Palestinians need unity more than ever before

The imminent coming to power of United States President-elect Donald Trump and the unknown repercussions of his policies are reverberating through governments, politicians and interest groups at every level. Simply put, no one knows what will happen, what is likely to happen, and what is just happenstance.

But change is coming. On Tuesday in Moscow, the main Palestinian parties agreed to end a nine-year impasse and agreed in principle to form a unity government again, bringing together again the separate administrations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Now, more than ever, with Trump making worrying noises and being closely aligned with the right-wing thinking of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinians need to present a united front, standing together against a threat that will effectively subvert the Palestinian cause without recourse to or discourse with all of the regional and international stakeholders.

The deal between Fatah, Hamas and other parties was reached after three days of secret negotiations in Moscow and the parties have called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to immediately launch consultations on forming a unity government.

It's a call that must be acted upon swiftly, with Trump's elevation to the Oval Office an onerous and ominous portent that must not be ignored. The deal also allows for the creation of a Palestinian council that will include representatives from the international Diaspora.

It envisages fresh elections. The last time both Fatah and Hamas both participated in such an exercise was a decade ago. Clearly, a new mandate is needed. This deal has been a long time coming. It's a necessity. Never before have Palestinians faced such a potential threat, and never before have they needed a unified front.