As the radical Palestinian group begins to form a joint government, 　　the future of Middle East peace talks hangs on tenterhooks
　　Israel tried measures to stop Hamas from coming into power, but plans were scuttled February 22 when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas approved Ismail Haniya, a moderate Hamas leader based in Gaza, to lead a new Palestinian government as prime minister. The new cabinet would be formed within five weeks as required by Palestinian law.
　　The radical Palestinian group, called a terrorist organization by Israel, swept parliamentary elections January 25 by securing 74 seats of the 132-seat Palestinian Legislative Council, crushing Abbas’s long-dominant Fatah. This result, which gave Hamas the mandate to form a new cabinet, took Israel and the United States by surprise.
　　Palestinian leader Abbas officially in a letter asked Haniya to form the next Palestinian Government on February 21. Abbas also declared in an interview “the Fatah movement did not decide to stay out of the government. Should the movement find common ground for dialogue with Hamas, it will have to take part in the government for the sake of the Palestinian people’s interests.”
　　
　　Political partnership
　　
　　Several days after winning the elections, Hamas extended an invitation to factions inside the Palestinian territories in forming a joint government. “Hamas would continue contacts and negotiations with other factions to achieve a real political partnership,” said Mahmoud Zahar, the most senior Hamas member in Gaza.
　　The Abbas-led Fatah party said it would join the coalition government with preconditions, while the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine also indicated a willingness to join a national unity government led by Hamas. However, the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) reiterated its rejection to join in.
　　Jihad leader Nafez Azzam said the group is still committed to national unity, and its refusal to take part in the cabinet “doesn’t mean that we oppose any kind of cooperation with Hamas in the future in order to strengthen our steadfastness in front of the Israeli aggression carried out against our people.”
　　Jihad is ideologically opposed to joining a Palestinian Authority government because, as with Hamas, it rejects the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords, which provided for the establishment of the authority.
　　For now, the new government will basically be under the administration of Hamas and Fatah, despite different opinions, both internally and externally, existing among and between the two parties. For example, both parties have stances on treating agreements that the Palestine Liberation Organization signed with Israel, including Oslo accords. Salah al-Bardaweil, parliament spokesman of Hamas, said that the group would seek common ground with Abbas, but reaffirmed its rejection to interim peace accords with Israel, in response to Abbas’ previous calls for Hamas to abandon its charter calling for Israel’s destruction and to respect previous agreements inked by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and Israel.
　　In order to guarantee control of the PNA during the upcoming four-year tenure, Hamas issued two main criteria, namely “internal security and financial and administrative reforms.” As armed groups of the Fatah movement have been in charge of security in the Palestinian territories for the past decade, Hamas feared it could not succeed in controlling the PNA. Observers predict that the situation will be mainly under the control of Fatah.
　　According to the Hamas spokesman, the cabinet under construction will be a practical one, with different aspects administered by experts, and international observers believe that scholars might become candidates for ministers.
　　Tokyo newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that Hamas is worrying that if Hamas-background candidates take major positions dealing with external affairs, the world will worry about the possibility of a “terrorism-controlled government” because of Hamas’ former extremist actions. Thus, Hamas hopes to share the power with Fatah. However, Fatah isn’t reacting warmly to this notion due to differing ideas on basic issues. “A sole Hamas cabinet is also possible,” predicted the newspaper.
　　
　　Punitive measures
　　
　　Since Hamas was involved in past suicide attacks against Israelis, Israel is strongly opposed to the Palestinian territories being led by Hamas. Israel urged the international community to withhold aid to the PNA except for humanitarian purposes unless Hamas renounces violence and drops its commitment to destroy Israel.
　　Israel’s cabinet approved a set of punitive measures against the PNA on February 19, a day after the new Hamas-dominated Palestinian parliament was sworn in. Israel decided to continue military actions against Palestinian militants and intensify security measures at checkpoints and Israeli-Palestinian crossings. The measures also included halting the monthly transfer of tax revenues to the PNA, which Abbas said will plunge the Palestinian Government into a serious financial crisis.
　　Israel collects some $50 million in tax payments on behalf of the PNA each month and is liable to transfer the money to the PNA, which uses the money to pay the salaries of 140,000 government employees.
　　“The Palestinian Authority has faced a serious financial crisis since the start of the month,” Abbas told reporters at his Gaza office. Under such circumstances, Hamas said it would try to make up for the monetary shortfall partially by raising money from the Arab and Muslim world.
　　The U.S. Government is taking a “carrot and stick” approach. On the one hand, it launched economic sanctions aimed at Hamas; on the other hand, it announced that if Hamas gives up its principle of military resistance, disarms its forces and recognizes Israel, the White House will consider doubling the aid it provided before.
　　The U.S. State Department said that because Washington doesn’t want this money to be in the coffers of a Hamas-formed Palestinian cabinet, Washington asked the PNA to return $50 million of funds it provided for infrastructure projects after Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip last September. However, according to the Washington Post, as Hamas has different channels with Fatah on collecting money, economic sanctions will not be a miracle drug that can force Hamas to give in.
　　
　　Visit to Russia
　　
　　Some experts think the world should give Hamas a chance, noting that economic sanctions will ultimately be felt by the Palestinian people, and fearing that if Hamas is pressed too hard, it can be dangerous for the whole region and even the world.
　　Meanwhile, Hamas is actively carrying on diplomatic efforts. Hamas confirmed that the group has received an official invitation from Russia for talks there. Abu Laila, in charge of foreign affairs for Hamas, said a delegation was scheduled to visit Moscow in late February.
　　As Russia is a member of the Mideast Quartet Committee, which also includes the United States, the United Nations and the European Union, its invitation has upset Israel and the United States, which demanded that Russia agree that Hamas has to renounce violence and recognize Israel. But the Russian side said such talks would help the world know Hamas’ political tendencies. The talks would also allow Russia to strengthen its influence in the Middle East.
　　Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal arrived in Tehran in mid-February for high-level talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other high-ranking officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, so as to garner more support in the Islamic world.
　　Observers believe that although at present both Hamas and Israel are taking hard-line stances, the two sides haven’t said a firm “no” to talks and negotiations, thus providing a sliver of hope for peace in the Middle East.

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