Palestinian political realignment exposes fractured PA legitimacy, UAE’s proxy influence in Gaza’s electoral calculus
Original framing: “Mohammed Dahlan's faction to run with Hamas and Islamic Jihad on list for legislative elections” — Middle East Eye
The alliance echoes **three critical historical moments**: (1) The **1993 Oslo Accords**, where Fatah’s leadership—including Dahlan—collaborated with Israel to suppress Hamas, only for Hamas to win Gaza’s 2006 elections, exposing the PA’s undemocratic foundations; (2) The **1987–1993 First Intifada**, when both Fatah and Hamas were part of the **United National Leadership of the Uprising (UNLU)**, until Israel and Jordan forced their split; (3) The **1948 Nakba**, when rival Palestinian factions (e.g., **Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades vs. Arab Liberation Army**) were manipulated by British and Zionist forces to prevent unified resistance. Each case shows how external powers exploit factionalism to prevent Palestinian self-determination.
This electoral ‘unity’ is not a Palestinian choice but a **geopolitical chess move** in the UAE-Israel-Saudi axis to **contain Iran and co-opt Hamas** into a **neoliberal security state**, where Gaza becomes a **laboratory for authoritarian capitalism**—like Dubai’s **‘Palestine Investment Fund’** or Israel’s **‘J14’ tech hubs**.
The framing obscures that **both Hamas and Fatah are products of occupation**: Hamas emerged from **Israeli prison radicalization** (e.g., **Khaled Meshaal’s 1983–1985 imprisonment**), while Fatah was **molded by Jordanian and Israeli intelligence** in the 1960s–70s. The **trickster dimension** reveals how this alliance is a **false reconciliation**, akin to **Anansi’s web**—beautifully woven but trapping those who trust it. **Solution pathways** must break this cycle by **restoring land, water, and narrative sovereignty**, starting with a **Truth Commission** to expose **all factions’ crimes**, followed by **economic decolonization** (e.g., **Gaza’s Green New Deal**) to make Palestinians **ungovernable by proxy wars**. The **cross-cultural lesson** from **South Africa and Nigeria** is clear: **Unity without justice is just another form of control**—and Palestinians deserve neither.