Harmful divisions

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For both Lebanon and Palestine the future is strewn with peril. In each country the people are divided over what to do next. In Lebanon, there are two movements: the 14th March movement and the resistance. In Palestine, Hamas and Fatah differ on almost everything.

What is the basis of these divisions? In Lebanon, the country's two main movements are divided on the interpretation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, in much the same fashion as they disagreed on Resolution 1559 in the past. In Palestine, the nation is divided over the formation of a government of national unity, with Hamas insisting that the national reconciliation document is the best way forward and Fatah arguing that without accepting the terms of the Quartet everything will be lost.

Taken together, the Lebanese and Palestinian dilemmas are typical of our times. In both cases what the rival parties disagree over is the nature of the state. What is the state that would best suit the interests of the nation as a whole? In both Lebanon and Palestine there are divergent answers.

In Lebanon, the 14th March movement wants a state that would end Lebanon's involvement in the Arab- Israeli conflict. That camp ultimately seeks normalisation with Israel, in line with the trend common in the rest of officialdom in the Arab world. The resistance movement sees this as capitulation. Its proponents, mainly Hizbullah, want a state that can defend itself and reject normalisation if it so wants.

In Palestine, Hamas is sticking by maximum Palestinian national aspirations. It defends the Palestinian right to return, the struggle for Jerusalem, and to regain all occupied land, namely historic Palestine. Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has refused so far to recognise Israel. Instead, he proposes a 10-year truce with Israel, during which the Palestinians should have a state on all land occupied in 1967.

Fatah is not happy with that. President Mahmoud Abbas is willing to negotiate with Israel for an independent Palestinian state, and has accepted the Quartet's terms for negotiations. But for the negotiations to start, Hamas has to do the same. It has to recognise Israel, honour existing agreements, and renounce violence.

So far, the two opposing movements, both in Lebanon and Palestine, don't seem able to bridge their differences. Speaking at a "Victory Day" rally, Hizbullah's leader Hassan Nasrallah recently warned that the current stalemate might bring the country closer to partition.

In Palestine, many warn that the current rift may lead to civil war. What would happen if the Lebanese and Palestinians don't find a way to reconcile their differences? The answer is obvious. Israel will benefit. Israel doesn't want either nation to have a cohesive identity or a united national front.