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The World from Berlin

Chaos in the Palestinian Authority

The power struggle between Hamas and Fatah in the Palestinian Territories threatens the entire region. But what should be done to address the problem?

The world is looking on anxiously as the Palestinian Territories teeter on the brink of civil war. Fighting between the rival factions Hamas and Fatah brought chaos to the Gaza Strip over the weekend and -- despite a reduction in the number of clashes on Monday -- it remains unclear whether the current cease-fire, agreed to on Sunday evening, can hold.

Fighting escalated Saturday after Abbas called for fresh presidential and parliamentary elections. The move was intended to break political deadlock with Hamas and lift crippling Western sanctions on its government. But Hamas suspects that Abbas is trying to take back electoral power which his Fatah Movement party lost in the parliamentary elections in January.

Abbas's proposal for new elections is risky. Despite Fatah leading in the polls, there is no guarantee it would win. Plus, Hamas has promised to boycott the vote. In short, the future of the beleaguered territory looks bleak.

On Monday Germany's newspapers expressed their concern about the situation and urged the international community to take action.

Business daily Financial Times Deutschland writes:

"If Palestine was a state, then the list of 'failed states' would have to be extended by one entry. In the Gaza Strip, every form of state control is currently collapsing. (…) The power struggle between the rival factions Fatah and Hamas has got out of control. Moderates cannot find anyone who is willing to listen to them. Already it is clear that the elections -- if they ever take place -- will hardly make the situation any calmer. (…)

"Escalation is therefore inevitable. Fatah members don't want to give up their power, even though they lost it in the election. Hamas, on the other hand, had an election victory fall in their laps and don't know what to do with it. (…)

"The international community can do little at the moment rather than look on in frustration. (German Chancellor) Angela Merkel's announcement that she wants to resurrect the Middle East Quartet of the US, the EU, Russia and the UN was correct. At the same time, it is the Palestinians who have to decide if there is any chance of peace. The chaos in the Gaza Strip is a danger for Israel and the world -- but most of all it is the people living in the Palestinian Territories who pay the price."

The center-left daily Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

"Whoever wants to take the wind out of the extremists' sails has to give the Palestinians real prospects which go beyond the UN humanitarian aid of rice and beans. Such prospects can only be developed within a comprehensive peace plan. The Middle East Quartet (…) should convene immediately and take action. If a reason is still needed to finally promote new talks between Israel and the Palestinians, then the current political implosion in the Palestinian territories should be a good enough argument.

"Peace talks would be more important than new Palestinian elections, which would take at least another six months to organize anyway. A lot of blood can flow by then. The world cannot stand by and watch -- and Israel especially not, because the Jewish homeland will never live in peace if its Palestinian neighbor can not."

The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:

"Abbas wants to win back power for his Fatah party. But that's not all he wants. He wants to free his people from the boycott of the donor states and Israel, who do not want to cooperate with Hamas. He wants to break the strike which is crippling his offices and ministries (…). Abbas also wants to renew the floundering talks with the Israeli government. He also advocates a final status treaty.

"But Abbas's approach is questionable, already from the perspective of constitutional law. He does not have the right to dissolve parliament. Furthermore, it is not clear who would win the elections. Hamas and Fatah are currently equally strong. Why is Abbas taking this risk? He wants to avoid a civil war and is betting on the masses who are tired of their representatives blocking each other."

The left-wing Die Tageszeitung writes:

"The US and EU reacted positively to the announcement of new Palestinian elections, in the hope that Hamas's influence could thereby be reduced. In Lebanon on the other hand, (Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad) Saniora enjoys, as "democratically elected prime minister," the support of the West, while Hezbollah is demonized. (…)

"It is a mistake to believe that Hamas and Hezbollah can simply be made to magically disappear through some sort of tricks. Both will remain part of the Arab political landscape -- irrespective of whether one tries to ignore demands for new elections, as in Lebanon, or if one sabotages them politically and financially and then tries to get rid of them through new elections, as in the Palestinian Territories.

"In order to really change the power relations, Europe and the US should use their energy to give people the hope of a peaceful political solution to the conflicts from which Hamas and Hezbollah draw their strength."

-- David Gordon Smith, 1:30 p.m. CET