palestinian people. Although there is not much love lost between the supporters of the movements, or even between West Bankers and Gazans, most of the public believes that greater unity is in their interest,” he argued.

These public sentiments, the pollster estimates, were the main reason President Mahmoud Abbas went along with the Egyptian terms of the agreement. His standing in public opinion is far from glorious and there is an active discussion in Ramallah of an heir.

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