Hamas Cautious on Qatar Power Transfer
Hamas says it has learned its lesson from previous experiences in Syria and Jordan, and is prepared for any sudden policy change from Qatar's new emir.
The transfer of power in Qatar from Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to his son, Prince Tamim bin Hamad, has raised concerns within Hamas. The latter fears that this power shift could change the Islamic movement's relationship with Qatar. Some Hamas leaders are based in Qatar, most notably the head of the movement's political bureau, Khaled Meshaal, who left the Syrian capital, Damascus, after the outbreak of the crisis.
The Qatari leadership change reminded Hamas leaders of their previous experience in Jordan. When King Abdullah II came to power after the death of his father, he forced Hamas to leave the Jordanian arena, causing the movement to relocate its headquarters to Syria. However, the current changes seem less burdensome given the fact that its leadership is in Qatar on a temporary basis.
A well-informed Palestinian source, who refused to reveal his name, told Al-Monitor that Hamas had known for several months that the Qatari emir was planning to transfer power to his son, Crown Prince Tamim. Hamas was aware of Qatar's internal preparations to achieve a peaceful transition of power.
While Meshaal has strong personal ties to the former emir, Hamas leaders, according to the same source, fear that they will not have the same close relationship with the young Tamim, since his primary interest will be in establishing the basis for his reign in Qatar internally, before considering external relations.
