Azerbaijan, Baku, May 5/ Trend, A. Taghiyeva /
Palestinian movements HAMAS and FATAH are rivals that pursue different policies and seek to seize national power. Thus the effectiveness and endurance of the peace agreement signed between them causes doubt, believes Director of the Middle East Forum and commentator of "New York Sun" and "Jerusalem Post" newspapers, Daniel Pipes.
"These two political forces could manage some kind of pretend unity but I do not see it as deep or lasting," Pipes wrote Trend in an e-mail.
An official ceremony of signing the agreement on intra-Palestinian settlement took place on Wednesday in Cairo, with the participation of representatives of all Palestinian political forces, including HAMAS and FATAH.
Pipes believes the agreement is useful for displaying the true nature of the Palestinian Authority, which shares the same goal as Hamas - to eliminate the Jewish state of Israel.
"They have one goal - joint fight against Israel. Accordingly, it clarifies issues and reduces the pretence that there is a "peace process", he added.
This peace agreement will not be a step towards peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine, as the Arab-Israeli conflict will be resolved not through compromise but, as is always the case with wars, by one side winning and one side losing," Pipes said.
In the negotiations on intra-Palestinian reconciliation, which took place under the mediation of Egypt on April 27, high-ranking delegations of HAMAS and FATAH reached a tentative agreement on all disputed issues.
The sides initialed the agreement on reconciliation, which primarily focuses on the formation of an independent Palestinian government that would deal with preparations for the general presidential and parliamentary elections.
The HAMAS movement seized power in the Gaza Strip in 2007 leading to its isolation from the West bank of the Jordan River, which is controlled by the Palestinian Authority and headed by Mahmoud Abbas.
In mid-March 2011 Abbas stated his willingness to visit the enclave and to begin the settlement of the internecine conflict. HAMAS has promised to take all necessary measures so that such a visit could take place.
FATAH and HAMAS could not reach a consensus on forming a Palestinian government, separation of powers, ensuring security, terms and order of holding presidential and parliamentary elections.
A.Badalova contributed to the article.