Israel Matzav

What's a terror organization to do?

What's a terror organization like Hamas to do? Longtime politburo chief Khaled Meshaal wants to retire. Meshaal has also effectively left Syria, embarrassed by Bashar al-Assad's crackdown, which is killing Sunni allies of Meshaal's patron, the Muslim Brotherhood. Iran has stopped funding Hamas - bringing an end to an odd situation where a Shiite terror state was supporting a Sunni terror organization. And Guy Bechor writes that Hamas is having trouble finding a new home (Hat Tip: Memeorandum).

Where will it go now? There were hopes that Jordan will take in Hamas’ headquarters, until the group’s leadership was stunned last week to hear that Jordan is imposing limitations. Jordan’s prime minister made it clear that the country will host senior group figures and their families as “individuals,” banning them from any political activity. Hence, the Jordan option is no longer viable in furious Hamas’ view.

The Egypt option remains, yet with the Muslim Brotherhood aiming to portray itself as pragmatic and realistic in the eyes of the world, moving the headquarters of a terror group to Cairo would be an embarrassment. Haniyeh himself visited Egypt and spoke at length about Israel’s demise, yet Brotherhood representatives kept silent, and this silence should worry him.

The Muslim Brotherhood now needs to care not for 50,000 people, but rather, for 88 million. After all, the burden of running the state has been imposed on the Islamic movement, and should it fail to show an improvement in Egypt’s economic status, the streets’ fury will soon turn against the Brotherhood.

Meanwhile, moving Hamas’ headquarters to Gaza is out of the question, as the group’s senior figures believe that Israel could target them there.

Awwww..... Things aren't looking much better for Hamas in Gaza.

On a final note, Hamas won momentary global glory as result of the so-called blockade on Gaza. Yet now, when the siege is no longer in place with the border crossing to Egypt open to people and goods, how will the organization survive on the public relations front? This may be the worst problem faced by a group that lives off anti-Israel slogans and now finds itself crashing against the rocks of reality.

Better question: What will they do when their own people awaken to the reality that it is Hamas that is causing their starvation and not Israel? Well, Hamas is a heck of a lot better off economically than Egypt is, so don't expect anyone in Gaza to leave.

Heh.

Labels: Hamas, Khaled Meshaal

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:35 PM