The speaker said that the victory of the Islamic Resistance
Movement (Hamas) in the Palestinian legislative elections
in January 2006 came as a surprise for all parties in the
Arab–Israeli conflict—including Hamas itself. Hamas did
not plan nor did it wish to be pushed into such a position
at such a time without being adequately prepared. Hamas
simply hoped to have a strong and effective presence
in the Palestinian Legislative Council. This would have
made the movement capable of vetoing any unacceptable
political course of action and able to cement its position on
the Palestinian political stage without compromising the
essence of its political agenda.
Al-Hroub added that Hamas has tried to maintain a
balance between resistance and politics following the Oslo
Accords. However, this balance was disrupted after Hamas
won the elections and became the head of the Palestinian
government. The election of a Hamas government and
the political process, which led to its creation can be
attributed to the Oslo Accords and their requirements, as
well as to the limits of Palestinian sovereignty. Palestinian
governance is a form of diminished self-government (in
terms of borders, geography and economy), at the mercy
of Israel’s occupation and will. At the same time, Hamas
will push for further change in the regional environment
that will help the movement remain at the helm without
compromising its core ideology. The rise of Iran’s influence
in the region, the failure of the US agenda in Iraq, and the
growing power of Hezbollah as a result of the recent war
are the main facets of this new environment.