Reconciliation Attempts in Palestinian Politics and their Implications for the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Recent talks between Palestinian political factions and the Arab League Summit may be a step in the right direction but are unlikely to result in concrete changes to the Palestinian issue. If Palestine wants to present a more unified political force, it must resolve the rift between its major rivaling factions and follow this reconciliation deal with more consistent attempts at uniting. Statehood depends on a cohesive Palestine as well as concrete support from other Arab nations, like Algeria, in opposition to Israel. Other states in the region should be willing to facilitate talks and strengthen their relationship with Palestine while distancing themselves from Israel. 

On October 13, 2022, 14 Palestinian political factions signed a reconciliation deal following two days of talks in Algeria. This agreement is significant partly because major rivaling factions Fatah and Hamas signed it. Among the outcomes of the agreement are developments made to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) structure, including plans for presidential and parliamentary elections. The PLO has been the sole representative body for Palestine since the Arab Summit in 1974 and aims for Palestinian statehood as its main goal. This will be the first time the presidential and parliamentary elections have taken place since they were canceled last year by Mahmoud Abbas, president of the PLO. 

Skeptics are concerned about the ability of the talks in Algeria to bring about concrete changes. The deep and longstanding rift between Hamas and Fatah undermines the efficacy of this agreement. Palestinian political unity is still difficult to achieve and is not immediately reachable even with the reconciliation deal. There is an added obstacle to Palestinian elections in the limitations Palestinians in Israeli-controlled land face in casting their absentee votes. The intractability of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has inhibited the efforts made toward Palestinian statehood, which the PLO spearheads. The expansion of settlements in the West Bank and violent attacks against Palestinian civilians threaten any advances made toward Palestine’s chances for statehood. 

Israel recently attempted to normalize its formal ties with Arab states through the 2020 Abraham Accords. By doing so, it was an attempt at reconciling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Accords resulted in Israel’s establishment of diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.  While Israel improved its relations with Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar, there have been no visible changes for Palestinians. The most tangible outcomes at the state level include bilateral trade and commerce, yet perceptions of Israel have not changed among the general Arab public. Despite policies and agreements made at the international level, the policy of Arab nations is to side with Palestinians. Formal ties between Israel and the Arab states reflect economic concerns more strongly than socio-political ones.

Those monitoring the situation apply a similar skeptical lens to Palestine's recent reconciliation deal with the Arab League Summit in early November. Observers were pessimistic about the efficacy of the summit, especially since one of the main issues to be discussed is Palestine. Historically, the Arab League has not demonstrated the ability to make decisions and represent a cohesive Arab voice efficiently. The last time the Arab League Summit convened in totality was in 2019, although Arab League countries also gathered in 2020 for the Abraham Accords. Observers expected the Palestine issue would be among the topics of consensus during the Summit. Even states with formal and informal ties to Israel, meaning states that either signed the Abraham Accords or have improved relations with Israel, were likely to demonstrate support for the Palestinian cause. However, tangible accomplishments for the Palestine issue proved unlikely. While the Arab League states discussed Palestine, its statehood, and the need for protection of Muslim sites in Jerusalem, they primarily reiterated these issues rather than suggesting any solutions. Additionally, the heads of state of the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco declined to attend, demonstrating divisions between pro-Palestinian states and Abraham Accords states.

The intractability of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict makes concrete changes from both the reconciliation deal and the recent Arab Summit unlikely. However, there are policies that could have positive implications for a resolution to the crisis including the possibility of Palestinian statehood. The recent involvement of Algeria as a host and moderator for the reconciliation deal and the Arab Summit demonstrates the influence that other states have,  particularly other Arab states. States like Qatar, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia publicly supported the Palestinian cause and could further extend this support towards mediation as a form of more direct involvement.

The reconciliation deal among Palestine’s political factions is significant partly because it demonstrates a more cohesive oppositional front to Israel. Even if political unity among Palestinian factions is still unlikely, if more states were to directly involve themselves with the issue of Palestine like Algeria has, concrete changes would become a more realistic possibility. States outside the Arab world, such as the United States, could also have a tangible impact on Palestinian political issues. Even if nothing concrete results from the agreement and from the recent Arab League Summit, these efforts are still a step in the right direction, particularly since this is the first time in years that talks have taken place. 

Further actions that could result in tangible benefits for Palestine include states like Qatar, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, who have formerly cast their support for Palestine, facilitating political talks to become more directly involved in this situation and form a more coherent force against Israel. 

Author: Brianna Zimmermann

Managing Editor: Aidan Christopherson

Web Editor: Shreya Lad