Egypt bids for Palestinian reconciliation

Egyptian political parties launched the initiative “Egyptian revolution for Palestinian reconciliation” to unite the Palestinians and end the continuous division between Hamas and Fatah. The initiative was launched by the Union of Revolutionary Youth, Democratic Revolutionary Coalition, the United Revolutionary Front and Freedom and Justice party. The Egyptian intelligence took the responsibility of handling the Palestinian reconciliation for many years, and still attempting to harmonise the two Palestinian parties. With the efforts of Nabil al-Arabi, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time, the reconciliation was agreed after January 25 revolution but has still not been applied. Union of Revolutionary Youth spokesman Tamer al-Kady told Arabstoday that the initiative was very welcomed by the Palestinian youth in Gaza and the West Bank, and the Palestinian factions including Hamas and Fatah. He said there are several visions and new ideas starting to form through a series of meetings between the members of the initiative and the Palestinian leaders and activists. He said: "What’s new about this initiative is that it started from meeting Palestinian citizens, activists, and leaders of the second and third rows of the Palestinian factions.” A Freedom and Justice party member told Arabstoday that the initiative will be studying all the negotiations and proposals between Hamas and Fatah, as well as all the failed agreements. He pointed out that this new revolutionary initiative has new ideas and mechanism that were not raised before and that will be revealed after concluding all the meetings and the related initiatives. Ayman Amer, the coordinator of the Democratic Revolutionary Coalition, said that the initiative will organise visits to Gaza and Ramallah to meet the Palestinian citizens and listen to their point of view and ideas. Fatah leader Riyad Saidam said: “Israel is the main player in the division between Palestinian factions; Islamic movement Hamas, Fatah movement, Islamic Jihad movement or other Palestinian resistance movements. The Zionist entity has an advanced political and psychological agenda which attempt sometimes to controlPalestinian politics. They arrest and eliminate the leaders who seek Palestinian reconciliation as the martyrs Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Yasser Arafat.” During the press conference held in the occasion of launching the initiative, Saturday evening in Akhbar Alyoum institution, Saidam said that the analysis of the Palestinian issue is based on individuals and divisions where the Palestinian cause, the territory and the Judaisation efforts are ignored by the occupier of the Arab Palestinian territory. That is in addition to the lack of trust between the Palestinian movements.” Ibrahim denied establishing a free trade zone between Egypt and Gaza Strip, and said that what was said was individual interpretations. He added that the responsibilty for the Palestinian crisis and the divisions lay on the Palestinian people and that it’s not the responsibility of Israel or the international powers.