Israeli support for Hamas

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The Israeli support for Hamas refers to direct involvement by Israeli authorities from different periods in the rise and empowerment of Palestinian militant group Hamas. [1] [2] [3]

Background

Since Israel's victory in the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel has occupied the Palestinian territories, including the West Bank. [4] The occupation has been controversial, with Israel accused of violating international law, as well as committing human rights abuses and apartheid against Palestinians. [5] The Israeli government has also actively promoted the creation and growth of Israeli settlements in Palestine. [6]

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), an umbrella group representing several the most prominent Palestinian nationalist movements in the second half of the 20th century, has also been accused of a number of human rights violations and of waging a terrorist campaign against Israelis. Formed in the early 1960s, it became the dominant Palestinian movement throughout the second half of the 20th century. [7] Hamas is a newer Palestinian nationalist movement, formed as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in the late 1980s, and is politically oriented towards conservative Islamism. Also accused of human rights violations and terrorism, it grew sharply in the 1990s, seizing power in the Gaza Strip in the mid-2000s. [8]

History

Origins

Israel refused to recognise the PLO until the Oslo Accords process in the 1990s, instead seeking to handle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through alternative bodies. In international negotiations, this particularly took the form of Arab state intermediaries, especially Jordan, such as via the Jordanian option, and Egypt following the late 1970s Camp David Accords. Israel also gave support to foreign military action against Arab nationalist governments, including to the French-British invasion of Egypt during the mid-1950s Suez Canal Crisis, to the royalists in the 1960s North Yemen civil war, and to the Islamic Republic of Iran during the 1980s Iran–Iraq war. [9] [10]

Within the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the search for alternatives to the PLO particularly took the form of encouraging the creation of non-PLO groups that Israeli officials belived would better represent Palestinians and would be more cooperative with Israel, [11] while simultaneously cracking down and taking military action against PLO centres of influence. One prominent example of this policy was the Palestinian Village Leagues in the late 1970s and early 1980s, who were based on rural traditional societal structures and were provided weapons by Israel, while the Israeli government simultaneously moved to forcibly disband elected Palestinian urban city councils, who were mostly run by supporters of the PLO. [9] [12] [13] [14] [15]

Another alternative to the PLO encouraged by Israeli officials was Islamist politician Ahmed Yassin, a Muslim Brotherhood member who ran a network of mosques, clubs, and schools in Gaza. During the 1970s and 1980s, Israel granted licences and support to Yassin so that he could build and expand his network. [2] American research Jonathan Schanzer wrote that "by the late 1970s, the Israelis believed that they had found Fatah’s Achilles’ heel... Fatah had become anxious over the growing influence of the Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza," saying that the Israelis subsequently "made the ill-fated decision to permit the Brotherhood to operate with relatively little oversight" so that it would undermine the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). [16] In the late 1980s, Yassin's network would evolve into the armed Islamist and nationalist group Hamas. [17]

Former Israeli officials have openly acknowledged Israel's role in providing funding and assistance to Yassin's network as a means of undermining the secular, left-wing Palestinian factions that made up the PLO. Brigadier General Yitzhak Segev, who served as the Israeli military governor in Gaza during the early 1980s, admitted to providing financial assistance to Mujama Al-Islamiya, the precursor of Hamas, on the instruction of the Israeli authorities. [2] Former Israeli Civil Administration director Efraim Sneh stated in 1992 that "we saw the fundamentalists mainly as an unthreatening social force aiming to improve the bad conditions and standards of living of the Palestinians... We know now that we must make a distinction between Hamas, with whom we have nothing in common, and the moderates, mainstream secular elements among the Palestinians." [11] In 2018, historian Uri Milstein quoted Yitzhak Mordechai, who served as head of the Southern Command from 1986 to 1989, as saying that "I was very familiar with Gaza from my previous positions. But when I took charge of the Southern Command, I was shocked by the number of mosques that had been recently constructed in Gaza. As it turned out, Israel’s strategists had been supportive of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin’s charitable organization." [18]

Policy

Upon a visit to Israel from Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and Turkish lawmaker Feyzi İşbaşaran  [ tr ] in 1998, it was revealed that Netanyahu suggested Turkey support Hamas. Netanyahu said, "Hamas also has bank accounts for aid in banks, we help them too, you [Turkey] can help too." [19] [20]

