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Source: https://www.inss.org.il/publication/muqawama/
The Arab World Reassesses Hamas and "Armed Resistance" after Oct. 7
(Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University) Yohanan Tzoreff - A broad Arab discussion is developing regarding the outcomes and implications of the war Hamas initiated on Oct. 7. Alongside the deepening recognition of Israeli power, a prominent question arises about the future of armed resistance and the future of the militias, given the severe blow to Iran's "axis of resistance." What is the point of continuing armed resistance if it only causes harm and does not serve its founding purpose? Ahmed Yousef, a Hamas figure, recently published a series of articles calling on the Muslim Brotherhood to undertake profound soul-searching, arguing that the movement's failures outweigh its successes. Since the Arab regimes view Hamas as part of the Brotherhood, they feel justified in ignoring the destruction taking place in Gaza and even in conspiring against the Islamic resistance movements, portraying them as their declared adversary. Yousef proposes that Hamas and the Brotherhood "explicitly renounce armed violence in domestic and all other arenas where weapons are used in the name of Islam," so Islam will not be branded as a religion of terror and to prevent foreign intervention. The implications of this and similar messages from Muslim thinkers is that the legitimacy Hamas once enjoyed has significantly diminished since the Oct. 7 massacre. It crossed the boundaries of what was considered a legitimate act of "resistance" and is now perceived as advancing a foreign agenda in the Arab world. The belief that the Oct. 7 attack would help the factions of the Brotherhood regain eroded power has been disappointing, as the results of the attack have been, in fact, the opposite. The Palestinian Authority (PA) sees it as Hamas's war - not the Palestinians' - refuses to assist it, and even wishes for its elimination as a military entity. Similar positions aiming to exclude Hamas from governance are expressed by prominent Arab commentators. Their view is that Palestinians must remember that eventually, they will have to live with Israel. This may suggest an expanding acceptance that Israel is not a temporary reality among those who previously denied it. As it becomes clearer that friction with and resistance against Israel does not destabilize it but rather strengthens it and its influence, Israel's adversaries are compelled to reassess their positions. Now, many influential voices in the Arab world, including those close to Hamas, are calling on it and ideologically-aligned militias to lay down their arms and cease armed resistance. The writer is a senior researcher at INSS.