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New Hamas?

May 06,2017 - Last updated at May 06,2017

Hamas leader Khalid Mishaal last Monday made public in Doha a new “charter” of this Palestinian movement, declaring readiness to accept a Palestinian state on the June, 1967 borders.

In the charter, Hamas fell short of recognising Israel.

How Hamas can reconcile the recognition of a Palestinian state in the West Bank occupied in the Arab-Israeli 1967 war without recognising the existence of Israel remains without an answer, at least for the time being, especially when the proposed two-state solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict rests on the foundation of the recognition of a state for the Israelis and one for the Palestinians, coexisting side by side.

Mishaal may have wanted not to expose so soon all Hamas’ cards in the eventuality of a negotiation process that would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank with East Jerusalem as its capital.

It took Hamas many years to come to this conclusion and get closer to the PLO position.

The next step for Hamas should be to move in the direction of the two-state solution.

The near suffocation of Gaza, not only by Israel but also by most of the international community, has a lot to do with Hamas’ final realisation that its stance is a non-starter.

The new position revealed by Mishaal maintains the traditional features of the 1988 Charter, which calls for the exercise of the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

This part corresponds with the PLO position, but is not likely to be operative.

Moreover, by the announcement, Hamas may have wanted to show a delink from the pan-Arab Muslim Brotherhood movement and draw a distinction between Palestinians’ struggle against Israel.

 

It also aims to appease Egypt, which holds the key to the door to Gaza and could ease the blockade on the strip.

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