Israeli backing of Qatar sending millions of dollars to Gaza

Qatar started sending money to the Gaza Strip on a monthly basis in 2018. $15 million worth of cash-filled suitcases were transported into Gaza by the Qataris via Israeli territory. The payments commenced due to the 2017 decision by the Palestinian Authority (PA), an administration in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and rival to Hamas, to cut government employee salaries in Gaza. At the time, the PA objected to the funds, which Hamas said was intended for both medical and governmental salary payments. In August 2018, Israel's government approved the agreement. [21]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended allowing transfer of millions of dollars to Hamas-run Gaza despite criticism from within his own government, including the education minister Naftali Bennet. [22] After the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Netanyahu went on record denying the claims that he facilitated financing of Hamas in order to create a 'divide and conquer' situation. He also said that he transferred funds to avoid "humanitarian collapse" in Gaza. [23] Israeli intelligence officials believe that the money had a role in the success of 2023 Hamas-led attack. [24]

Work permits granted by Israel

Talks regarding expanding the amount of work permits Israel issued to Gazan laborers also included officials from Hamas. This kept money flowing into Gaza. [1]

Debates

Use of Hamas to undermine the Palestinian Authority

In an interview with Politico in 2023, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that "In the last 15 years, Israel did everything to downgrade the Palestinian Authority and to boost Hamas." He continued saying "Gaza was on the brink of collapse because they had no resources, they had no money, and the PA refused to give Hamas any money. Bibi saved them. Bibi made a deal with Qatar and they started to move millions and millions of dollars to Gaza." [25] At a Likud party conference in 2019, Benyamin Netanyahu said: [26] [27]

"Anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas... This is part of our strategy – to isolate the Palestinians in Gaza from the Palestinians in the West Bank."

Prime Minister Netanyahu responded to the accusations of funding and strengthening Hamas by calling them "ridiculous". [28]

Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right lawmaker and finance minister under Netanyahu Government, called the Palestinian Authority a "burden" and Hamas an "asset". [29]

Allegations of Israeli support for the creation of Hamas

On January 19, 2024, Reuters reported that Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, said while receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Valladolid that "Israel had financed the creation of Palestinian militant group Hamas, publicly contradicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has denied such allegations." and that "Borrell added the only peaceful solution included the creation of a Palestinian state. 'We only believe a two-state solution imposed from the outside would bring peace even though Israel insists on the negative,' he said." [30] [31] Borrell also described Israel as having "created Hamas", but immediately continued saying that "yes, Hamas was financed by Israel to weaken the Palestinian Authority". [32] [33] [34]

Professor Avner Cohen, a former Israeli religious affairs official, publicly acknowledged that Hamas was "Israel's creation." [35] Similar statements have been made by Yasser Arafat. [36]

