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Iran and Hamas Reconnect

(Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Lt. Col. (ret.) Michael Segall - With an eye to Syria's postwar period, Iran is working to unite the ranks of the "resistance camp" to continue the struggle against Israel and deepen the dissension in the Arab world. Iran views Hamas, despite its independent path, as an important element of this camp that challenges not only Israel but also the main members of the "moderate" Arab camp. In August 2017, Yahya al-Sinwar, who was elected in February as head of Hamas' Political Bureau in Gaza, stressed that Hamas was "continuing to prepare its members for the task of liberating Palestine...and the Islamic Republic of Iran is playing a central role toward achieving this objective with financial and military assistance and the training of Hamas' military wing - the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades." On August 6, 2017, Ali Baraka, Hamas' representative in Lebanon, said, "Iran is aware that the steadfastness of the resistance [Hamas] is vital to it, just as Hamas recognizes that relations with Iran strengthen the Palestinian resistance, especially [since] Iran is the only country that supports the resistance with money and weapons." Israeli intelligence has recently called attention to the fact that Hamas is increasing its presence in Lebanon under the patronage of Iran and the Shiite axis that it leads. Arab social networks reacted harshly to the participation of the "treasonous" Hamas leadership in the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President "Rouhani the terrorist." The Hamas delegation was accused of brazenly betraying "the Sunni ummah [people]" and of indifference to the Arab blood that Iran continues to spill in Syria and Iraq. The writer is a senior analyst at the Jerusalem Center and at Alcyon Risk Advisors.
2017-09-25 00:00:00
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