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Hamas' futile pursuit of a middle ground

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh called Jordanian King Abdullah II to try to engage him in efforts to achieve Palestinian unity while his deputy appears to have secured the support of Iran for the movement.
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Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas' political bureau, called King Abdullah II of Jordan on Oct. 25. There has been a nearly complete break between Hamas and Amman since November 1999 when Abdullah expelled the political bureau, then headed by Khaled Meshaal, charging that the movement's members had plotted against the kingdom. The only reprieve, a brief one, occurred five years ago, when Abdullah allowed Meshaal to enter the country during a visit by his patron, Qatari Crown Prince Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. It was thought that the king did so in an effort to pacify the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan. Since then, there has been no contact between the two sides.

It was reported on Oct. 24 that Abdullah had rejected a recent request by Meshaal to establish an office in Amman “for building an organizational infrastructure anticipating Hamas’ joining Fatah institutions.” Then came Haniyeh's call from Gaza.

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