Arab Masses Have No Lost Love for Hamas

Hamas is extremely angry at the Arab world. Hamas is frustrated by the larger Muslim world.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas orchestrated what they understood to be a series of gargantuan, unprecedented, victories against Israel. They broadcast their massacre pageant across social media. It was there, live for the world to see — the world, including and especially the Arab and Muslim worlds.

Hamas started a war with Israel. In the name of Allah, they started a war with the Satan Nation, the Jewish State.

And now, they stand alone. Hamas is isolated. There is almost deafening silence from Arab world leadership. There is almost no support for Hamas.

Hamas expected Palestinians of the West Bank to take up arms. They did not. Hamas expected a full-fledged attack by Hezbollah against Israel. They got only a few rockets and missiles.

Hamas expected Yemen’s Houthis to join their war. But there have been only a few drones and rockets and all were intercepted by the United States and Egypt. Hamas expected Syria to pull the plug and launch an all-out attack on Israel.

Instead, Syrian remembers that Hamas sided against President Assad and with the revolt in the Syrian Civil War and has remained sidelined and silent.

If you follow the news and regional machinations, this would not come as a surprise to you, as it did to Hamas. For years Palestinians have thought that the Arab world has abandoned them.

There is no better example than the Abraham Accords. The very premise of the Abraham Accords is a rejection of the long-held Palestinian axiom, the axiom that goes: First solve the Palestinian issue.

Arab leadership has lost their patience with the Palestinians. But since the eyes of the world are turned toward Hamas and Israel, they have had to make small, symbolic gestures.

And so, since the Israeli response to the October 7 massacre, initially air strikes and a land advance into Gaza, the “Saudi deal” with Israel has cooled.

Some have suggested that torpedoing the “Saudi deal” a was one of the Hamas’ main objectives in starting a war with Israel. Perhaps.

And while Jordan recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv, that was not an unusual step. Actually, it was to be expected.

There has hardly been a circling of the wagons in support of Hamas.

In fact, the opposite is happening. At the Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh, on November 11, no mention was made of Hamas. Isarel was condemned, of course, but it was also made clear that the PLO (the Palestine Liberation Organization) is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Hamas is not part of the PLO.

This was a massive blow to Hamas.

It is also critical to know that Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have all expelled Hamas officials and closed the Hamas offices in their countries.

After the Hamas massacre the expectation was that Egypt would sever relations with Israel. Instead, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry released a statement to the contrary.

His statement read: “We have a very solid foundation in terms of the peace agreement that has shown its resilience; its ability to overcome challenges. And we are fully committed to maintaining the peace and continuing to have a normal relationship and the channels of communications that are deep and have been productive to both countries.”

Egypt condemned the October 7 Hamas massacre as did Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Oil productions and exports prove the point of Hamas’ isolation in the Arab world even more powerfully. In 1973, during the Yom Kippur War, Arab oil producers and exporters embargoed every country supporting Israel. The prices of oil skyrocketed.

But today, oil prices fell. On October 6 the price of oil per barrel was $82. Now, at the end of the year 2023, the price per barrel of oil hovers around $74.

Hamas can’t hide the truth. Abu Marzouk, a member of Hamas’ political bureau and a frequent guest on Arabic TV, told Al Jazeera that: “We had high hopes for Hezbollah and our brothers in the West Bank, but we are amazed at the shameful position of our brothers in the Palestinian Authority.”

In other words, Hamas is angry.

While most Arab media support Hamas, that support is translated into support for the Palestinian cause against Israel. That is not the same as support for Hamas.

The all-important Arab streets, the weathervane of Arab attitudes and actions, would be exploding in protests if the autocratic Arab leadership permitted or fomented more hatred of Israel in their government-controlled media. But that is not what’s happening.

There are probably more pro-Hamas protesters on the streets of London or the streets of New York than in most Arab capitals.

Arab leaders and Arab masses have no love lost for Hamas. They despise Hamas. And they have only a modicum more affinity for the Palestinian Authority and the rest of the Palestinian polity.

That, my friends, is the harsh truth. For that, we can be grateful.