Use of Hamas as a tool to disengage from peace talks

Shlomo Brom, retired general and former deputy to Israel's national security adviser, believes that an empowered Hamas helps Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu avoid negotiatings over a Palestinian state, suggesting that there is no viable partner for peace talks. [24]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Schneider, Tal (8 October 2023). "For years, Netanyahu propped up Hamas. Now it's blown up in our faces". Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Sayedahmed, Dina (19 February 2018). "Blowback: How Israel Went From Helping Create Hamas to Bombing It". The Intercept. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  3. ↑ Ahmatović, Šejla (19 January 2024). "EU's top diplomat accuses Israel of funding Hamas". Politico. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  4. ↑ Berg, Raffi (19 July 2024). "UN top court says Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal". BBC News. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  5. ↑ "Israel's apartheid against Palestinians". Amnesty International . 1 February 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  6. ↑ Myre, Greg (29 December 2016). "7 Things To Know About Israeli Settlements". NPR. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  7. ↑ Beauchamp, Zack (14 May 2018). "What is the Palestinian Liberation Organization? How about Fatah and the Palestinian Authority?". Vox. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  8. ↑ "What is Hamas? What to know about its origins, leaders and funding". PBS. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  9. 1 2 Karny, Yoav (24 December 2023). "The obsession that led to war with Hamas". Globes . Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  10. ↑ Al-Marashi, Ibrahim (17 October 2023). "What the World Can Learn From the History of Hamas". Time Magazine. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  11. 1 2 Melman, Yossi (20 December 1992). "Hamas: When a Former Client Becomes an Implacable Enemy : Israel: The Likud government originally saw this Muslim fundamentalist organization as a welcome alternative to the PLO". The Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  12. ↑ Carmon, Yigal (13 September 2016). "The Story Of The Palestinian Village Leagues". Middle East Media Research Institute . Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  13. ↑ "West Bank, Gaza Village Leagues Termed As Israeli 'collaborators'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency . 30 August 1982. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  14. ↑ MacManus, James (2 April 1982). "King in the middle of another Mid-East crisis". The Guardian . Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  15. ↑ Drysdale, John (27 March 1982). "Israelis in a colonial bind". The Straits Times . Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  16. ↑ Durns, Sean (22 September 2019). "1989 and the rise of Hamas". The Jerusalem Post . Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  17. ↑ Zand, Bernhard (21 December 2023). "A Gaza Conundrum: The Story Behind the Rise of Hamas". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  18. ↑ Milstein, Uri (4 January 2018). "IT HAS BEEN 30 YEARS SINCE THE OUTBREAK OF THE FIRST INTIFADA". The Jerusalem Post . Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  19. ↑ "Revealing Israel's Strategic Vision in Supporting Hamas: Insights from Turkish Ex-Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz's 1998 Visit". politurco.com. 12 October 2023. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  20. ↑ Feyzi Isbasaran [@feyzi_fyzisbsrn] (October 10, 2023). "Mesut Yılmaz/Benjamin Netanyahu görüşmesi" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. ↑ Elbagir, Nima (11 December 2023). "Qatar sent millions to Gaza for years – with Israel's backing. Here's what we know about the controversial deal". CNN. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  22. ↑ "Netanyahu defends Qatari cash infusion to Gaza". France 24. 11 November 2018. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  23. ↑ "Netanyahu dismisses claims he built up Hamas with Qatari funds as 'ridiculous'". Ynetnews. 29 November 2023. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  24. 1 2 Mazzetti, Mark; Bergman, Ronen (10 December 2023). "'Buying Quiet': Inside the Israeli Plan That Propped Up Hamas". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  25. ↑ Dettmer, Jamie (21 November 2023). "Our warnings on Hamas were ignored, Israel's women border troops say". Politico. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  26. ↑ "כל המערכת הפוליטית תומכת באותה אסטרטגיה: לשמר את הברית הסמויה עם החמאס (The entire political system supports the same strategy: preserving the secret alliance with Hamas)". www.maariv.co.il (in Hebrew). 19 May 2023. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  27. ↑ Freedland, Jonathan (2023-10-20). "Warning: Benjamin Netanyahu is walking right into Hamas's trap". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  28. ↑ "Netanyahu: Don't accuse me of boosting Hamas with Qatari money". POLITICO. 28 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  29. ↑ "Israeli far-right Minister Bezalel Smotrich described Hamas as 'asset' in unearthed tweet". The National. 23 January 2024. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  30. ↑ "EU's Borrell says Israel financed creation of Gaza rulers Hamas". Reuters. 19 January 2024.
  31. ↑ "Borrell carga contra Israel: "Financió a Hamás durante años para restar poder a Fatah"". El Independiente (in Spanish). 19 January 2024. "Hamás ha sido financiado por Israel durante años para intentar restar poder a la autoridad palestina de Fatah", ha declarado Borrell durante su intervención en el solemne acto de investidura
  32. ↑ "Borrell accuses Israel of 'creating' and 'financing' Hamas". Euractiv . 20 January 2024. "We believe that a two-state solution must be imposed from outside to bring peace. Although, I insist, Israel is reaffirming its refusal (of this solution), and to prevent it they have gone so far as to create Hamas themselves," Borrell said.
  33. ↑ Beatriz Navarro. "Borrell acusa a Israel de haber financiado a Hamas". MSN . "Sí, Hamas fue financiado por el gobierno de Israel en un intento de debilitar a la Autoridad Palestina liderada por Al Fatah", defendió ayer el alto representante ..., Josep Borrell, en una vehemente defensa de la solución de los dos estados. ... En su empeño de "debilitar" a la Autoridad Palestina, el ejecutivo israelí habría llegado a "crear" y "financiar" al grupo terrorista islámico Hamas, remató
  34. ↑ "BORRELL acusa a ISRAEL de FINANCIAR la CREACIÓN de HAMÁS para DEBILITAR a PALESTINA". YouTube, channel: RTVE Noticias. 19 January 2024. (from transcript at 1:16) Aunque insisto Israel se reafirme en esa negativa que para impedirla han llegado ellos mismos a crear jamás sí jamás ha sido financiado por el gobierno de Israel para intentar debilitar a la autoridad Palestina
  35. ↑ Higgins, Andrew (24 January 2009). "How Israel Helped to Spawn Hamas - WSJ". WSJ. Archived from the original on 26 September 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  36. ↑ "How Israel went from helping 'create' Hamas to bombing it". The Business Standard. 14 October 2023. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
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