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Hamas' New Strategy Threatens U.S. Interests

(MEMRI) Yigal Carmon - Of the three Islamist threats facing America today - al-Qaeda, Iran, and the Muslim Brotherhood - the first two have chosen the path of confrontation to promote their goals, whereas the third has chosen the path of political participation. This choice was prompted in large part by the global War on Terrorism, which made Hamas (as part of the mother organization, the Muslim Brotherhood) realize that in the post-9/11 world, terrorist organizations have no future, while political participation could still allow them to achieve some of their major goals. Political participation requires adaptation to political constraints. Only after Hamas' victory were conditions formulated for recognizing future Hamas political participation: renunciation of violence, recognition of Israel, and respecting prior agreements. These conditions are ineffectual: They can be met on a limited tactical and temporary basis. If the West reconciles itself to the Hamas victory, the Muslim Brotherhood is likely to repeat that success in Egypt and Jordan. U.S. demands should be directed not only towards Hamas, but, first and foremost, towards its parent organization, the Muslim Brotherhood. Political recognition should be granted only when the following conditions are met by Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, and included in their official political platforms: 1) Endorsement of politics to the exclusion of violence and the use of force. 2) Endorsement of the full package of democratic values including equality of all before the law and constitutional freedoms embodied in internationally-accepted conventions.
2006-03-17 00:00:00
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