Daily Alert Archives

After the Hamas Victory

(Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies) Anat Kurz - * Israel has posed three preconditions for any dialogue with Hamas: dismantling the terrorist infrastructure, accepting all previously contracted agreements between Israel and the Palestinians, and repudiating those parts of the Hamas covenant denying Israel's right to exist. Until these conditions are met, Israel is prepared to boycott the Palestinian Authority. * Hamas' first priority now is to institutionalize its rule. That, and not a desire to implement the first stage of the road map in order to lay the groundwork for talks with Israel, is what explains its continued commitment to the tahdi'a (calm). * Moreover, any deviation from the principles that have guided the movement since its founding might undermine its internal cohesiveness; Hamas could hardly undertake such a shift without inviting internal schisms and fragmentation. * Hamas' rise to power changes little in the substance of Israel's relations with the PA as they have evolved over the past few years. Although the road map has not been officially buried, it has for years lacked any operational significance. * Long before Hamas came to power, Israel concluded that there was no viable Palestinian partner, and it is therefore highly doubtful whether a Fatah victory in the elections would have resulted in a reality different enough to justify the revival of substantive negotiations. In other words, non-negotiation with a Fatah-led PA will now be succeeded by non-negotiation with a Hamas-led PA.
2006-02-24 00:00:00
Full Article