clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Dahlan: Two-state solution impossible, national unity more pressing

October 5, 2017 at 11:38 am

Mohammad Dahlan, a former senior Fatah official, 29 June 2017 [Gaza1News/Facebook]

Mohammad Dahlan, the former senior Fatah official turned bitter rival to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, has said that Palestinians should prioritise healing the internal divisions, rather than focus on “the so-called negotiation” with Israel.

Speaking to Reuters, he described the issue of national reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas as “more sacred”, “more important” and “more useful now” than the peace process.

There is a complete Judaisation of the West Bank, not only of Jerusalem … It has become impossible for the two-state solution to be implemented, therefore, there is no political horizon

he added.

Speaking to Reuters by telephone from Abu Dhabi, Dahlan welcomed the latest developments between Fatah and Hamas, and took credit for behind-the-scenes work that led up to this point.

“It was an honour for us…that we succeeded to have those understandings between Hamas and Egypt,” Dahlan said.

“Without reconciling with Hamas and without Hamas understanding the needs of the Egyptian national security there can be no serious [Palestinian] reconciliation, and no one but Egypt is capable of playing an effective role.”

Read: PA to request Interpol arrest 15 Palestinians, including Dahlan

Dahlan also urged Hamas “to show more patience because all the good things are on the way” thanks to Egyptian mediation.

He dismissed the idea of a regional peace deal with Israel: “The chances of the so-called deal of the century is zero because Netanyahu does not want peace and he imposed a reality of 700,000 settlers in the West Bank and in Jerusalem that made it impossible for the two-state solution to be implemented.”

As for Abbas, Dahlan accused the president of committing “crimes and mistakes” but said he was ready to reconcile with the 82-year-old leader to reunite the Fatah movement.

“The ball is in his court and we are ready whenever he is,” he said.