Eyeing Arab revolts, Palestinian youth launch 'unity' revolution

As Arab regimes face unprecedented uprisings, Palestinian youths have launched their own 'revolution' -- seeking to

'The People Want the End of the Division'

Young Palestinians – via rallying, Facebook and Twitter - demand reconciliation between bitterly divided Fatah and Hamas.

By Hossam Ezzedine - RAMALLAH

end the bitter divide between Fatah and Hamas.

The task is more difficult than it seems, with both groups reluctant to reconcile and wary of a popular movement devoid of political party ties.

Even among the young Palestinians who are trying to channel regional momentum into a better political reality at home, there are difficult divisions to overcome, not to mention the ever-present issue of the Israeli occupation.

The schism between the two groups runs deep. Hamas and Fatah are long-time rivals, but their animosity boiled over in 2007, a year after the Islamist movement won legislative elections.

Pitched battles between fighters from the two groups erupted in June of that year, resulting in Fatah's expulsion from the coastal enclave. Since then, Hamas has ruled Gaza, with the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority retaining control of the West Bank.

Successive reconciliation talks have failed leaving many Palestinians, and the younger generation in particular, frustrated by the intransigence on both sides.

Since the start of the youth-led uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, young Palestinians have been avidly following the developments, and over the past month, they have begun rallying support through Facebook and Twitter for their own demands -- reconciliation within the Palestinian national movement.

Earlier this week, youth activists in Gaza City made their first bold move to stake out a position on the issue, heading to the Square of the Unknown Soldier for a sit-in under the slogan "The People Want the End of the Division."

It's a variation on the slogan chanted by millions of demonstrators in Arab nations: "The People Want to Bring Down the Regime."

Ahead of the demonstration, Ahmed Arar, a writer and researcher who organised the event online, had pledged it would "continue until further notice and until the fulfilment of the demands we announced on Facebook."

But the demands, including a transitional government, elections, and a national agenda for negotiations with Israel, went unheard and the sit-in was broken up by Hamas security forces before it even began.

"They kidnapped Ahmed and told us it's forbidden to gather in the square," fellow activist Hassan Farhat said.

Hamas officials, who are quick to stress their support for "freedom of opinion and expression," say the protest was broken up because the demonstrators did not have a permit.

But activists say they face regular harassment from Gaza's rulers.

"Security forces in the Gaza Strip have called young people in for questioning just because of the 'End the Division' line on Facebook," said Badr Zamaara, an activist in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Hamas insists it does want reconciliation with Fatah, which is headed by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, but raises questions about the sincerity of its secular rival.

"The Hamas movement was the first to support unity and an end to the Palestinian internal division," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said.

"The question is, does Fatah really want reconciliation, or do they just want to control the land?"

Salam Fayyad, Abbas's designated prime minister who is in the process of trying to form a government, has also called for reconciliation and proposed a unity government which would include both groups.

But Fayyad's overtures were met with suspicion by Fatah, whose members were reportedly angered at his willingness to invite Hamas into a government.

Undeterred, Palestinian youth are organising what they hope will be a decisive protest in support of political unity on March 15, using Facebook and Twitter to rally Palestinians in the territories and abroad.

On Twitter, activists are spreading the #March15 hashtag, and on one Facebook page linked to the demonstration, 26,000 people have designated themselves as "attending."

But the page is only one of dozens calling for unity, many of which carry different manifestos and demands.

"We have a problem with the work these groups do because they do not come under one slogan, as they did in Egypt for example," Ramy Mahadawy, a Ramallah-based activist said.

Mahadawy supports the call for Palestinian unity, but argues that ending the Israeli occupation should take priority over other goals. Other activists say reconciling the two groups is key to ending occupation.

"We can't end the occupation or even face the requirements of ending the occupation without ending the division," said Hazen Abu Hilal, a activist in Ramallah.

But Salam Anbatawi, another West Bank activist, disagrees.

"Even if Hamas and Fatah agree to a government, the West Bank and Gaza will be apportioned between them and nothing else will be achieved," he said.

"Ending the division is not a magic solution to our problems."