Palestine unity to boost Palestinian position at UN: Analyst

Press TV has interviewed Lawrence Davidson, a professor at the West Chester University, from Pennsylvania, to discuss the crisis in Palestine.

What follows is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: What do you think about this unity government? For how long do you think it will last?

Davidson: First of all I think it’s a positive step because it’s going to give the Palestinians credibility in the United Nations and throughout most of the world, because they’ll be able to set themselves with a home.

How long it’s going to hold is another question. I think it will hold as long as the Israelis are obstinate, which could be a very, very long time.

These kind of unity governments where there’s an apparent instability deep down usually fall apart in good times, not in bad times.

Press TV: What could Israel do to create obstacles for this unity government?

Davidson: Not much. I mean, whatever the Israelis have done already is bad enough. What are they going to do, hold back taxes? They already do hold back taxes. What are they going to do, take territory? They already take territory.

I guess what they might do is not allow people from the West Bank, government officials from the West Bank to travel to Gaza or vice versa, and therefor try to break communication between the two elements, which would force them to sort of setup shop someplace else as a government in exile.

Press TV: Is this unity government a force to be reckoned with?

Davidson: I think it is a force to be reckoned with on the international stage. Obviously it’s not a force to be reckoned with militarily. But when it comes to, perhaps in the end, going to the International Criminal Court, or diplomatically rallying support around the globe, I think it is a force to be reckoned with.