Palestinian leadership disconnect with cause on display in Egypt

A disconnect with the youth

The scene at the meeting was poignant, with President Mahmoud Abbas, head of the PLO, the PA, and Fatah, in his late eighties, and other leaders not much younger. They are disconnected from the new generations of Palestinians, and some are unknown to the youth.

Furthermore, most of the 11 attending factions, as well as those absent, are worn out and outdated. They have little relevance in Palestinian societies, lack a role in the struggle against Israel, and lack any distinctive political or intellectual identity that sets them apart from each other.

The tragedy of the meeting was further compounded by the simultaneous occurrence of two events.

Firstly, violent and destructive clashes erupted in the Palestinian camp of Ain al-Hilweh in Lebanon, marked by the use of rocket-propelled grenades. This situation disregarded the true role of Palestinian weapons in Lebanon.

Secondly, vocal demonstrations erupted in various cities within the Gaza Strip, where Palestinians were demanding basic necessities such as electricity, food, and a reduction in taxes. Moreover, they called for the release of detainees in the West Bank.

Troubling reality

These events highlight a troubling reality: the Palestinian cause and its people seem to be disconnected from their leaders and factions. While the people bear the brunt of the challenges, the leaders appear to be primarily focused on their political status, resource control, and overall dominance.

This struggle is evident between the two largest factions, Fatah and Hamas, with each striving to solidify its power in separate territories—the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, respectively.

What is particularly disheartening is the blatant disregard shown by these leaders towards the aspirations and intelligence of the Palestinian people. It is as if the people's long history of tragedies, sacrifices, and heroism over the past century — including 58 years of contemporary national experience—  has been reduced to mere naivety.

This stark contrast between the struggles faced by the people and the self-serving political games of the leaders underscores the deep-seated challenges that need to be addressed within the Palestinian community.

Let us momentarily set aside the various documents prepared for national reconciliation, as well as the numerous discussions and ceremonies between leaders from Fatah and Hamas in different locations.

Instead, let's focus on a series of meetings that occurred exactly three years ago, initiated by Fatah's Jibril Rajoub and Hamas's Saleh Al-Arouri.

These meetings resulted in an agreement to move towards legislative and presidential elections, along with the election of a new PLO Palestinian National Council. President Mahmoud Abbas signed the decision in January 2021.

Unfortunately, just two months later, in April 2021, the same president made the decision to abort the process.

A subsequent round of talks in Cairo during the summer of 2021 led to a declaration of general national consensus, which also did not last.

A similar outcome followed in a meeting between President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas's political bureau head, Ismail Haniyeh, one year ago in July 2022, organised under the auspices of the Algerian president.

This meeting was complemented by dialogues between Mahmoud al-Aloul, a Fatah leader, and Khalil al-Hayya, a Hamas leader, in September of the same year. Despite these efforts, no concrete progress was achieved.

Breakthrough unlikely

Judging by history, it appears that the current meetings are unlikely to yield any significant breakthroughs. The Palestinian factions seem trapped in a cycle where their historical relevance has waned both objectively and subjectively.

Instead of actively seeking solutions to rebuild and rejuvenate the Palestinian national situation, they seem more interested in finding ways to coexist with division or share power between the two major factions, Fatah and Hamas.

As a result, the Palestinians find themselves facing persistent challenges with little hope of resolving their internal differences in the near future.

In conclusion, we need to understand that the Palestinian national crisis is not only about the lack of legitimacy in their political entities or the division within their national structure. It is a profound crisis that stems from the deterioration of their national identity.

Read more: Palestinians in Lebanon: Fortress-camps and multiple identities

It is a crisis of outdated national entities that no longer contribute anything meaningful. Moreover, it is a crisis resulting from the absence of a unified national vision that aligns the people, the land, and the cause. The Palestinians lack a responsible, sustainable, and viable struggle strategy that can be invested in.

Part of this crisis is the transformation of their national movement from a liberation movement to an authority under occupation, which places a heavy burden on the Palestinian people in every sense of the word, along with its consequences.

Unfortunately, this is the legacy that these pathetic factions will leave behind.