Iranian support vital for Hamas after ties restored with Syria

Ten years ago, Hamas, the Palestinian movement that rules the Gaza Strip, publicly came out in support of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“I salute all the nations of the Arab Spring and I salute the heroic people of Syria who are striving for freedom, democracy and reform,” Ismail Haniya, one of Hamas leaders, announced at Friday prayers at Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo.

“The Syrian revolution is an Arab revolution,” worshippers chanted back, as Hamas’s break with the Syrian government, which used to host its leaders, became evident.

But now, a decade on, Hamas has reversed its position, and ties have been restored.

The move has sparked controversy in the Arab world, but it has not elicited surprise, with analysts saying that the Hamas decision reflects its backing of Iran and its allies – Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Syria – which have supported its fight against Israel.

“Although Hamas sided in part with Syria’s opposition for a time, it never fully broke away from Iran’s orbit and as such, it was always going to come back to Assad’s fold eventually,” said Charles Lister, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.

“Hamas’s existence is defined by its resistance to Israel and to sustain that, it not only needs Iran’s strategic support, it needs Syria too,” he told Al Jazeera.

Source: msn