PALESTINIAN ARTICLE: EGYPT COUP MAY LEAD HAMAS, IRAN TO RESUME RELATIONSHIP

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06704850
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: January 8, 2018
• Case Number: F-2017-02456
• Publication Date: July 23, 2013

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WARNING: TOPIC: INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC, INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL,
LEADER, TERRORISM
SERIAL: PLL2013072367254203
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COUNTRY: EGYPT, GAZA STRIP, IRAN, WEST BANK
SUBJ: (U// OU ) PALESTINIAN ARTICLE: EGYPT COUP MAY LEAD HAMAS,
IRAN
To Resume Relationship
SOURCE: Washington Al-Monitor in English 22 Jul 13
(U// OUO)
TEXT:
[ (U//tiett) Article by Adnan Abu-Amr: "Will Hamas Reenter Iran's
Orbit?"]
[INTERNET]
[OSC Transcribed Text]
(U) This product may contain copyrighted material; authorized use
is
for national security purposes of the United States Government
onl
17.
Any reproduction, dissemination, or use is subject to the OSC usage
policy and the original copyright.
In less than two years, Hamas has repositioned itself within the
regional alliances network. After being considered part of the
Iran-led "defiance axis" that includes Syria and Hezbollah, Hamas
found itself gradually moving toward another axis (which has not
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chosen a specific name for itself) represented by Mohammed Morsi's
Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. That latter axis stood apart from the
pre-Arab-Spring "axis of moderation" that was composed of Hosni
Mubarak's Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, although this has started
to re-emerge after the coup in Egypt. Hamas greatly benefited from
its membership in the defiance axis. Based in Syria, Hamas received
substantial funding from Iran and was able to train its fighters by
having close ties with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The dream and the nightmare
Like any major historic event, the Arab revolutions reshaped the
regional landscape. Because of its position with regard to the
Syrian
crisis, Hamas slightly moved away from the defiance axis, without
completely breaking with it. At the same time, Hamas' relationship
with Egypt went from being in permanent crisis during Mubarak's era
to a gradual alliance under Morsi. But the recent coup in Egypt
turned Hamas' dream of having a strong regional alliance network
into
a nightmare from which it has not yet awoken. Hamas has decided to
reposition itself with regard to the alliances in the region so as
not to lose its long-sought gains in less than two years.
Hamas downgraded its relationship with Iran and Hezbollah in recent
months, but it didn't completely cut ties due to Iran and Hezbollah
supplying Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, with
long-range
rockets capable of striking the heart of Israel, as Hamas itself
admitted. Hamas' new allies - Egypt, Qatar and Turkey - did not
supply it with such weapons.
It is clear that Hamas, which is passing through difficult
circumstances, would like to see its lifeline restored. Hamas would
be happy if its Iranian liaison official would pick up the phone
and
re-establish cooperation like it was before the Syrian revolution.
According to information received by Al-Monitor, that phone call
has
not occurred. Hamas leaders inside and outside the Palestinian
territories are frustrated and are not hiding their financial
difficulties. Egyptian-Iranian relations took a nosedive after
Morsi
severed diplomatic relations with Syria and expelled the Syrian
ambassador in the last days of his rule.
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Although Hamas' rank-and-file accepted Morsi's move, senior Hamas
leaders were not enthusiastic about it. They considered Morsi's
action to be a strong blow to Hamas' former ally Iran, which then
sought to bring down Morsi by cooperating with his enemies and
fighting his friends, including Hamas. The coup against Morsi
surprised Hamas and Iran saw it as an opportunity to punish him. A
senior Muslim Brotherhood leader told Al-Monitor that Iran gave
money
to Morsi's opponents, including those who stand against Iran
ideologically.
Outreach efforts
Hamas' alliance network is getting weaker. The group tried to
rectify
the matter by making a series of overt and covert moves to keep the
line of communications with Iran open, especially with Hamas
leaders
such as Mahmoud al-Zahar, who has always called for maintaining
contacts with Iran, even if minimal. It should be noted that Zahar
is
not acting independently, as has been indicated by some reports,
including one by Al-Monitor's Shlomi Eldar. A senior Hamas official
told this author that Zahar is highly respected in the movement
although he no longer holds a leadership post and that his contacts
with Iran are part of Hamas policy. The Hamas leadership wishes to
mobilize all resources that serve the Palestinian cause and should
not sever relations with anyone.
Another knowledgeable Hamas source who lives abroad told Al-Monitor
that Hamas didn't heed the invitation by the General Union of
Muslim
Scholars in mid-June to attend an international conference in Cairo
to support the Syrian revolution. Hamas chose not to attend because
it wished to mend its relationship with Iran. The conference
recommended that young Arabs and Muslims be recruited to fight the
Syrian regime.
Information shared with the author indicated that there was
recently
a series of meetings in Beirut bringing together officials from
Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. To discuss the strained relations, Hamas
sent a high-level delegation headed by political bureau deputy
Mousa
Abu Marzouk to meet with a high-level Iranian delegation.
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A source close to decision-making circles in Hezbollah told
Al-Monitor that Abu Marzouk's meeting with Hezbollah and Iranian
officials in Beirut was to ensure that the relationship between the
two sides remains strong at the highest levels and that the parties
understand each other's circumstances. During this period, Hamas'
media was careful not to burn any bridges and did not attack Iran.
The reconciliation?
After the Muslim Brotherhood had opened Egypt's doors to Iran and
Morsi made a historic visit to Tehran, some Egyptians called on
Iran
to refrain from interfering in Egyptian internal affairs. Iran's
new
Foreign Minister Abbas Aracichi said that Morsi's ouster was a
military coup and he rejected the army's intervention in politics.
He
called for Morsi to be reinstated as he is the democratically
elected
president. Iran took that stance since it was still of the belief
that Morsi was its closest friend in Egypt despite him being wrong
on
Syria.
Things grew worse between Tehran and Cairo in the last hours after
Egyptian security services closed the Iranian Al-Alam channel in
Egypt and arrested its director. Iran's relationship with Egypt may
worsen still.
The fact that both Hamas and Iran reject the new political order in
Egypt may help repair Hamas-Iran relations. Tehran may try to
exploit
the Muslim Brotherhood's decline in Egypt to convince Hamas that it
would be better off with a strong relationship with Iran, given the
prevailing geopolitical situation. Hamas is not embarrassed to say
that it needs Iran and that Iran needs Hamas, which couldn't find a
substitute for Tehran's financial and military support. Turkey,
Egypt
and Qatar do not fit the bill. Turkey is preoccupied with protests.
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood was ousted, and Qatar is in political
transition.
Iran needs Hamas because it is the most organized and influential
armed political movement in the Palestinian scene. Iran is seeing
its
Syrian ally being battered by the opposition and doesn't want to
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lose
more regional allies.
UNCLASSIFIED/Meta-
Egyptian restrictions on the Gaza Strip's tunnels are pushing Hamas
closer to Iran and Hezbollah. The efforts to improve relations by
Iran and Hezbollah on the one hand and Hamas on the other suggest
that their relationship was never completely severed, but only
temporarily weakened.
The coup in Egypt has woken up both sides to the painful reality
that
they have no choice but to overcome past mistakes and resume their
relationship. Egypt under Morsi was not completely on Hamas' side
and
Hamas does not want Iran to be completely against it during new
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's era.
[Description of Source: Washington Al-Monitor in English Website
hosting exclusive articles by prominent writers from Israel, the
Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Iraq, and Turkey; URL:
http://www.al-monitor.com]
(U) This product may contain copyrighted material; authorized use
is
for national security purposes of the United States Government
only
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policy and the original copyright.
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