Hamas grows up

Hamas has grown up. After last winter’s war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, the latter is now the stronger ruler the strip has had in recent years. But with the ruling comes too responsibility and problems. Hamas is tasting now the flavor of power, for good and bad.

A bright example: Shalit. What before was an issue merely between two armed forces, the IDF and Hamas, has evolved into a national issue between Israel and Hamas government (although Israel doesn’t recognizes them as a legal government). Stakes are much higher now than what they were a year ago. A false step, backwards or forward, from any part will be considered as an official position from the other side for both sides.

Israel knows that. And of course, uses it on his favor. Demands from Israel over Shalit release have been growing up exponentially at the same time their concessions have been going down. Likewise, knowing the importance -especially symbolically- of the Jew soldier, Hamas doesn’t want to free him for nothing and their demands have been growing too as Israel toughened his position. That’s why conversations over Shalit are stalled right now.

But ruling over a population also carries the responsibility of accepting the inside critics. Recent movements from Hamas, aimed to impose a stricter religious moral in the daily life of Gazans, has firebacked in all the Palestinian territories, also -or most precisely, specially- in the West Bank.

Palestinians never were as radical as their South (Saudi Arabia) and Eastern (Syria) Muslim neighbors, but more like their West (Egypt) and North (Lebanon) brothers. The strict moral proposed by Hamas hasn’t been warm welcomed by them, not even in the more conservative Gaza. Cracks in the already divided Palestinian society have only worsened. And Hamas is taking the blame for it.

In fact, future doesn’t look brighter either. No-one is happy with Hamas’ ruling over Gaza. Some are unhappy because they consider it too much; some other because it consider it too few. According to Haaretz, Al Qaeda could be preparing an offensive against Hamas in Gaza to counter them and impose an even stricter Sharia law among the population. They already have had exchanges of fire and fights with them, similar to those they held against Fatah three years ago.

I bet right now more than one in Hamas is a nostalgic of times were they were in the opposition; just criticizing, no responsibilities...


Hamas police officers inspecting a car in Rafah checkpoint into Gaza
Photo: Xinhua

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