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| Palestinian girls walk in front of a photograph of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi shaking hands with the Palestinian Hamas leader Ismail Haniya, in Gaza City on August 29, 2012. (Mohammed Abed / AFP / GettyImages) |
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English
has by far the largest vocabulary of any language, but there are still
times when we have to look beyond its confines to convey a particular
meaning. There is a Spanish word, desengaño,
which connotes a combination of disappointment, disenchantment,
disillusionment and despair, for which we have no precise English
equivalent. And this, surely, best sums up the current attitude of the
Hamas rulers in Gaza towards Egypt's new government.
Many
Hamas leaders were apparently convinced that the rise of the Muslim
Brotherhood in Egypt and elsewhere would mean a radical transformation
of its fortunes and hold the key to its eventual victory over secular
nationalists for control of the Palestinian national movement. At a
minimum, they expected the new government of President Mohammed Morsi
would adopt a much friendlier foreign policy, ease the blockade,
pressure Israel and provide Hamas with a steady stream of support.
As
the months have dragged on, it's become clear that this not only isn't
the case, but that the Morsi government is at least as problematic from
Hamas's perspective as its much-hated Mubarak predecessor. The recent
flooding of Gaza smuggling tunnels by the Egyptian military with raw
sewage (in contrast to Mubarak's occasional use of tear gas), pursuant to an Egyptian court order to close all such tunnels, is only the last straw.
Egypt
has moved to stop the transfer of all goods, including huge shipments
of fuel, through the tunnels and has again closed the Rafah border
crossing. The Egyptian side of the blockade has never been so intense.
These actions have had a devastating effect on the Gaza economy. They
have brought reconstruction efforts almost to a halt, and sent the price
of cement and building materials soaring. And they are costing both Hamas and Gaza businesses at least hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more, in lost revenues.
Moreover, Egypt reportedly recently
refused to allow Hamas to establish a formal office in Cairo. Even more
insultingly, Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood officialsreportedly urged
Hamas to abandon "armed struggle" against Israel and follow their
example and "implement jihad in other ways." Hamas, of course, denies these reports, but they scan perfectly with all other available information and political logic.
Several
Hamas leaders in Gaza have erupted in anger in recent days, in spite of
obvious efforts for many weeks to contain their rage and express
"understanding" of Egypt's predicament. Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud
Al-Zahar expressed the group's growing infuriation by declaring,
"The previous [Egyptian] regime was cruel, but it never allowed Gaza to
starve." Yet Hamas leaders, including Al-Zahar, continue to pin their
hopes on an eventual transformation of the Egyptian policy and, in spite
of everything, pledge undying support for Morsi.
After
all, what other choice do they really have? From a practical point of
view, the answer is to increase trade with Israel, and Israeli-permitted
exports to Europe and elsewhere. And, to their considerable chagrin and
embarrassment, this is exactly what Hamas leaders have been doing,
insofar as the Israelis have allowed it. AsThe Economist noted,
this "makes Hamas more dependent on—and subservient to—Israel, to
ensure vital supplies continue," as opposed to what they expected to be
their new major partner and, indeed, salvation: the Muslim Brotherhood
government in Cairo....READ MORE
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