The transformation of Hamas cannot be

The newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat This week, an unbelievable report about Hamas was published. According to this Arab media outlet, the leadership of the Islamist organization is reviewing documentation regarding a transformation of the armed movement into a political force, including the laying down of arms. a complete renunciation of armed struggle

The weapons would be handed over as part of a profound reform within Palestine, in which Hamas would become a political party like any other and even join the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The newspaper notes that Hamas has recently reiterated that, under certain circumstances, the surrender of weapons is possible.

In this context, it should be noted that the information was published on Tuesday, but hours earlier, on Monday, we learned two things directly related to Hamas: that the White House has initiated a process to declare the Muslim Brotherhood illegal in the United States, and that Benjamin Netanyahu has begun a similar process to declare it illegal. In both countries, the Muslim Brotherhood will be designated as terrorist organizations and will be barred from political participation even if they renounce their weapons. Founded in Egypt a century ago, the Muslim Brotherhood is an organization with a considerable presence in some Middle Eastern countries and sympathizers worldwide. It incorporates a relatively modernized vision of traditional Islam. It established itself in the Gaza Strip in the 1980s and was the precursor to Hamas in December 1987. The decision by the White House and Israel is not accidental. Rather, it is a coordinated action to curb any intention on the part of Hamas to become an internationally recognized political force. In reality, we have seen this scenario play out in Egypt, when the Muslim Brotherhood won the elections after the Arab Spring, and then there was a coup d'état, and the Muslim Brotherhood became a terrorist group.

Preventing the rise of political Islam

Israel, and therefore the United States, cannot allow the incursion of political Islam onto the Israeli border. This is very easy to resolve: simply declare political Islam a terrorist group. However, this non-violent movement is deeply rooted in large areas of the Middle East and is unlikely to disappear from Gaza automatically.

In the mid-2000s, Hamas clearly won the last legislative elections held in Palestine, both in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Almost two decades have passed, and no elections have been held since. Neither Israel nor President Mahmoud Abbas has any interest in opening the polls to political Islam.

But if Hamas lays down its arms, Israel will have no interest in negotiating the creation of a Palestinian state, making it a very risky step, because this is the only form of pressure the Palestinians can exert. Renouncing arms would only make sense if Israel first accepts the creation of a state in the territories occupied during the 1967 war, something that seems beyond the reach of the Palestinians. Israel cannot allow a state that overwhelmingly votes for political Islam. Therefore, we are facing a situation that could only be resolved with a strong intervention from the international community, an intervention that international leaders, both American and European, are not considering.