Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
 

Purveyor

(29,876 posts)
Thu Jan 10, 2013, 11:48 AM Jan 2013

Hamas, Fatah Agree to Implement Egyptian-Brokered Unity Deal

CAIRO - SPA:
Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah have agreed to implement an Egypt-brokered unity deal to end a rift of more than five years, dpa quoted Egyptian television and a presidential official as saying Thursday. 'Under Egyptian auspices, leaders of the two movements agreed Wednesday night in Cairo to start immediate measures to implement their reconciliation,' said Yasser Ali, a spokesman for Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.

He said details of the agreement would be disclosed in a statementto be issued later by Morsi's office. Morsi Wednesday met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who heads the secular Fatah party, which governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Later in the day, Morsi held talks with Khaled Meshaal, the leader of Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip and is an offshoot of the Egyptian president's Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt brokered a unity deal between Fatah and Hamas in 2011 that was meant to pave the way for a joint interim government and elections in 2012, but negotiations faltered.

http://www.alriyadh.com/en/article/800414/

7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Hamas, Fatah Agree to Implement Egyptian-Brokered Unity Deal (Original Post) Purveyor Jan 2013 OP
Maybe this will lead to elections oberliner Jan 2013 #1
That's really not how Arab political parties work, though Scootaloo Jan 2013 #2
There will not be another election King_David Jan 2013 #3
Drinking the water from the magic 8-ball does not grant you its powers n/t Scootaloo Jan 2013 #4
What a clever informative post King_David Jan 2013 #5
Consider it a public service Scootaloo Jan 2013 #6
There is absolutely nothing Leftwing, Progressive, or Liberal about Hamas, the PLO... shira Jan 2013 #7
 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
1. Maybe this will lead to elections
Thu Jan 10, 2013, 12:12 PM
Jan 2013

Hopefully they won't be supporting right wing parties (as is the concern for the Israeli electorate as well).

 

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)
2. That's really not how Arab political parties work, though
Fri Jan 11, 2013, 05:55 AM
Jan 2013

"Rights vs. Left" is a system that developed in European politics and got transported to the Americas and Israel, Arab politics is somewhat different, since the region had a rather different political development.

For starters, there is a recognizable leftist current in Arab politics. Revolutionary leftist politics were a big thing in the region during hte first half of the 20th century, probably owing largely to the anti-monarchal, anti-colonial stance of such philosophies. And you can tell they're still leftist 'cause they can't get their shit together enough to get elected very often A casual look through political parties in the Arab world reveal two things... most of them are leftist, even outright communist... but most are also small and competing against each other, and are so diluted and not particularly useful.

Then you have Arab-Nationalist parties. These tend to be revolutionary, though not always leftist - most could be described as "hybrid" movements, incpororating several features. You can have a movement like baath, which is authoritarian-left, or Fatah, which is center-left, to Egypt's (former) National Democratic party, which is best-placed as center-right (in practice - in policy it was centrist with a left streak, and grew from a socialist party)

And then you have the Islamist parties. These come in "hard" varities, mostly salafism, such as Egypt's hardline al-Nour party, a salafist pro-Sharia group. Then you have "soft" Islamism that just utilizes Islamic concepts in an otherwise secular framework, like Tunisia's Ennahda which is a mostly-secular party with hints of left-progresivism (but hey, that's Tunisia for you; all of the other elected parties there are non-Islamic secular progressives). Hamas is an Islamist party that falls more towards the "hard" line, though just how far is hard to tell, owing to external conditions. Islamist groups, regardless of hardness or softness, tend to espouse a welfare state (based of course on the Islamic pillar of zakat, and the ruler's obligation to the ruled).

Parties that could be defined as "right" by the traditional European system are few and far between; one example is the Egyptian Conservative Party, which resembles America's Libertarians more than anything, with both social and economic liberalism (how I cringe at the term "economic liberalism"!)

In regards to this unity agreement, I think maybe you're better off hoping Israel doesn't decide to "punish" Palestinians further for it, rather than worrying about who's going to win a possible election, though. Spoiler alert: PNI isn't going to sweep.

 

shira

(30,109 posts)
7. There is absolutely nothing Leftwing, Progressive, or Liberal about Hamas, the PLO...
Sat Jan 12, 2013, 11:23 AM
Jan 2013

...the Muslim Brotherhood, the Saudi Monarchy, Syria, Lebanon, etc.

You're making the same excuses as for these hideously rightwing, theocratic, fascist, mysoginist, anti-gay and inhumane regimes as any rightwing paleo-con such as Pat Buchanan, David Duke, or Chuck Hagel.

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Israel/Palestine»Hamas, Fatah Agree to Imp...