Arab visits put an end to Hamas isolation Gaza – Mohammed Habib The Minister of Culture in Gaza government, Mohammed Al Madhoun said that Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh’s tour in a number of Arab and Islamic countries was ‘very effective ’.
Al Madhoun said in a press statement, on Tuesday evening that Haniyeh’s tour put an end to the political blockade of Hamas Government in Gaza.
He also pointed out that, these visits had been scheduled before the reconciliation with Fatah and were very successful as the Palestinian delegation had hero’s receptions, popular and official, in several countries, such as Sudan, Turkey and Tunisia.
Ismail Haniya returned to Gaza Strip, Tuesday evening after a regional tour for the first time since Israel imposed a siege in 2006. The purpose of the trip was to obtain "help and aid" to rebuild Gaza City, he told the reporters in Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, stressing that his tour aimed to end Gaza blockade.
Regarding the relations with Egypt Al Madhoun explained that Hamas relation with Egypt is improving, but he hopes to further improvement in the future.
Meanwhile, Haniyeh’s tour raised controversy among the Arab political circles, a political analyst and expert on Palestinian affairs Mohammed Sawalha says that Haniyeh’s tour has an “official dimension”, referring to the Turkish and Tunisia official reception to Haniyeh.
Sawalha said “in Haniyeh’s previous visits to the Arab countries, the official dimension wasn’t exist, it was clear in these visits, what can be considered as breaking the Arab siege that was imposed on Hamas government,” adding “it may be a breakthrough in dealing with Hamas and Gaza blockade.”
Sawalha stressed that the governments that warmly welcomed Haniyeh achieved the biggest gain, as everyone knows that Hamas is widely accepted among peoples of Arab and Muslim world, referring to the wining of Islamists in several Arab elections after the Arab Spring.
According to Sawalha, there are two main points have to be highlighted: the first is that the Palestinian cause had an existence during the Arab revolutions, and the second the Islamists (Hamas's allies) won in the elections in Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt.
For his part, the Tunisian researcher Jalal Aloraghi considered the success of Haniyeh’s tour as a “proof of the Israeli failure in isolating Hamas,” adding that the tour had several political dimensions, such as ending the blockade and supporting the Palestinian cause after the Arab revolutions.
Aloraghi pointed out to Haniyeh’s hero’s reception in Tunisia, which underlined that Tunisia completed its revolution, internally and externally, and responded to the people demands, calling Egypt to complete the revolution.
He referred to Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces SCAF and Ganzouri’s government rejection to meet Haniyeh, stressing that it was a normal act as they do not have the legitimacy of the Egyptian people.
According to Aloraghi, the Arab revolutions aimed to overthrow the internal regimes that were the West’s allies.
Whereas, Dr. Jawad Al-Hamad, Director of Middle East Studies Center in Amman considered Haniyeh’s tour as a confirmation of Hamas belonging to the Arab revolutions and the Islamists who won the elections, stressing that the tour was very successful.