PLO assimilates Hamas and Islamic Jihad

Okay, this has definitely caught my attention...

Over the past week, Abbas has increased efforts to convince Hamas and Islamic Jihad to officially join the PLO in order to deflect pressure to dismantle the groups.

Under the terms of the Oslo Accords and Road Map peace plans, the PLO/PA is obligated to disarm and dismantle all terrorist organizations operating out of territories under its control.

Despite Hamas’s failure to participate in Sunday’s meeting, the group’s Damascus-based leader, Khaled Mashal, said Wednesday he had come to an understanding with Abbas.

In an interview with the Egyptian newspaper Al Aram , Mashal said he and Abbas had struck a deal on the future control of the Gaza Strip following Israel’s planned withdrawal, Israel Radio reported.

PA officials Tuesday confirmed a report that Abbas had agreed to consult Hamas on the fate of abandoned Jewish settlements in Gaza.

Later that day, Hamas announced its tentative decision to officially join the PLO, pending the resolution of differences with Abbas’s Fatah faction.

From what I gather, this could be interpreted in a number of ways. Abbas may be trying to buy some time in his quest to gain control over these groups and dismantle them by guiding them into his organization. On the other hand, he could very well be showing his true colors. That is, he may actually be more in line with the goal(s) of these groups (the destruction of Israel being the overarching theme here) than people had originally thought. In that case, this is indeed a scary development for the Middle East.

Experts say the question is whether Hamas and Islamic Jihad have moderated their strategy and ideology to adapt to the PLO stance; or if the PLO, headed by Abbas, is moving closer to the terror groups' destruction-of-Israel goals.

Dr. Ely Karmon, of the International Policy Institute on Counter Terrorism near Tel Aviv, said that there are two possibilities why Hamas in particular would agree to join the PLO.

The more "optimistic" view is that Hamas is beginning to understand reality and adapt its goals, Karmon said. Hamas has agreed to participate in upcoming PA parliamentary elections, and it will have to decide whether it will negotiate with Israel or not.

But the other view is that the PLO is accepting the extremist views of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, something that will put pressure on the PLO -- and, in turn, on the governing PA. In that case, the PA will be even more "uncompromising with Israel," Karmon said.

To sum up, we are going to have to watch Abbas very carefully here. He may just be trying to be a smooth operator (the "optimistic" view) and get these extremist groups to realize that they'd be better off modifying their stances (and practices hopefully) and enjoy life under the umbrella of the PLO. However, if Abbas is making a radical policy change in his government by aligning it with the goals of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, we are looking at a very serious problem. I hope to see further developments and analysis as this development definitely carries some major implications for the region.