Israelis and Palestinians alike generally exhale a sigh of relief as news reports, often citing undisclosed official sources, indicate Israel and Hamas are finalizing a prisoner swap and Fatah and Hamas are prepared to agreed to a reconciliation deal. Foreign officials, particularly Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, regularly insert themselves into the drama and use both situations to attempt and bolster their regional and international clout. Both the Shalit affair and the lack of unity among Palestinian have dramatically affected Israeli policy and function as a wrench in the cogs of the peace process.
Regarding abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, for an entire year, periodic news reports surfaced, noting a final deal with Hamas was pending final approval. Even as recently as last month, when the Israeli security cabinet debated the merits of a proposal to free Shalit, optimism from proponents of the prisoner swap reached its heights. However, Shalit is still in captivity and the prisoner trade seems stalled, if not dead.
Similarly, periodic reports -citing Hamas, PA, or foreign sources- indicate that the clashing Palestinian factions are perhaps nearing completion of a reconciliation deal. Fatah and Hamas split following the disputed 2006 elections that led to Hamas overtaking the Gaza Strip and establishing a defacto government. Israelis have repeatedly said the lack of unity among the Palestinians hampers any prospects for peace because a negotiation would only apply to the West Bank and Gaza would remain a haven for terrorist activity and threaten Israeli security. Meanwhile, the Palestinians lack a functioning government and potential forthcoming elections may not reflect democratic ideals.
Both the Shalit affair and potential Palestinian reconciliation continue to periodically emerge and little to no progress appears evident on both fronts. Both issues continue to significantly affect the peace process and domestic considerations for both Israelis and Palestinians. Media reports on both accounts raise expectations. Officials make repeated declarations on their commitments to these issues yet few results have emerged.
Perhaps this year will see breakthroughs on these issues. Or, perhaps, news reports will continue to surface as the status quo drags on, leaving Palestinian government in limbo and Shalit in the hands of terrorists.
