Analysis: Fatah and Hamas still have 40 days to reach a compromise

[Behind the Aegis]

Both sides - Fatah, under Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas; and Hamas, under Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh - appeared entrenched in their positions Monday night, and not willing to budge an inch. Nevertheless, most Palestinian analysts said there was still room for talks to find a way out of the thicket.

On the face of it, making a few minor changes to the prisoners' document to make it acceptable to Hamas, too, is not a problem; however, neither of the two sides wants to appear as having capitulated to the demands of the other. Abbas, on principle, is not prepared to make any changes to the document; while Haniyeh, who is also under pressure from the movement's leadership in Damascus, is unwilling primarily to accept the
ultimatum tactic. "I am not prepared to act with a gun to my head," he said Monday during a meeting with Abbas emissaries businessman Munib al-Masri and former Palestinian parliament speaker Ruhi Fatouh.

Both sides know that it is impossible to maintain an orderly regime when its two leaders have different and opposing political positions - on the one hand, a recognized chairman who wishes to achieve a political settlement with Israel; and on the other, an ostracized prime minister who is unwilling to recognize Israel.

The expiration of Abbas' ultimatum does not mean an end to the dialogue between the two. They can continue their efforts to twist the arms of one another during the 40 days that Abbas has allocated for preparing a referendum. In other words, they have more than a month to continue arguing, and perhaps reach a last-minute compromise.

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