BEIJING, July 25. /TASS/. Palestine strengthens its negotiating position with Israel by reconciling its internal factions, even if they are not 100% on the same page, Zhu Yongbiao, Director of the Institute of Politics and International Relations at Lanzhou University (Northwest China), expressed this view to a TASS correspondent.
"Undoubtedly, it will be beneficial. If [Palestine] lacks internal unity, it will obviously be impossible to maintain it in the negotiation process with Israel," he stated, commenting on the Beijing Declaration published this week. "This is clearly more advantageous for conducting an equal dialogue with Israel, eliminating disagreements, and resolving the conflict and its resulting issues."
Even if all the Palestinian factions do not agree on all issues, their decision to strengthen solidarity is "a big step forward," the expert clarified. At the same time, he noted that the key factor for ending the conflict remains Israel's position and the US strategy in the Middle East.
"The third aspect is the will that other global and regional powers will demonstrate," Zhu Yongbiao added. "Thus, the unification or reconciliation of the Palestinians is just one favorable condition. The others, at this moment, might still not be laid down."
According to the institute director, the significance of the declaration should not be overestimated. "However, considering some factors, this might be regarded as a landmark event," he explained.
On Tuesday, Palestinian factions reached a reconciliation, publishing a declaration in Beijing to end the split and strengthen national unity. Following the signing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that the Chinese side "sincerely hopes for the early establishment of an independent State of Palestine" and "will continue to make tireless efforts towards this goal.".