#sami moubayed

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Hamas will drop reference to its ties with the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, the parent organization out of which the Palestinian resistance was born back in the 1980s. Such affiliation is bad politics in today’s world, because since being toppled by General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi in 2013, the Brotherhood has been on blacklists in Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, and Tehran. Its two lone remaining allies are Turkey and Qatar. By distancing themselves from the Brotherhood, Hamas’ leaders hope to send a positive signal to the international community and thereby enter the family of nations on behalf of the Gaza Strip.

Sami Moubayed, 'Hamas' acceptance of Israel is a result of necessity', Asia Times

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Former patrons such as Syria are on the offensive after Hamas’ chief Khaled Meshaal jumped ship in 2011, banking on a speedy regime collapse in Damascus, while affiliate parties including the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt are out-of-office and behind bars. Iranian arms and funds have been steadily in decline for six years now, due to the stand-off in Hamas-Syrian relations. Meanwhile, Israel continues its blockade of Gaza, denying it medicine, money, travel rights, and work opportunities – and inspiring the rise of a new generation of radical Islamists who see Hamas as “soft and weak” when it comes to fighting Israel and living up to its promises of statehood in Gaza. The most prominent of these radical groups is the Palestinian branch of the Islamic State (ISIS), known as the Omar Hadid Brigade, which is feeding off Hamas deserters and defectors. Youth unemployment in Gaza stands at 60% and 40% of the territory’s population lives below the poverty line, driving people to seek alternatives that might protect them and provide better leadership. ISIS is promising to deliver where Hamas has failed since 2007.

Sami Moubayed, 'Hamas' acceptance of Israel is a result of necessity', Asia Times

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Al-Jazeera, the international broadcaster backed by the Qatari royal family, has often been accused of being a channel for al-Qaeda propaganda, especially after it was the first television station to broadcast Bin Laden’s speech claiming credit for the attacks on New York and Washington in 2001. In the past week, Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have all blocked broadcasts by al-Jazeera and other Qatari television stations. All four countries have also withdrawn their ambassadors from Qatar.

Sami Moubayed, 'Qatar, Saudi Arabia open crack in united front against Iran', Asia Times

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The discovery of huge gas reserves turned Qatar from one of the most obscure countries in the world into one of the wealthiest, wielding political clout and exerting economic influence well beyond the Gulf. Qatar will put on the soccer World Cup in 2022. It set up the Qatar Education Foundation, which put satellite campuses of US universities such as Carnegie Mellon and Georgetown in Doha. In 1991 Qatari forces took part in the US-led military campaign to reverse Iraqi expansionism, contributing to the liberation of the Saudi Arabian city of Khafji from Iraqi occupation. Qatar now contains the biggest US military base outside the US, where 10,000 servicemen and women are stationed.

Sami Moubayed, 'Qatar, Saudi Arabia open crack in united front against Iran', Asia Times