World

A new hope for Palestine?

August 14, 2009
Gaza under siege: but by whom?
Gaza under siege: but by whom?

While few would claim that Israel has made life easy for Palestinians, it's also true that Palestine's warring leaders have long kept their own people under siege too. The ongoing power struggle between Fatah and Hamas has made it near impossible for the peace process to move forward. But as Hamas's popularity wanes, is there a new glimmer of hope?

In a Prospect web exclusive article free to read online this week, Jo-Ann Mort reports on the Fatah conference that took place in Bethlehem earlier this month—the first in 20 years. Although Hamas banned their delegates from attending, and although one of the only figures who might unify the Palestinians, Marwan Barghouti, remains in an Israeli jail serving 5 life sentences, she detected some reasons for cautious optimism. The meeting, she writes, "showed democracy in action, the type that the White House would no doubt like to see throughout the Arab world, with real debate and clean elections." Needless to say, however, much more needs to be done.

Mort has visited both the Fatah-controlled West Bank and the Hamas-run Gaza strip, and has spoken to key insiders in all camps: Fatah, Hamas and the Israeli government. To read and comment on her article click here.