Israeli and US officials are reportedly cooperating in an attempt to bring about the fall of Hamas in the Palestinian territories and bring about new elections in the coming months.
According to some Western and Israeli sources, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would be forced to call new elections if enough funding and international connections are cut from Hamas.
Israel on Tuesday staunchly denied the existence of any such plans.
Such isolation of Hamas would also affect the lives of the Palestinian public, which in turn, the US and Israel hope, would vote for the more moderate Fatah party in new elections, according to the New York Times.
The plan is reportedly being discussed at top levels of both the US and Israeli governments.
Many have pointed out that because of the Palestinian electoral system, Hamas won by a far smaller margin than the media has portrayed.
According to the sources, who revealed the US-Israeli plan, Hamas will be given an ultimatum in which they can either recognize Israel's right to exist as the United Nations had urged, and forge ahead with a Palestinian-Israeli peace agreement, or face the consequences of political and financial isolation.
Despite the fact that most agree that Hamas won elections as a result of the Palestinian public's belief that their lives would be improved under the group's leadership, the US and Israel insist that this is not the case.
Hamas, they say, intends to expand its armed wing in an effort that will only result in more "violence and bloodshed" rather than an improved standard of living for Palestinians.
Hamas recently finished registering and collecting weapons used by its acitivists in the Gaza Strip, and began transferring them to it military leaders, according to Haaretz.
Hamas has claimed that the move is an attempt to show the West that it has the power to enforce internal discipline, while some see it as a sign that Hamas may decide to extend the period of "calm" in which it refrains from attacking Israeli and collects weapons from armed Palestinian groups.
"The point is to put this choice on Hamas' shoulders," a top Western diplomat said. "If they make the wrong choice, all the options lead in a bad direction."
If the plan is implemented, Israel may withhold tax payments it collects on behalf of the Palestinians. It may also impose restrictions on the movement of workers into Israel, as well as Palestinian leaders between the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Some imply, however, that the plan may backfire and raise sympathy for the Palestinian public worldwide and in the Arab world especially.
Meanwhile, Hamas leader Dr. Mahmoud Al Zahar stated on Monday that the movement has no intention of recognizing Israel, and that threats by the US to cut funding to Hamas are of little consequence. Dr. Al Zahar said that the movement did not need "satanic" US money.
"Recognizing the state of the Israeli enemy is not on the table," he said. "Our program is to liberate Palestine, all of Palestine," he added.
© 2006 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
