The new Palestinian coalition government are facing two main challenges -- lifting the West's boycott that has worsen economic situation and ending the security chaos that has claimed the lives of dozens of Palestinian innocents, politicians and analysts said on Thursday.
Main challenges facing the upcoming national unity gov't
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of the Palestinian presidency told Xinhua on telephone that "there are so many challenges waiting for the new national unity government in order to end the Palestinian people's daily suffering in coordination with the Arab and international efforts."
One of the main challenging issues after the new government is born "is the improvement of the internal Palestinian security," Abu Rudeineh said.
He underlined that the Palestinians' unity "is a key issue and the base for the success of the new national unity government, for ending the economic embargo and the status of security chaos."
After an unprecedented wave of infighting between rival Hamas and Fatah militants in the Gaza Strip in December 2006 and January 2007, where dozens were killed, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haneya had finally formed a national unity government.
How to market the coalition to the world and gain recognition of the West is another challenge for Palestinian leaders.
The situation in the Palestinian territories will definitely deteriorate if the new government fails to gain recognition of the West and end sanctions led by the United States, analysts said.
Israel announced its rejection to the new Palestinian national unity government on Thursday afternoon, shortly before the expected announcement of the new Palestinian government, pan-Arab satellite television al-Jazeera reported.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev was quoted as saying that his country won't deal with the new Palestinian government and will urge the international community not to work with the coalition.
National unity gov't complies with interests of Palestinian People
If any Palestinian asks himself or herself why the two rival factions, Hamas and Fatah, could reach a compromise on forming a coalition, the answer would be very simple: "because it complies with the interests of both factions and the Palestinian people."
Over the past two years, security and economy in the Palestinian territories had severely deteriorated, but since the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) came into power after defeating long-dominant Fatah movement in January 2006 legislative elections, the situation had reached its highest peak of deterioration.
Embargo against the Palestinians by the international donors and Israel and power struggle between Hamas and Fatah have dominated the Palestinian arena during one year of Hamas administration.
The last few months had witnessed a severe violent fighting between the two factions' militants, where dozens had been either killed or wounded, where wise leaders of the two groups found that it's a national interest to end this fighting, unite in a national government and share power.
"Fighting between the two movements over power can never last forever. Sharing power would be much more important than just fighting," said Ashraf al-Ajrami, a Palestinian analyst from Gaza.
He added that infighting between rival brothers "had badly damaged the just Palestinian cause and the hard living conditions the Palestinians are suffering due to Israeli security closures and world embargo."
Either Hamas or Fatah has its own reasons for accepting power sharing, analysts said.
Since it was founded in late 1987, Hamas movement has been always considered as a militia which is bent on carrying out violent actions against Israel.
"After the movement participated in the municipal and legislative elections, it was obvious that Hamas wanted first to change its image in the eyes of the world and also determined to share power with other groups after it gained popularity among the Palestinians," said al-Ajrami.
He added that Fatah, on the other hand, which had been holding power for the last 11 years, "decided to share power with Hamas movement, after it was defeated in the last legislative elections held in January last year."
(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2007)
