Fruit of Arab Spring lands in hands of Hamas

TEHRAN, Feb.27 (MNA) -- Since the beginning of the Arab Spring in the Middle East and North Africa, many have wondered whether the Palestinian resistance, especially the Islamic resistance movement Hamas, has been affected by the developments, and if so, to what degree. From the academic perspective, social developments can impact other phenomena, albeit the degree and the speed of the influence depend on many variables. Hamas and other liberation movements in Palestine have also been affected by the political and social developments in the Arab world over the past year. To understand the degree of this influence on Hamas, one must examine the recent stances adopted by the resistance group inside and outside Palestine. At the internal level, Hamas is still looking for opportunities to increase its clout in Palestine. The recent reconciliation deal between Hamas and Fatah can be analyzed in this framework, and it should not be interpreted as a move inspired by the Arab Spring. However, at the regional level and in issues related to the foreign policy of Hamas, one can argue that the group has been able to raise its profile in the international arena in the wake of the popular revolutions in the Arab world. Based on the principles of Islamic resistance gaining momentum throughout the Arab world in the 1980s, Hamas was founded in 1987, during the First Intifada, as an offshoot of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. Over the past year, the popular uprisings in the Arab world have paved the way for the reemergence of the Muslim Brotherhood in countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco and have elevated the position of Hamas in regional diplomacy. In addition, the Arab Spring provided Hamas an opportunity to emerge from its isolation and to begin playing a more important role in regional equations. However, the position adopted by Hamas on the crisis in Syria is regarded by many political analysts as the only problem for the resistance group in the Arab Spring. The main political bureau of Hamas is based in Damascus, and Hamas officials have supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the past 10 months. However, observers believe that the current standoff between the Syrian government and the Muslim Brotherhood could cause more problems for Hamas in the future.