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Intelligence Newsletter April 15, 1993
OPERATIONS; No. 215

MIDDLE EAST: Hamas Charter Rewritten

On 3 to 10 April a delegation of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), led by the head of its political bureau, Moussa Abou Marzouk, made a trip to Qatar, the first such trip to a member country of the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) since the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. At the same time, a committee of "seven wisemen" from Hamas including Abdul Aziz al-Runtissi, spokesman for the expelled Palestinians in Southern Lebanon, was putting the finishing touches to a new charter for the movement. Largely based on the charter published in August 1988, the new text nonetheless includes some important changes. According to preliminary information, "the call for the creation of an Islamic state in Palestine" will be replaced by "the constitution of an Islamic society".

In the "Strategy of Action" chapter, a clause limits military action against Israel to inside Palestine and forbids any attack, even against military targets, outside Palestine. Another clause forbids all inter-Palestinian confrontations. Despite this moderate tone, the new charter will include two old clauses considered religious touchstones of Hamas: the first consecrated the Jihad as "the only solution for the Palestinian cause"; the second defines Palestine as religious property (wakf) for Palestinian generations until the resurrection. But the "destruction of the state of Israel" is not longer mentioned. Also, the new charter underlines the break with the Muslim Brotherhood of which Hamas was the official Palestinian branch until 1990.

I.N.- While remaining rigorously opposed to Israeli-Arab peace negotiations which will reconvene soon in Washington, Hamas is conscientiously preparing to play a political role in anticipation of the negotiation's failure. This is why the movement is toning down its language and moving closer to Gulf monarchies while distancing itself from Iran. Symbolically those expelled to Southern Lebanon refused to celebrated Al Qods at the end of March, as Tehran wanted. Only 35 members of the Islamic Jihad directed by sheikh Abdullah Schami demonstrated on that day. From now on, Hamas is in a position to present itself as a force to be reckoned with in any decision concerning the Occupied Territories.

LOAD: May 16, 1994

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