Hamas Tries to Reconcile With Egypt
Hostile Egyptian public opinion might stand in the way of a reconciliation between Gaza and Cairo.
After recovering somewhat from the initial shock of the ouster of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the removal of the Muslim Brotherhood from power in Egypt, the leaders of the Hamas movement in Gaza are trying to reach an arrangement of understandings with Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to allow the opening of the Rafah crossing and ease tensions between them.
Al-Monitor has learned from reliable sources that messages to this effect have reached the office of the Egyptian strongman, including a detailed request to enable a delegation of Hamas leaders to travel from Gaza to Cairo. The trip would be aimed at clarification talks and a presentation of a detailed plan. The plan was conceived by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, who closely supervised its preparation, in the hope that it would restore trust with Egypt and enable future cooperation.
Since the second revolution in Egypt on July 4, 2013, the Hamas movement has turned overnight from being a close friend to an enemy of the revolution and the Egyptian people. Hamas has been accused of being the main active element in turning the Sinai Peninsula into a terror enclave, which is responsible for the August 2012 murder of 16 Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai and threatens the country’s security.
Public opinion in Egypt has never before displayed such hostility toward Palestinians from Gaza, in general, and Hamas, in particular. The Egyptian media are also leading a militant line against the movement’s leaders, alleging that they cooperated with the Muslim Brotherhood in stealing the revolution from the people and that they allowed their armed militants to become the tool of the Muslim Brothers against Egyptian security forces.
