(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Lt. Col. (ret.) Jonathan D. Halevi - A high-ranking delegation from the Hamas Political Bureau visited Iran in August 2017. Hamas has an interest in fortifying its relations with Iran, Syria, Hizbullah, and Islamic Jihad based on the common denominator of fighting Israel. By joining the Iranian axis, Hamas reveals its leadership's priorities. Liberating Palestine takes precedence over the battles between Shiite and Sunni. The Hamas leadership views Iran as a rising regional power. Thus, Hamas is distancing itself from Saudi Arabia, which regards Iran as a tangible military threat to the Sunni states. From Iran's standpoint, the renewed alliance with Hamas will enable it to strengthen its zones of influence along Israel's borders, including within the West Bank where Hamas and Islamic Jihad give it a foothold. The writer is a senior researcher of the Middle East and radical Islam at the Jerusalem Center.
2017-08-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive