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The Forum > Article Comments > Can Hamas redeem itself? > Comments

Can Hamas redeem itself? : Comments

By Alon Ben-Meir, published 3/2/2025

Now that the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire is in place, with some ongoing hiccups, the question is, will the second phase follow, and what lesson, if any, has Hamas learned following 15 months of horrendous death and destruction?

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Hamas is as capable of redemption as is the likelihood of a successful two-state solution involving one side intent in wiping Israel off the face of the Earth.
Posted by ttbn, Monday, 3 February 2025 8:12:51 AM
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Another concocted piece of Democrats diatribe, all aimed as a hate session against Netanyahu; without whom Israel would be in a much much worse position than it currently is.
Israel reflects the problem it has with a small but influential, totally undemocratic elitist left wing, as does the West, (of which this sickening author is one).

There is absolutely no hope for the future of Palestinians, since the grip of the Muslim death cult will not release until the entirety of their population is dead, one way or another; and they deliberately choose death by bullet and bomb as a path to seventy six virgins in heaven as the reward for loyalty. (This statement is no more banal than the authors).

The only good Palestinian is a dead one, and the sooner that happens the closer will be peace.
Posted by diver dan, Monday, 3 February 2025 8:33:56 AM
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There are many examples from history of terrorist organisations morphing into law-abiding political movements and even making half-decent governments: e.g. the ANC in South Africa. In the Middle East, the PLO has given up using terrorist methods and accepted Israel’s right to exist, at least ostensibly. So it is not impossible that Hamas will “redeem itself”.

In the case of Hamas, though, this looks unlikely – especially in a timeframe short enough for it to participate in Gaza’s rebuilding if the peace process holds. The PLO’s transformation took many years. Hamas’s ideology in more deeply rooted in religious fundamentalism that is less inclined to compromise. For Hamas, killing Jews seems to be not merely a means to an end, but an end in itself.

I hope Gaza emerges from this horrible conflict with a political leadership willing to peacefully co-exist with Israel. But I doubt it will be Hamas.
Posted by Rhian, Monday, 3 February 2025 12:50:07 PM
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«In the Middle East, the PLO has given up using terrorist methods and accepted Israel’s right to exist, at least ostensibly. So it is not impossible that Hamas will “redeem itself”.»

Yes, but it takes two to tango.

Can you conceive of the Messianic Jewish settlers in the West Bank redeeming themselves? Can you conceive of Netanyahu peacefully accepting his political end and the jaws of prison looming to take him in?

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Dear Dan,

«The only good Palestinian is a dead one,»

If the Jews indeed descend from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, then so do they, who remained on land and continued to farm it through the generations, even if their ancestors converted to Islam at some stage. Don't they worship the same God?
Posted by Yuyutsu, Monday, 3 February 2025 5:18:30 PM
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Hi Yuyustu

My thinking on this thread and the other one we’re involved in is intertwining, so apologies if I seem repetitive.

You’re right, it takes two to tango, and I don’t see either the settlers or Netanyahu accepting the terms for a two-state solution. But as I noted in the other thread, Hamas has lost popularity among Gazans. Similarly, Netanyahu remains unpopular among Israelis, plus is facing a serious legal challenge. Unlike Gaza, Israel is a democracy with a well-established mechanism for peacefully getting rid of bad leaders. I hope Netanyahu is defeated at the ballot box and replaced by someone more moderate who does not rely on extremists’ support to cling to power. And Hamas is not just losing popularity, it has also lost a substantial proportion of its leadership and assets, and its Iranian puppet-masters are weakened with less ability to prop them up. A change of leadership in Gaza may not be peaceful or orderly, but it’s distinctly possible.

I mostly enjoy Alon’s articles because they seem to give a realistic assessment of the situation with a glimmer of hope that something good can emerge from this devastating conflict.
Posted by Rhian, Monday, 3 February 2025 5:59:00 PM
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Yuyutsu

In the real world of reality, you’d be dead by now; probably decapitated.

You need to smarten your ideas up mate: jihadists don’t care for your mercy talk, it’s why their perfectly happy living like rats in the rubble; and their coming inexorably towards you to turn your life into rubble.

In the Oct 7th massacre, there were over sixty Israelis decapitated: Wake up!
Posted by diver dan, Tuesday, 4 February 2025 7:01:42 AM
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