Hamas | The American Task Force on Palestine

Meshaal may be asked to remain as head of Hamas Political Bureau
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Hugh Naylor - May 3, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM // Khaled Meshaal, the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, might be asked to stay in his post despite his recent decision not to stand for re-election, a spokesman for the group said yesterday.

Hamas and the Arab Spring
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Council On Foreign Relations
by Elliott Abrams - (Blog) May 3, 2012 - 12:00am

It would be logical to assess that Hamas (a part of the Muslim Brotherhood) must be a winner from the “Arab Spring.” The various revolts have brought Islamists into power in several Arab countries, and most importantly the Muslim Brotherhood has attained a predominant position in Egypt’s parliament and may win the presidency in the forthcoming election.

Hamas says it's holding talks with 5 EU countries
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Karin Laub - May 2, 2012 - 12:00am

BEIRUT — Hamas has been holding secret political talks with five European Union member states in recent months, a senior official in the Islamic militant group told The Associated Press on Wednesday. If confirmed, such talks would be a sign that the isolation of the Gaza-based Palestinian movement is easing in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings that have brought Islamists to power in parts of the Middle East. The EU and the U.S consider Hamas a terror group and refuse to deal with it unless it renounces violence and recognizes Israel.

Meshal loses control of Hamas military wing as authority moves to Gaza leadership
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Avi Issacharoff - May 2, 2012 - 12:00am

Hamas political bureau head Khaled Meshal, who now resides in Qatar, is expected to keep his post after an internal vote by the organization's leadership later this month. But sources have told Haaretz that Hamas leaders have decided to transfer some of Meshal's critical areas of authority to the leadership in the Gaza Strip, including control of the organization's budget and of its military wing.

Hamas's crisis of leadership is terrible timing
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
(Editorial) April 27, 2012 - 12:00am

Palestinian politics continue to be shrouded in secrecy. The reconciliation deal between Hamas and Fatah signed in Cairo last May is in danger of collapsing; elections are nowhere in sight; and reports of internal conflicts in both camps continue to emerge.

Hamas denies Haniyeh was secretly voted in to head Gaza bureau
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Hugh Naylor - April 26, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM // A Hamas official denied a published report yesterday that Ismail Haniyeh, the Islamist group's prime minister, had been elected to head the Gaza political bureau, the territory's most powerful political institution. The secret vote of the 15-member bureau was held in the past two weeks, the report in the Israeli daily Haaretz said, quoting unnamed Hamas officials. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum yesterday challenged the report but said he could not comment further, citing the group's strict policy of secrecy on internal matters.

Hardline Pragmatists
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) April 25, 2012 - 12:00am

I was pleased when, several weeks ago, Larry Cohler-Esses called me and asked my advice about his Cairo interview with Hamas leader Dr. Mousa Abu Marzook. I told him that, over the six years that I have been dealing with Hamas, I’ve learned that, contrary to what I’d been taught, Hamas is first and foremost a Palestinian national movement, and only secondly an Islamic religious movement. Were they first a religious movement guided by the word of God, change and reform would be nearly impossible.

Hamas holds secret elections, picks Haniyeh as head of Gaza politburo
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Avi Issacharoff - April 24, 2012 - 12:00am

Hamas recently held secret elections for the leadership of the organization's Gaza political bureau, officials in the militant group told Haaretz. According to the officials, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh won the race by a significant margin. The win in effect makes Haniyeh the Strip's first recognized Hamas political leader since Israel's assassination of Hamas' former Gaza political chief Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi in 2004.

Hamas Still Not Ready for Prime Time
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by Hussein Ibish - (Blog) April 23, 2012 - 12:00am

In a wide-ranging interview with the Jewish Daily Forward, Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook again demonstrated the difficult position in which his organization finds itself. Due to the Arab uprisings, the region’s strategic landscape is now primarily defined by sectarian allegiances. As a result, Hamas's external leadership is trying to reintegrate the organization into the mainstream Sunni Arab fold, cultivating closer ties with states like Qatar, Jordan and Egypt, while distancing itself from Iran and abandoning Syria altogether.

The Message From Hamas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
(Editorial) April 23, 2012 - 12:00am

The Forward’s exclusive interview with Mousa Abu Marzook, who is widely considered the second most important leader of Hamas, sends a message that is stunning and sobering. The very fact that the meeting happened will empower those who believe — or need to believe — that the terrorist organization is softening and maturing as it seeks wider acceptance and a more productive role in the new Middle East.

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