(Gatestone Institute) Khaled Abu Toameh - Just when everyone thought that Hamas - an officially designated terrorist group and an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood - was on its way to vanish as a result of Egypt's tough measures, PA President Mahmoud Abbas stepped in to save the movement by inviting its leaders to join a Palestinian unity government. Abbas' alliance with Hamas is likely to put him on a course of collision with the Egyptian government, which regards Hamas as a threat to Egypt's national security. If Abbas has decided that Hamas is a legitimate partner and is worthy of joining his government and the PLO, why shouldn't the Muslim Brotherhood also demand equal treatment from the Egyptian authorities? Abbas' rapprochement with Hamas can only embolden Muslim fundamentalists and undermine moderate secular forces throughout the Arab world.
2014-05-01 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive