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Why fight every time the dialogue starts?

It is noticeable that every time the national dialogue enters a meaningful stage, the fighting and internal tensions intensify. Such phenomenon has repeated itself more than once. Recently we witness this during these days of deadly conflict which resulted in hundreds of victims killed or wounded, in addition to frustration, pain and anxiety amongst the Palestinians and their supporters around the world as a result of this infighting and the blood spilled in the wrong places.

 

It is hard to believe that these events are coincidental, because they recur every now and then, which means there are parties who do not want the dialogue to succeed or reach fruitful agreements. These parties are only interested in maintaining the momentum of tension and internal fighting and for the region to be the flashpoint of flames and tensions, consequently sidestepping any potential solutions or peace negotiations.

 

Some observers contend that parties other than the Palestinians are gaining from  stirring the situation and obstructing the dialogue, and that these sides have proxies and individuals within the Palestinian territories serving their interests. It was noticed in this context that whenever there was un understanding to end violence and reach a truce with Israel, some internal parties did their utmost to violate the agreements and create a state of tension that justified the Israeli incursions.

 

The Palestinian man on the street, bored of all these painstaking rounds of dialogue, would never find an excuse or justification for all that infighting and bloodletting except within the sphere of these parties which connect their interests with other non-Palestinian sides. That is because the foundation for an agreement already exists – namely the Prisoners’ Document, and the goal is well-defined as lifting the economic and political blockade imposed upon the Palestinian people and ending the dualism of authority and the dualism of decision-making.

 

Since matters are that clear, and since all parties assert the sanctity of Palestinian blood and that dialogue is the only language, why does the infighting recur by those who preach the sanctity of blood and the language of dialogue?

 

We heard the Palestinian Attorney General, Justice Ahmed Moghni, bitterly speaking about scores of detention warrants against individuals that were never implemented. He explicitly stated that the Ministry of Interior is the responsible department regarding security, order and enforcing the law.

 

The Attorney General also announced the formation of a committee to investigate the tragic events and crimes recently carried out. This might be the first practical step. It could also be the first to put the finger on the wound and single out the causes and perpetuators of what has been happening. Statements and exchanged accusations and that flood of spokesmen and declarations make things more complicated – which requires an efficient committee capable of uncovering the facts and publicly announce them. All parties should be aware of their responsibilities, and all citizens should know which side is inciting these waves of infighting and self-destruction.

Ibrahim Deibes is a veteran Palestinian journalist. This editorial first appeared in Al-Quds.