?Chicken or the egg [By Jiao Haiyang/China.org.cn]

World opinion continues to rise in favor of the Palestinian cause, just as Israel and its allies continue to find themselves more isolated on the opposite side of humanity. President Mahmoud Abbas returned to Ramallah from New York to a hero's welcome following the successful United Nations vote upgrading Palestine's status as a non-member to a UN Observer, just as the exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshal announced a similar visit to the Gaza Strip — his first since self-imposed exile in 1967.

Amidst these developments, Israel has defiantly announced plans to build 3,000 more Jewish settler homes in East Jerusalem, to strong condemnation from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and loud opposition from its strongest allies – the US, Britain and France.

Israel's retaliatory decision to expand its illegal settler homes is no surprise. It was clear from Day One (November 29) that Israel and the US were enraged by the world's decision to upgrade Palestine's UN status. Following the announcement of the result of the vote that day, the plastic smile on the face of the Israeli Ambassador to the UN, coupled with the unveiled rage on the face and deep anger in the voice of the US Ambassador Susan Rice, didn't mask their collective anger. They absolutely refused to accept that 139 of 193 UN member-states had agreed to Palestine's request. They were furious that 13 of their top international Western allies chose to abstain from the vote instead of oppose. And they couldn't stand that Palestine could now join UN bodies and even pursue Israel for "Crimes Against Humanity" at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Israel's recent attempt to bomb Gaza back into the Dark Ages turned out to be a costly military venture that backfired politically, unintentionally shaping the UN vote. Once again (as with the annual vote at the UN on the US Embargo against Cuba) the US and Israel found themselves on the opposite side of international political opinion.

All signs are that in the wake of the UN vote, Israel will broaden its hostility towards the Palestinians. How the Arab world reacts is important, but most important will be the Palestinians' handling of their newly elevated UN status. The Palestinians will require a multi-faceted blueprint and master plan with a new road map for their immediate future, with the strategic political flexibility that will sustain and grow international goodwill for the Palestinian cause.

Having lost the battle on the world opinion, Israel is now heading into a January election with the gravity and possible consequences of the current investigation of former PLO president Yasser Arafat's cause of death. There are strong indications from recent independent lab tests in Switzerland that he could have been poisoned with Plutonium 210. The tests on Arafat's hair, blood and clothing have resulted in the French government and the Palestinian Authority consenting to Arafat's wife's requests for exhumation of his body for the further official forensic tests already approved by Paris, where he died.

The theory that Arafat could have been poisoned by Israeli agents is not at all far-fetched. Hamas leader Khaled Meshal was poisoned in 1997 ― he only lived because the killer agents who administered the fatal dosage were captured in time, forcing Israel to provide the curing antidote after its involvement was exposed beyond doubt.

The truth about how Arafat died will eventually emerge; and if he was indeed assassinated (as widely suspected), the world will get to know how it was done and who ordered it. Until then, all fingers point to Israel, which can also be expected to maintain its claims of innocence until if (and when) it is called on to answer for Arafat's death.

Israel will continue to talk and act in defiance – like its Cabinet's formal rejection of the UN vote and announcement of its latest settler expansion plan, knowing quite well these actions will most likely close the door to any resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians.

In the meantime, however, it's important for the future of the Palestinian cause that Fatah and Hamas find ways to bridge the gaps that still divide them. The world is hoping for this ― and support is coming from even the most unexpected quarters.

Indeed, the importance of Palestinian unity to their cause was outlined this past Sunday by none other than former US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Murphy, who said it will be absolutely necessary to strengthen the Palestinian hand in negotiations. Murphy also called on the Israelis to "abandon the dangerous illusion" that the Palestinian fight for their homeland will simply disappear one day.

There's much more to be done quite quickly by the Palestinians if their new momentum is to be maintained and taken forward. Unity is absolutely essential for victory in any struggle. The Palestinian leaders therefore need to urgently bridge the political divides between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and between Fatah and Hamas. Just as Palestinians on both sides found common reason to dance and chant in joy after last Thursday's UN vote, political leaders in Ramallah and Gaza very urgently need to find common ground and embrace common denominators in support for Palestinian Unity.

The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.h5a3.com/opinion/earlbousquet.htm

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