Hamas Government

Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, was created as an armed Islamic movement in 1988 with the expressed goal of the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state in all of Palestine. In January 2006, Hamas won the majority of votes in the popular election (This victory was largely due to a general disdain for Fatah’s corruption and an appreciation for Hamas’ social services), giving it control of the Palestinian legislature. Since then, the government has faced sanctions from the international community because of its refusal to recognize Israel, to abide by past agreements, or to renounce violence. The PalestinianTerritories are economically falling apart, and, more recently, there has been street fighting between Fatah and Hamas.

Background Information

• Palestinian Election Results, January 25, 2006

Legal Documents, Reports, and Statements

• Hamas Charter
• Israeli view on the Hamas Charter, from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Statement from the Prime Minister’s Bureau on the results of the Palestinian elections
• Cabinet Communique on Palestinian Elections
• Hamas Triumphant – Washington Institute for Near East Policy Focus, February 2006
• Hamas: Isolate or Engage? – US Institute of Peace Briefing by Shlomo Brom, March 2006
• Prisoners Document – Text of the Agreement signed by members of Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the PFLP, and the DFLP, May 11, 2006

US Sanctions Against

• Comparison of H.R. 4681 and S. 2370 – by APN
• H.R. 4681 – text of different versions
• S. 2370 – text of different versions

News Articles on Election Results

• Meretz USA Weekly Update, October 6, 2006 – Focus on: Rice in the Region; Fitna in Palestine
• What the Palestinians Really Voted For – analysis by Khalil Shakiki
• 75% of Hamas voters oppose destruction of Israel – poll in Jerusalem Post
• We need a coherent strategy – Yossi Alpher, the former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, insists that, as it charts its policy, Israel must face the harsh reality: The Hamas is in charge, and there is no way to circumvent it and negotiate with a weak President Abbas.
• Hamas, the peace party – Aluf Benn, HaAretz's diplomatic affairs expert, depicts Hamas' leaders as rational political players, not wild-eyed fanatics.
• Watching Hamas – Shalom Harari, a former Israeli Military Intelligence officer, believes that the Hamas victory, far from being an isolated Palestinian phenomenon, is symptomatic of the Moslem Brotherhood's growing power throughout the Arab Middle East.
• The positive side of Hamas’ victory - Hussein Agha and Robert Malley suggest that the Hamas victory might not be all that bad: First, Hamas’ new and unexpected governmental responsibilities will force it to moderate its behavior.
• What Hamas Is Seeking - Mousa Abu-Marzook, Hamas' Deputy Political Bureau Chief, seeks legitimacy from the West, requesting a dialogue 'without preconditions'. His implied formula for peace: Jews would live under Moslem dominance and protection.
• We will not sell our people or principles for foreign aid - Khalid Mish'al, Hamas' Political Bureau Chief, offers Israel a long-term truce, but makes his principles abundantly clear: Hamas will "never recognize the legitimacy of a Zionist state", and will not give up the right of return for refugees.

Scholarly Articles

• The Islamization of Palestinian Identity: The Case of Hamas – article by Dr. Meir Litvak of the Tel Aviv University
• U.S. Policy at a Crossroads: The Relevance of the Roadmap in the Aftermath of the Hamas Victory - by Yechiel Leiter, a Senior Policy Analyst at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
• Dollars and Diplomacy: Foreign Aid and the Palestinian Question by Scott Lasensky and Robert Grace (US Institute of Peace), August 2006

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