QATARI VIEWS ON ELECTION OF HAMAS IN PALESTINIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L DOHA 000152

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER XF QA
SUBJECT: QATARI VIEWS ON ELECTION OF HAMAS IN PALESTINIAN
AUTHORITY


Classified By: Ambassador Chase Untermeyer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. The Qatari foreign minister said that
Palestinian election results should be respected, as they
came about by democratic means. Other Qataris and non-Qatari
resident Arabs are cautiously optimistic that the Hamas
victory will change the terrorist organization and will
benefit the peace process in the long run. End Summary.


2. (U) First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign
Affairs Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani said January 29 that Hamas
came to power through the ballot box and that the West wants
matters to be handled in this manner. He said all should
accept the results and not be concerned about Hamas's
assumption of power. He also said that Hamas of today is
different than Hamas of the resistance period because it now
has responsibility for the Palestinian administration and has
inherited the peace process portfolio.


3. (C) Views held by Qataris and other Arabs resident in Doha
were elaborated on by a former Qatari minister of justice
with good access to the Amir. He said that the Palestinians
felt that they had made many concessions to the Israelis in
the past several years and got nothing in return. The
Israelis in fact continued military interventions and
killings, rejected the Road Map, and withdrew from Gaza
without PA cooperation, our contact said. Palestian
negotiators were not being taken seriously and the people
felt "depressed." Thus the vote for Hamas was a vote to end
futile compromises.


4. (C) Our contact said that being in power is harder than
being in opposition. Hamas, he said, should be given a chance
and "should not be hindered" in governing. The view that
Hamas came to power by legitimate means and that should be
respected is widely held, he said.


5. (C) Another embassy contact who follows regional issues
said that he believed the situation will require Hamas to
change and that the result will benefit the peace process.

COMMENT
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6. (C) Qataris and other local Arabs are not anxious over the
election of Hamas because of the lack of achievement
previously by Fatah leaders, but neither are they jubilant.
Support for Hamas appears to be indirect as a "protest"
alternative. Qatari and other Arab views are not widely
different although it is likely that there is concern among
senior Qatari leaders about the influence of Islamic parties
in the region.
UNTERMEYER