Although, beset with myriad machinations of dictatorial forces and foul play of alien carpetbaggers, the Arab Spring has begun transforming the socio-political landscape of the entire Arab world from Morocco to the borders of Iran like never before. The Arab consciousness is now brimming to overflow, a phenomenon nowhere in evidence more than in Cairo this Wednesday where the erstwhile fratricidal Palestinian leaders turned up to sign a landmark reconciliation agreement.
The unity deal signed in the presence of Fatah leader Mehmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and rival Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal, calls for setting up an interim government to run the West Bank and Gaza Strip and prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections in one year. As Abbas announced to the Palestinians that "we turn forever black page of division", Mashaal said his "real fight is with the Israeli occupier and not the Palestine factions and sons of the one nation". In line with its tradition quite a chunk of the Western media is doubtful about the durability of the agreement.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is making hectic efforts to thwart the expected European Union recognition of a unilaterally declared Palestinian state in September. But his message is not getting across for the simple reason that history is not on his side.
International community, including some of Tel Aviv's traditional friends and allies, seem to be accepting the right of the people of Palestine for their own independent state. More importantly, much to Netanyahu's chagrin, voices from inside Israel calling for recognition of the Palestinian unity government in order to conduct a dialogue and neighbourly relations with the Palestinian state in future gaining momentum. This is indeed a heartening development.
For four years Abbas' Palestinian Authority (PA), which runs the West Bank and Mashaal's Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, were in a state of war. Israeli audacity not to discontinue illegal constructions in West Bank brought about first significant change of heart on the part of Hamas. Its leadership informed President Abbas that should he persevere in his resolve not to join the US-brokered peace negotiations with Israel unless it renewed moratorium on further settlement constructions it would stand by his side.
Abbas stood his ground and Hamas relented on its confrontation with him. But, no less significantly, Abbas has decided to embrace his rivals even when Hamas has refused to give up on its long-standing position that it doesn't recognise the Zionist entity and will never even after state of Palestine comes into being. But for the new wind sweeping across the entire Arab world it would have been difficult for the Fatah leadership to endorse this position. The Fatah leader hopes that this unity will advance Palestinians' liberation from the Israeli occupation after 20 years in which neither they nor their Arab partners have managed to change Israel's positions.
The Cairo agreement gives the people of Palestine one voice and one direction and thus unites the Arab world in rendering united support to the cause of an independent state of Palestine at various regional and international forums. But more than that it's the strong possibility that Mahmoud Abbas or Abu Mazen may ask the UN General Assembly to recognise a Palestinian state in all of the West Bank and Gaza.