The Palestinian factions signed the Algiers Declaration for Palestinian reconciliation, following amendments that included removing the clause pertaining to the formation of a national unity government that adheres to international legitimacy.
Munir al-Jaghoub, an official in the Fatah movement’s commission, said that the factions signed the declaration, which included nine articles stressing the representative position of the PLO, and the need to unify and rebuild the political system through comprehensive elections.
The text of the Algiers declaration, which was published by the Palestinian factions, emphasized the importance of national unity as a basis for steadfastness, and for confronting and resisting the occupation. It also called for the achievement of the legitimate goals of the Palestinian people, and for adopting the language of dialogue and consultation to resolve differences.
The final agreement was reached after deleting a clause that included “the formation of a national unity government that adheres to international legitimacy and enjoys the support of various factions, and whose main task is to implement a unified national strategy to confront the occupation, and to take into account the dangerous developments on the regional and international arenas and their repercussions on the future of the Palestinian cause.”
Sources in Ramallah told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hamas movement objected to the clause and asked to remove the “commitment to international legitimacy.” Fatah refused and later demanded that the clause be deleted.
Walid Al-Awad, a member of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian People’s Party, said that any agreement that does not stipulate the formation of a unified government that works on the unity of institutions, prepares for elections and addresses crises, will be like “throwing dust in the eyes.”
“Despite the positive expressions in the Algiers Declaration, the agreement means managing the division on the one hand, and continuing to work within agreements with the occupation, on the other,” he added.
The Fatah and Hamas movements have signed many agreements over the past years, all of which could not be executed.
Political analyst Muhammad Hawash told Asharq Al-Awsat that he saw no difference between previous agreements and the recent declaration, stressing that the latter was formulated in a way that does not meet the needs of the unified political system and the situation in Palestine.
The agreement is “meaningless, unless it is combined with practical and operational steps to end the division,” he stated.
