Politicians and academics in a symposium held in Istanbul on Friday called for reforming the Palestinian political system and completing the reconciliation process.

Vision Center for Political Development on Friday organized a symposium that lasted for two days to discuss many topics on the development of the Palestinian political system with the participation of Palestinian political figures as well as a group of journalists and activists interested in the Palestinian political affairs.

Director of Vision Center, Ahmad Atawneh, said that the conflicts plaguing the region will increase the challenges facing the Palestinian cause, but he added that the practical steps being made to bring the reconciliation deal into effect will give the cause more popular support.

For his part, Rafiq Abdulsalam, the director of the Tunisia-based Center for Strategic and Diplomatic Studies, said that the Israeli occupation has employed the Palestinian internal division to harm the Palestinian cause, stressing that unity is the only way for the Palestinian people to counter the threats facing them.

The Palestinian ambassador to Turkey, Fayed Mustafa, noted, “We’ve entered a new phase in the history of the Palestinian cause and we must not let down the people who are waiting for us to take actual steps on the ground.”

Hani al-Masri, a political analyst, affirmed that the Palestinian political institutions, including the Palestine Liberation Organization, are in a deplorable state, stressing the need to break Mahmoud Abbas’s monopoly on power and decision-making and establish a national program based on political pluralism.