Picking up from my last post's reference to Hamas moving away from Iran, the Jamestown Foundation's Terrorism Monitor points out Hamas' outreach to the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood as indicating a strategic reversal of Hamas' alliance with Iran. The turn toward Cairo is not surprising, given Hamas' history as a breakaway organization from the Palestinian MB. However, the changing landscape of Egyptian politics has given voice to previously suppressed forces, some of which resent Hamas' dalliance with the Shi'ite Iranians:
What is the difference between Jews, Hezbollah and Iran when
they are all gathered in going against God’s word and wish to
break down Islam?
These words welcomed Hamas leader Haniyeh as he arrived in Egypt, in a statement issued by "Egypt's largest Salafist group, al-Da’wa al-Salafiya (The Salafist Call) that also condemned the Muslim Brotherhood for arranging his visit to Egypt in the first place," according to the Jamestown Foundation. Needless to say, the fractious sectarianism of political Islam is on display.
The context for this issue in my last post was the decline in Iran's international support network, which has recently included Hamas. By moving away from Syria and toward Egypt, Hamas knows it is making a bold and risky statement to Iran; from the same Jamestown Foundation piece: "Hamas deputy leader Moussa Abu Marzouk rejected the Syrian approach to political dissent but noted the Hamas position would have a price: 'Our position on Syria is that we are not with the regime in its security solution, and we respect the will of the people…The Iranians are not happy with our position on Syria, and when they are not happy, they don’t deal with you in the same old way'" (BBC, February 28, emphasis mine).
The future of Egypt and its relationship with the Palestinians and especially Gaza will play out over the next several months and years, with potential for disorder along the way. However, the more immediate crisis that has overshadowed all others is centered on Iran. With Hamas moving back toward Egypt, it is emphasizing (among other things) that its priority is local, not regional and global, and Egypt may provide the security lost by the consequences of Iran's intransigence. Meanwhile, Iran seems to be losing a toehold near the Sinai, one that was somewhat fragile to begin with, but with Iran's forced isolation gaining intensity, any loss compounds the injury.
Next: The Gulf Cooperation Council
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