The Palestinian factions, divided for more than 15 years, signed Thursday in Algiers a new reconciliation agreement, which promises legislative and presidential elections within a year.
The 14 factions, including the rivals of Islamist Hamas and secular Fatah, have agreed on a document called the “Declaration of Algiers”, solemnly initialed by as many heads of delegation in front of the Algerian television cameras.
In recent years, Fatah and Hamas have concluded numerous agreements or understandings providing for elections and a unity government, among other things, none of which have materialized.
The signing ceremony, preceded by Algerian and Palestinian anthems, took place in front of a large audience made up of members of the government, leaders of Algerian parties and ambassadors from Arab countries.
The declaration was signed in the Palais des Nations where, on November 15, 1988, the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Yasser Arafat, “announced the creation of a Palestinian state”, underlined the Algerian President, Abdelmajid Tebboune.
“We signed this agreement to get rid of the malignant cancer that has penetrated the Palestinian body: division,” said Azzam al-Ahmad, head of the Fatah delegation, saying he was “optimistic that the agreement will be implemented. work and will not remain as ink on paper”.
Hamas leader Ismaïl Haniyeh hailed for his part “a day of joy for Palestine and Algeria and for those who love the Palestinian cause. But it is a sad day for the Zionist entity (Israel),” he added.
Two systems
The “Algiers Declaration” provides for elections by October 2023 for the presidency and for the Palestinian Legislative Council, which serves as a parliament for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
The polls scheduled for 2021, the first in 15 years, had been postponed indefinitely by Palestinian Authority President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas, arguing that they were not “guaranteed” to take place in East Jerusalem, portion of the city occupied and annexed by Israel.
This decision was castigated by Hamas.
The last legislative elections, in 2006, had led to a victory for the armed Islamist movement – considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union – which had been recognized neither by Fatah nor by the international community.
A year and a half later, in 2007, bloody clashes opposed the two camps, leading to the birth of two separate political systems: the Palestinian Authority sits in the West Bank, a territory occupied by Israel since 1967 where 2.8 million Palestinians. The Gaza enclave, home to 2.3 million people, is ruled by Hamas and has been under Israeli blockade ever since.
“History”
The meeting, strongly desired by Algeria, was held shortly before an Arab League summit scheduled in the Algerian capital on November 1 and 2 .
On Wednesday, the Algerian president paid a “courtesy” visit to the participants, in order to “encourage” them to seal their reconciliation.
“We appreciate Algeria’s efforts for Palestinian unity and to face the Zionist occupation,” said Anwar Abou Taha, member of the political bureau of Islamic Jihad, another Palestinian armed group.
At the last minute, however, a paragraph on forming a government of national unity was dropped from the final text.
Fatah demanded that the participants of such an executive conform “to international legitimacy”, according to sources familiar with the discussions. A point that Hamas opposed.
Doubts about the reconciliation of rival factions have also been fueled by the absence of President Abbas who is currently in Kazakhstan.
Palestinian political analyst Khalil Chahine praised “the positive atmosphere of the discussions”, but, he told AFP, “the document presented by Algeria is general and does not go into details”. .
The Algerian president launched an initiative at the end of 2021 to reconcile Fatah and Hamas, and managed in early July to bring together President Abbas and Ismaïl Haniyeh in Algiers, a meeting described as “historic”.
