THE Beijing Declaration signed in the Chinese capital on Tuesday reiterates the need for internal Palestinian unity at a critical time when people of the occupied territories are facing merciless slaughter at the hands of the occupying power. Moreover, the diplomatic coup has further strengthened China’s image as a peacemaker in the strife-torn Middle East, succeeding where many other foreign powers have often failed. Fourteen Palestinian factions signed the declaration, with Hamas and Fatah being the most prominent of them. The former controls Gaza, while the latter runs the occupied West Bank through the Palestinian Authority. Both parties have been bitter rivals since a violent power struggle erupted in 2007. The Beijing Declaration seeks the formation of a unity government and the achievement of “Palestinian independence at an early date”. Of course, standing in the way of these noble aims is Israel, which is furious with Beijing for inviting Hamas to the talks. Also, the Israeli parliament recently passed a bill rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state, effectively telling the world Tel Aviv has no intention of vacating the occupied territories.

The idea of a unity government is a much better ‘day after’ plan than the questionable schemes being dreamt up by Israel, the US and some Arab states. These include the presence of foreign ‘peacekeepers’ in Gaza. Numerous Palestinian factions have said they will not accept foreign troops on their land. Yet the fact remains that the unity government can only be formed once the slaughter in Gaza stops. Instead of foreign powers dictating their future, or worse, Israel installing loyalist puppets to police the Palestinians, the people of Palestine must be free to decide their own future through democratic means. And once the conditions for elections are established, the international community, as well as the Palestinian factions themselves, should respect the winning party’s mandate. As for Beijing’s growing role in the Middle East, this is China’s second major accomplishment after last year’s Iran-Saudi rapprochement. Perhaps China has succeeded as it does not bring with it the baggage of being an ex-colonial overlord in the region, while Beijing does not promise ‘ironclad’ support to an occupying power. The uniting of Palestinian factions in Beijing is another indication of a changing world order, where new global players are emerging to challenge the hegemony of the old order.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2024