By Danny Rubinstein The unilateral concept now seems, after the events in Lebanon and Gaza, to be dying. No more unilateral convergence. Along with it may die its twin sibling: the separation wall. What use is there for a wall when war is fought with Katyushas, Qassams and kidnappings? When the wall's path followed the Green Line, it was one thing, but when it started to penetrate into the West Bank, and particularly into the Jerusalem area - it became a delusional annexation plan that is nearly impossible to carry out, other than with suffering, discrimination and exploitation that cannot last in the long run.
The only alternative to unilateralism has been and remains striving for an agreement. The Palestinians are requesting it and in recent days have been working toward it. Last week Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was in Gaza for three days during which he had long conversations with senior Hamas figures. For the first time Abbas convened the PA's National Security Council in Gaza, for a meeting which included Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and Interior Minister Saeed Seyam, who is in charge of the PA's internal security apparatus.
The first issue at hand was the establishment of a national unity government. All the Palestinian political elements understand that the embargo on the Hamas government, which is imposed by most of the world and led by the United States, Europe and of course Israel, must be bypassed. How should it be done? Establishment of a new government, whose make-up is not solely based on one party, Hamas, as it is today. Theoretically speaking the road leading to such a government is paved. Haniyeh managed to get all factions to agree on a "lull," and indeed the Qassam firing has almost ceased. There is also an agreed political plan that contains an indirect acknowledgment of Israel - the "Prisoners' Document," and theoretically all that remains is to decide on appointments to the new government.
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The Israeli government acts as if the Palestinian political running around does not concern it. Business proceeds as usual with the uprooting of olive trees, lately in the village of Zbuba in the Jenin district, and the expropriation of lands for use of the wall and the settlements (last week complaints came from the areas of Susiya, Halhoul, Beit Omar and Al-Arub in Mount Hebron, and from Tul Karm and Paron in Samaria). Raids, assassinations and arrests continue, the last of which was of Deputy Prime Minister Nasser al-Shaer of Hamas, who was taken from his Ramallah home and joined the dozens of Hamas politicians, including ministers and Parliament members, who are imprisoned in Israel. Related to this or not, various organizations' cells in the West Bank are preparing for attacks, and as usual there is no end to the abuses at the checkpoints, which, apart from the women of Machsom Watch, no longer bother anyone in Israel.
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