Is Palestine ready for independence?

Palestine Independence

Salam Fayyad, Palestinian Prime Minister, has a vision for the region to become a wholly independent state without relying on US-led negotiations.

However, this seems unlikely at a time when Middle East tensions are as high as ever and peace appears a long way off. Nonetheless, Fayyad has shown great determination in gaining state-hood through peaceful means, saying, "It's a construction agenda, not a destruction agenda. It's an agenda that is all based on the notion of building positive facts on the ground."

After 16 years of peace talks with Israel, things have shown little sign of improving especially after recent controversy surrounding the freeze on growth of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. Up to now the US has shown a willingness to facilitate peace talks in the region - even more so since President Barack Obama came to power in January - insisting that a reconciliation could prove influential to a more stable Middle East region as a whole.

Ending occupation

"We want to make peace, not only just talk about it, but 16 years into this, time and again, we hit this snag of things not moving forward because ultimately it's up to the occupying force to end the occupation," Fayyad said, referring to failed talks stretching back to the 1993 Oslo accords.

Yet, Fayyad has declared his intention to move forward with efforts to build the institutions of a viable Palestinian state by 2011 regardless of whether any progress is made in talks with occupying Israel.

The aim is to not simply a plan to unilaterally declare state-hood, as many Israeli critics have argued, but instead to take steps that will force the international community to recognise Palestine as an independent state.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unlikely to cooperate fully without pressure from Washington, but Fayyad insists his plan can proceed either way.

Internal struggle

But despite what happens outside of Palestine, Fayyad still faces a significant struggle for support internally as he only has small political following. The question remains as to whether he can shepherd his plan across the widening rift between the main Palestinian political powerhouses Hamas and Fatah.

The democratically elected Hamas has never accepted Fayyad, and he is not even guaranteed to keep his post if presidential and parliamentary elections go ahead in January.

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