It does not appear that the talks between Palestinian factions in Cairo have led to a breakthrough. So deep is the rivalry between the leaders of Fatah and Hamas that putting them in the same room alone was, if it happened, an achievement in itself. It would have been the first meeting between President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Khaled Meshaal of Hamas in over a year to discuss how to implement their 2011 deal which was signed but never applied. The rivals fell out badly when Hamas seized control of Gaza from Fatah by force in 2007. The two factions then set up rival administrations in Gaza and the West Bank. The pact they signed in Cairo two years ago was meant to reunify the leadership of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. Instead, what should have been a closing of the ranks and the forming of a unity government that would oversee an election and reform the Palestine Liberation Organization to include Hamas has degenerated into a blame game over continued arrests of Hamas members in the West Bank. Instead of an accord which was meant to pave the way for the formation of a new transitional unity government formed of independents, the two sides are in a deadlock, much to the delight of Israel which holds sway over both the West Bank and Gaza and, not surprisingly, has consistently criticized Palestinian unity efforts. Much of the tension between the groups stems from their competing approaches toward Israel. While Hamas fundamentally rejects the peace process, Abbas is prepared to talk peace. Perhaps above all it is a power struggle in which Abbas is reluctant to accept any format that would imply giving Meshaal a status equivalent to his own. This Palestinian reconciliation is being attempted under the auspices of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist leader whose Muslim Brotherhood is Fatah's big brother. The question is whether the Muslim Brotherhood, following its resounding rise to power in Egypt, can sustain its policy toward the Palestinian cause. In other words, can the Brotherhood link their present with their past; their current position in the seat of government and responsibility with their history in defending the Palestinian cause? Being in the opposition afforded greater leeway to escalate the tenor of rhetoric, while being in government imposes restrictions and necessitates moderation in policies and decisions. There were signs of warming ties between Hamas and Fatah ahead of the Cairo talks. Last week, and for the first time since 2007, Hamas allowed Fatah to hold rallies in Gaza to mark Fatah's 48th anniversary. Meanwhile, last month supporters of Hamas celebrated their movement's founding with a rare rally in the West Bank. The morale boosting victories by Hamas against Israel's assault on Gaza in November, and the diplomatic win by Abbas the same month when the UN voted to recognize Palestine as a non-member state gave both sides the confidence necessary to talk from a position of strength, but it may also have given them the overconfidence in which they believe they do not need each other. Finding the midway point is the key to their return to unity.
