Was Hamas helped by Israel?

From time to time, the media speculates that Israel is the one that supported the creation and growth of Hamas, a rumor that is based on testimony circulated by some officials, but without providing evidence.

I present below the summary of the article written by Dr. Moonis Ahmar and published on May 30, 2021 in The Express Tribune, which discusses Israel's involvement in the creation and development of Hamas as a counterweight to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the 1980s; the statements, opinions and conclusions belong to the author of the article, without being accredited by BURSA.

• Historical background:

- The PLO, established in 1964, was seen by Israel as a major threat due to the clause in its charter that called for the destruction of Israel. However, following the Oslo peace process, the OEP renounced this clause and recognized the Jewish state.

- Hamas, on the other hand, opposed this peace process and continued to support the destruction of Israel.

• Initial support for Hamas:

- Israel initially supported Mujama al-Islamiya, a charity and social assistance organization led by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, considering it less dangerous than the PEO.

- Mujama al-Islamiya evolved into Hamas, especially after the launch of the first Intifada in December 1987.

• Israeli officials' later regret:

- Avner Cohen, an Israeli official in Gaza in the 1970s and 1980s, said that Hamas was, regrettably, a creation of Israel.

- Andrew Higgins, another Israeli official, admitted that Israel was wrong to support Hamas, initially believing it would be a useful counterweight to the PLO.

- Brig. General Yitzhak Segev admitted that he financed the Palestinian Islamist movement to counter the secular and leftist influence of the PLO and Fatah.

• Consequences:

- The initial support given to Hamas divided and weakened the Palestinian community, allowing Israel to consolidate its control over the West Bank and impose a blockade on the Gaza Strip.

- The internal conflicts between Hamas and the PEO served Israel's interests, reducing Palestinian unity in the face of the Jewish state.

• Conclusions:

- It is obvious that Israel has supported Hamas out of self-interest, similar to how the US has supported jihadist groups in other regions to achieve its political goals.

- Following the initial support for Hamas, Israel cannot deny responsibility for the strengthening of this militant organization that further complicated the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

For more details, you can consult the original article published in The Express Tribune: "How and why Israel helped create Hamas".

In the article entitled "Hamas was created by Israel?" , published on November 15, 2023, by "Middle East Monitor", Dr. Mohammad Makram Balawi addresses the idea that Israel created Hamas, and criticizes this theory as a baseless aberration logical.