Last chance

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It is time the Palestinians put their national interests before everything else, not least the regional power games in which they have become involved of late. As Egyptian General Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman said, recriminations are not going to take the Palestinians anywhere. In the absence of unity the Palestinians will be unable to reconstruct Gaza and hold internationally-supervised elections, let alone pursue their dream of statehood.

The international community is expected to approve an assistance package of $3 billion for Gaza. Any expenditure will be rigorously monitored. Neither Hamas nor Fatah will be allowed direct charge of the spending. A process will be created through which the international community will be in a position to keep an eye on how the money is spent.

This is good news. The international community is not going to spend that much money only for Israel to come back and raze Gaza once again. Tel Aviv will be under greater pressure to conclude a long-term truce -- the calming down period everyone keeps referring to -- with the Palestinians.

An agreement would already have been reached but for a last minute change of heart by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert who insisted that either the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is released or there could be no deal. This has set back mediation efforts but once a calming down agreement is reached things will get better.

The Palestinians need to sort out their differences if only to keep Washington interested in their cause. So far the Americans and Israelis have blamed the Palestinians for the current impasse in the peace process. The Palestinians cannot offer them any more excuses. They need to speak in one voice in order to help the new US administration in its bid to restart peace efforts.

It is too early to know whether Netanyahu will eventually form a coalition with Kadima or opt for even more right-wing parties. But we know that if Kadima is involved the government will be committed to a Palestinian state. A far right coalition, however, means that Israel will refuse to dismantle settlements or give back any of the land it is holding in the West Bank and the Golan. Should this happen Israel will be on a collision course with the US, something most Israelis don't want. In 1996 they brought down Netanyahu's government for this very reason.

The Palestinians have an opportunity to make things better and they must not waste it. They must not allow themselves to be used as pawns in a regional game that can only undermine their chances of statehood. This is their last opportunity. It would be madness to throw it away.