Hamas and Egypt need people-to-people diplomacy

By Omar Shaban

Against the background of the tension marring Egypt's relations with Hamas because of the accusations published by some Egyptian and Arab newspapers about the participation of some elements of Hamas in the terrorist attack on the Egyptian soldiers in Rafah on the fifth of August 2012, which led to the killing of sixteen Egyptian soldiers. Likewise because of the news that pointed to the seizure of large shipments of cloth designated for military uniforms similar to those the Egyptian army uses, which were about to enter Gaza — which some Egyptian analysts interpreted as possibly being an attempt by the Hamas movement to penetrate the Egyptian army disguised in their military dress. The Hamas movement categorically denied any relation of its own to that terrorist attack.

Governing Hamas's relation with Egypt:-

The dictatorship of geography

The Hamas movement has controlled the Gaza Strip since June 2007. The Gaza Strip has been blockaded by Israel since that time. Therefore nothing remains except the Rafah crossing as the sole outlet for the movements of Hamas's leaders and most of the Gaza Strip's population. The Rafah crossing is governed by international agreements that were reached in 2005. This agreement requires the presence of international monitors at the Rafah crossing in addition to the employees of the Palestinian National Authority. The international monitors withdrew from the crossing, and likewise the forces of President Mahmoud Abbas, in the wake of the Hamas movement's control over the Gaza Strip — which pushed Egypt to close the crossing permanently, with its opening exceptionally for humanitarian reasons. Since the rise of the Egyptian revolution in January 2011 the Rafah crossing has witnessed tangible facilitations, as the number of travellers doubled from 60,000 annually in the year 2009 to half a million travellers in the year 2012. The Hamas movement aspires to open the Rafah crossing permanently and completely, not only for the entry of travellers but for the entry and exit of goods as well. Egypt cannot do that, out of its commitment to the international agreements and in application of its policy, which recognises the Palestinian Authority only and has not officially recognised the Hamas government yet.

The dictatorship of ideology

The Hamas movement welcomed the Arab Spring for what it carried for it of happy news of being rid of the systems loyal to the West and hostile to the movements of political Islam, which moved from opposition to rule in Tunisia and Egypt. The Hamas movement raised the ceiling of its expectations of the new rulers, especially in Egypt, after the toppling of the former system, which had been hostile to it — without taking into account that the burdens of rule differ greatly from the advantages of opposition. The Muslim Brotherhood group, which reached power in Egypt and Tunisia, strove hard to balance between its desire to back its brothers in the movements of political Islam and its endeavour to preserve balanced relations with the West generally and America especially, and behind it Israel. Likewise the Hamas movement lost the possibility of attacking the new Egyptian system as was the case with the Mubarak system. In the same context, the system of President Morsi swings between its duty of backing its brothers in ideology and its duty of creating balanced relations with everyone and its diligent endeavour to be a president for all. This can explain the Egyptian presidency's silence about giving its opinion on the accusations directed at Hamas; likewise the Muslim Brotherhood movement did not act, neither denying nor confirming the soundness of the recent accusations. Whereas one of the leaders of the Egyptian opposition, Mr Hamdeen Sabahi, the former candidate for the presidency, affirmed that Hamas is innocent of the attack on the Egyptian soldiers in Sinai — it appears that the liberal forces in Egypt did Hamas more justice than its allies did. Egypt needs good relations with Hamas to continue its role as mediator to solve the Palestinian dispute and in a way that affirms its leadership as a central Arab state. Likewise Hamas cannot bear the luxury of a dispute with Egypt, for it is the state that neighbours Gaza; therefore it is the only road before Hamas's elements and its leaders toward the world. Egypt is the mediator between Hamas and Israel in the ceasefire; Egypt intervenes much to prevent any Israeli escalation against Hamas and the Gaza Strip; Egypt permits the work of the tunnels under the border, and it is the fundamental source of the entry of raw materials and goods to the Gaza Strip; likewise Egypt is the most suitable place for its leadership from all parts of the world to meet, especially after the Syrian arena became impossible because of the civil war. Hamas cannot show its disagreement with Egypt, which is ruled by the Muslim Brotherhood. The new Egyptian system expects from Hamas help and cooperation, and not the creation of other problems added to the list of its internal problems.

In the seminar Pal-Think for Strategic Studies organised at the end of last March in Gaza, in which it hosted the leader in the Hamas movement Mr Mahmoud al-Zahar and Egypt's ambassador to the Palestinian National Authority Mr Yasser Othman, speaking via video-conference from Ramallah, the keenness of the two sides to stop the deterioration in their relation was clearly apparent, out of a realisation of each one's need for the other, with a difference in degree, causes, and goals.

Egypt's position

Mr Yasser Othman summarised Egypt's position in the following:

• Egypt works in general on restoring the Palestinian rights, stopping the Israeli aggression, and lifting the blockade of the Gaza Strip, in addition to efforts to apply the Palestinian reconciliation.

• The Gaza Strip is an advanced front that backs Egyptian national security and must be preserved, and Egypt has presented much for the sake of the Palestinian cause — citing the saying: we are still discovering the bodies of martyred Egyptian soldiers in Gaza and the West Bank who were martyred in numerous wars in defence of Palestine, and recently bodies of martyrs were discovered in Bethlehem and Ramallah”.

• That the investigations into the Rafah terrorist incident are still continuing, and that the responsible bodies will announce the results that are reached.

Hamas's position

Mr Mahmoud al-Zahar summarised Hamas's position as follows:-

• Hamas categorically denies any interventions in the internal Egyptian affair, affirming that the media campaign some Egyptian media outlets wage is directed against his movement directly, and that some of these outlets work unprofessionally and are captive to a former dictatorship. Al-Zahar said that this campaign is real and no one can deny it, and we monitor every day one or two false news items about Hamas. He pointed to a document circulated by Hamas's media outlets accusing Ramallah's intelligence of supplying Egyptian satellite channels with information; al-Zahar said that the document is sound, and the proof is that a committee was formed to learn how it was leaked

• Regarding the reconciliation, al-Zahar said that America does not want it, and Israel likewise, and President Mahmoud Abbas cannot depart from the two positions.. stressing that his movement wants to apply the reconciliation as it came in the Cairo agreement.

• Regarding the tunnels trade, Hamas is not happy with it, and it is owned by individuals, none of whom belongs to Hamas — affirming that there is precise security control over it.

• Hamas rejects the saying that Israel is responsible for the Gaza Strip on the ground that it blockades it, holding Israel responsible for killing and destroying the Gaza Strip. He added that Sinai's security is part of Gaza's security, calling on all the political forces in Egypt to support the resistance's programme in the Strip.

Despite the serious attempts of the official bodies to affirm the depth of the relation and their severe keenness on preserving it, they need to activate the popular, non-official efforts — for the problem grinds everyone without fault and without their being involved in setting the solutions

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/ar/contents/articles/opinion/2013/04/hamas-egypt-reconcile-differences.html