As the Palestinian group moderates its line, the opportunity for talks must not be lost
The new political charter of Hamas marks a departure from several of its earlier controversial positions, indicating that the Islamist movement is willing to take a more realistic view of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Over the years, Hamas has been criticised by rival Palestinian groups as well as the international community over its original charter and actions. It has shown willingness in the past to live with Israel, but its original charter, marked by anti-Semitic language and unrealistic objectives, was a major point of contention. For example, it vowed to “raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine”, called for the “obliteration” of Israel, and repeatedly harped on its fight against the Jewish people. Though the new programme does not supplant the existing one, its key proposals run counter to the old document. Hamas now says it is not fighting the Jewish people but the Zionists, because they have occupied Palestine. Released by the group’s outgoing Political Bureau chief, Khaled Meshal, the new charter also insists that Hamas is not a revolutionary group that seeks to interfere in the affairs of other countries. Instead, it is merely fighting for Palestinian rights. More importantly, it is now ready to support the formation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.
Israel has rejected the charter, saying Hamas is trying to “fool” the world. Still, if Hamas actually tones down its rhetoric and takes a more constructive line towards peace, that will be something the international community can scarcely ignore. By accepting the 1967 border for the first time, Hamas has acknowledged the existence of the state of Israel. It may not immediately recognise Israel or give up the right for armed resistance: both steps will be unpopular among its ranks given the historic hostility and the continuing occupation. But the evolution of its position suggests that it is ready for a compromise. Second, with these changes the differences between Hamas and Fatah, the other major Palestinian movement that rules the West Bank, in terms of their approach towards Israel have narrowed. Over time, the disparate approaches between the Fatah and Hamas, not to speak of a violent power struggle between them, had substantially weakened the Palestinian quest for statehood. There were efforts in recent times to bring both parties together to put up a united front against the occupation; it will be interesting to see whether Hamas’s new programme goes some way towards achieving this. Hamas released the document a few days before Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met Donald Trump in the White House. For years, both Israel and the international community avoided engaging Hamas, citing its hardline positions. But it has only grown in strength, making its consent inevitable for any durable solution to the conflict. If Hamas reinforces this message of moderation by addressing concerns about its support to violence, other parties in the conflict have the responsibility to respond constructively.
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