As the Muslim Brotherhood assumed power in a number of countries following the Arab Spring, Hamas – once a member of the Brotherhood – returned to the fold, abandoning its role as a resistance movement in the process.
When Hamas decided to become a resistance movement in occupied Palestine, it felt it necessary to distance itself from the regional network of Muslim Brothers to which it once belonged. This was not an easy decision and the movement was subjected to much criticism from its Brotherhood counterparts, without which the Islamist party would never have become an effective resistance organization.
But as the Brotherhood won elections in a number of countries in the region – most notably in Egypt – after the outbreak of the Arab uprisings, Hamas decided to return to the fold, hoping to benefit from the rise of the Brotherhood in the area. By doing so, it effectively adopted the priorities and alliances of the international Islamist movement, the aim of which was to consolidate their power across the region.
This required the movement to reconsider its alliances locally and regionally, leaving Syria to Qatar, which in turn caused a rift with its main military and financial backer for many years – Iran. Most dangerously, Hamas’ realignment eventually led to mounting tensions with Hezbollah and the resistance axis as a whole.
In Syria, the Palestinian movement continues to insist that those of its fighters and supporters who engaged in confrontations alongside the opposition did so without its consent. However, pro-regime and loyalist Palestinians in Syria say otherwise, maintaining that many developments would not have occurred as they did without Hamas’ involvement.
In Lebanon, Hamas distinguished itself over the years by staying out the country’s endless internal disputes, keeping a low profile even when it came to resistance activities against the Israeli occupation. Today, however, there are those within Hamas and among its leaders who decided to take sides in the Syrian crisis, implicating the movement in questionable activity against the Resistance in Lebanon.
It is common knowledge, for example, that a Palestinian named Ahmad Taha was behind the rocket attack on Dahiyeh several months ago. He was assisted by many, among them a prominent member of Hamas in Rashidiya refugee camp in South Lebanon by the name of Aladdin Yassine. When Lebanese army intelligence asked for Hamas’ cooperation, they helped with Taha but refused to surrender Yassine, claiming that he had left the camp and his whereabouts are unknown.
It’s hard to imagine what Hamas is thinking – does it not understand the repercussions of dragging its feet in such a critical matter? Does it not know that its actions could cause a major rift with Hezbollah – the main target of the Dahiyeh rocket attack – and supporters of the Resistance, who have never hesitated in their commitment to the liberation of Palestine and all those forces that are struggling to that end?
Today, there is a serious debate raging within the ranks of Hamas, with many in its military wing in Gaza strongly objecting to what its leadership abroad is doing. It is a discussion that should bear fruit relatively soon despite that fact that it poses a threat to the movement’s internal unity. All excuses that there are priorities that come before the Palestinian cause are indications of Hamas’ decline as a resistance movement.
Ibrahim al-Amin is editor-in-chief of Al-Akhbar.
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.
When Hamas decided to become a resistance movement in occupied Palestine, it felt it necessary to distance itself from the regional network of Muslim Brothers to which it once belonged. This was not an easy decision and the movement was subjected to much criticism from its Brotherhood counterparts, without which the Islamist party would never have become an effective resistance organization.
But as the Brotherhood won elections in a number of countries in the region – most notably in Egypt – after the outbreak of the Arab uprisings, Hamas decided to return to the fold, hoping to benefit from the rise of the Brotherhood in the area. By doing so, it effectively adopted the priorities and alliances of the international Islamist movement, the aim of which was to consolidate their power across the region.
This required the movement to reconsider its alliances locally and regionally, leaving Syria to Qatar, which in turn caused a rift with its main military and financial backer for many years – Iran. Most dangerously, Hamas’ realignment eventually led to mounting tensions with Hezbollah and the resistance axis as a whole.
In Syria, the Palestinian movement continues to insist that those of its fighters and supporters who engaged in confrontations alongside the opposition did so without its consent. However, pro-regime and loyalist Palestinians in Syria say otherwise, maintaining that many developments would not have occurred as they did without Hamas’ involvement.
In Lebanon, Hamas distinguished itself over the years by staying out the country’s endless internal disputes, keeping a low profile even when it came to resistance activities against the Israeli occupation. Today, however, there are those within Hamas and among its leaders who decided to take sides in the Syrian crisis, implicating the movement in questionable activity against the Resistance in Lebanon.
It is common knowledge, for example, that a Palestinian named Ahmad Taha was behind the rocket attack on Dahiyeh several months ago. He was assisted by many, among them a prominent member of Hamas in Rashidiya refugee camp in South Lebanon by the name of Aladdin Yassine. When Lebanese army intelligence asked for Hamas’ cooperation, they helped with Taha but refused to surrender Yassine, claiming that he had left the camp and his whereabouts are unknown.
It’s hard to imagine what Hamas is thinking – does it not understand the repercussions of dragging its feet in such a critical matter? Does it not know that its actions could cause a major rift with Hezbollah – the main target of the Dahiyeh rocket attack – and supporters of the Resistance, who have never hesitated in their commitment to the liberation of Palestine and all those forces that are struggling to that end?
Today, there is a serious debate raging within the ranks of Hamas, with many in its military wing in Gaza strongly objecting to what its leadership abroad is doing. It is a discussion that should bear fruit relatively soon despite that fact that it poses a threat to the movement’s internal unity. All excuses that there are priorities that come before the Palestinian cause are indications of Hamas’ decline as a resistance movement.
Ibrahim al-Amin is editor-in-chief of Al-Akhbar.
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.