Hamas new charter seems to be bearing concessions

Qods News Agency; Hossein Rouyvaran:

Hamas leader in the West Bank, Ahmad Yousef has made public a new political charter of the Palestinian movement in an interview with al-Mayadeen TV.

The charter agrees to the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967-occupied lands provided that other Palestinian movements approve it and that Hamas is allowed not to relinquish its arms. Hamas’ new charter also considers the resistance against occupiers a legitimate right and calls armed resistance a strategic option.

One however may stop to think about several issues.

For one thing, one may question whether and how Ahmad Yousef’s remarks may reflect Hamas’ views. In a recent election, Hamas chose Yahya Sinwar as Hamas chief in Gaza while former Hamas premier, Ismail Haniya replaced Khaled Mashaal as political bureau chief. However, Hamas has declined to identify its chosen authorities for the West Bank and the refugee affairs for security concerns. The legitimacy of Yousef to represent Hamas in talking about the alleged charter is thus questionable. On the other hand however Hamas has kept silence over Yousef’s remarks, giving rise to the speculation that they are right.

Another issue of not is that Hamas’ approval of the establishment of Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank is no new thing at least since the era of the assassinated Hamas leader, Ahmad Yassin. It is however a novelty that the alleged Hamas charter has failed to make any mention of ‘Palestine from River to Sea’ argument throughout, virtually relinquishing any call for the restoration of the historical Palestine.

The failure may show that Hamas has decided to pursue pragmatism while the reverse was expected after Hamas called for the transfer of leadership from Gaza to overseas. The compromising idea amid a new effort in the Muslim community for the restoration of entire Palestine does not seem to be in line with the Palestinian interests.

Hamas also appears to be drawing its line closer to the treacherous position of Arab states in Jordan where they repeated their call for the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 lands that forms 22 percent of the historical Palestine.

Though the charter has made no mention of recognition of Israel throughout, the approval of 1967 borders would remind one of the back-to-back PLO concessions that only led to more settlements in the occupied West Bank and helped further consolidate the Israeli occupation.

Speculations are there that Hamas has drawn up the charter in a bid to conciliate Turkey and Qatar. There are however some other speculations that the enemy is going to give concessions and Hamas seeks to pick fruits.