Iran, Hamas and the Dance of Death

By Khaled Abu Toameh

• It now appears that the Obama Administration's failed policies in the Middle East have increased the Iranians' appetite, such that they are convinced that they can expand their influence to the Palestinians as well.
• Iran has one goal only: to eliminate the "Zionist entity" and undermine moderate and progressive Arabs and Muslims.
• "Relations between Iran and Hamas are currently undergoing revitalization, and are moving in the right direction," announced Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official. He went on to explain that "moving in the right direction" means that Iran would "continue to support the resistance" against Israel.
• Hamas and Iran have no meaningful ideological or strategic differences. Both share a common desire to destroy Israel and replace it with an Islamic empire. Iran expects results: Hamas is to use the financial and military support to resume attacks on Israel and "liberate all of Palestine, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea."
• As far as Iran is concerned, there is nothing better than having two proxy terror organizations on Israel's borders -- Hezbollah in the north and Hamas in the south.
• The biggest losers, once again, will be President Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
• Israel's presence in the West Bank has thus far thwarted Iran's repeated attempts to establish bases of power there.

Iran used to funnel money to Hamas because the terrorist group shares Iran's desire to destroy Israel and replace it with an Islamic empire. Relations between Iran and Hamas foundered a few years back, when Hamas leaders refused to support the Iranian-backed Syrian dictator, Bashar Assad. Pictured above: Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal (left) confers with Iranian "Supreme Leader" Ali Khamenei, in 2010. (Image source: Office of the Supreme Leader)

The Iranians and Hamas are exploiting the final days of the Obama Administration to restore their relations and pave the way for Tehran to step up its meddling in the internal affairs of the Palestinians in particular and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in general.

Emboldened by the nuclear deal framework with the world powers, Iran has already taken the liberty of interfering in the internal affairs of other Arabs, particularly the Iraqis, Lebanese, Syrians, Yemenites and some Gulf countries.

It now appears that the Obama Administration's failed policies in the Middle East have increased the Iranians' appetite, such that they are convinced that they can expand their influence to the Palestinians as well.

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