Palestinians in Gaza celebrate Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan. Demotix/Mhamed Hajjar. All rights reserved.“Bukra fil mish mish,” the Arabs say – “Tomorrow in apricot season.” Given the shortness of the fruit’s season, it is the English equivalent of “when pigs fly.” This phrase encapsulates general public opinion on the likelihood of progress for peace between Israel and Palestine. Yet current domestic political dynamics in Palestine and recent changes in the positions of key Arab states do provide a narrow path by which the international community could stabilize Gaza and provide a political horizon for the Palestinians.
This conflict is infamous for its paralysis. The latest stalemate came in the aftermath of the 2014 war, dubbed Operation Protective Edge (OPE) by Israel. There appeared to be a consensus, at least among western governments, about ending the cycle of wars between Israel and Gaza. The international community expressed support for the deployment of the Palestinian Authority (PA) government in Gaza. The PA, recognized by the west, was to take control of Gaza’s borders from Hamas, which has been the de facto power inside Gaza since a brief Palestinian civil war in 2007. This was to be the key to lifting Israel’s eight-year closure of the territory.
One year on, none of this has come to pass. When faced with Hamas’ intransigence, the reluctance of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to deploy PA security in Gaza, and Israel’s unwillingness to lift its blockade, the international community failed to make the post-war consensus a reality.
