SUPPORTING HAMAS BACKFIRES ON MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002668

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/21/2017
TAGS: PREL KISL KPAL KWBG IS JO
SUBJECT: SUPPORTING HAMAS BACKFIRES ON MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD

REF: AMMAN 2613

Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. Most Jordanian elite support U.S. backing of
Palestinian President Abbas, and most Jordanians support
Fatah over Hamas in their current conflict. The Islamic
Action Front's support for Hamas' takeover in Gaza has
backfired against the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in Jordan
because of the level of Hamas violence in Gaza and public
revulsion at Hamas' desecration of Palestinian national
symbols. After initially celebrating Hamas' victory,
Jordan's MB is now back-peddling, urging internal Palestinian
self-restraint between Hamas and Fatah, and a balanced
international approach to the two. The public mood in Jordan
forced the MB to change tack after Jordanians of many
political persuasions registered their disapproval of Hamas'
takeover of Gaza and the violence with which it was done.
End Summary.

Hamas Gaza Actions Hurt MB in Jordan
--------------


2. (S) Embassy contacts have told Ambassador and emboffs that
Hamas' actions in Gaza had a negative impact on the
popularity of Hamas, as well as that of the Muslim
Brotherhood in Jordan. The head of Jordan's Public Security
Directorate MG Mohammad Majed al-Eitan (an East Bank "blue
blood") emphasized this trend to Ambassador, as did former
Prime Minister (of Palestinian origin) Taher al-Masri.
Eitan, however, expressed confusion about how the U.S.
envisions moving toward a two-state solution under the
circumstances, and showed concern that if violence erupts in
the West Bank, Jordan's interests would be affected.


3. (S) Other Jordanian reactions to U.S. policy following the
turmoil in Gaza have been mixed. Several contacts at a
social function hosted by Prince Hassan suggested the U.S.
tone down its embrace of President Abbas as it made us appear
to be inciting a civil war. Senator Akil Biltaji (a
Jordanian-Palestinian) believed our policy was just right,
and hoped we would move rapidly on the diplomatic front.
Retired Ambassador and media columnist Hassan Abu Nimeh
thought it was time for us to talk directly or indirectly
with Hamas on reconciliation. Ambassador challenged this
argument, and was supported by another former Jordanian
Ambassador, one of the elder statesmen among Jordan's foreign
policy experts.

Hamas Brutality, MB Celebrations Backfire
--------------


4. (C) Hamas' actions have hurt its image in Jordan. Video
footage of Hamas lowering the Palestinian flag and raising
its own flag in its place was a particularly symbolic image,
among many others, that has resonated negatively with the
Jordanian public, which is 60 per cent Palestinian.


5. (C) One post contact repeated to us the story told to him
by a Jordanian whose brother was killed by Hamas. The
brother, who was described as a leftist and unaffiliated with
Fatah, was ordered by Hamas gunmen to surrender and exit his
house stripped to his underwear. He was killed when he
refused. Similar tactics were cited by Jordanians of diverse
affiliations as evocative of Israeli occupation.


6. (C) The MB's celebratory actions following the Gaza
violence exacerbated this negative trend in perceptions of
Islamists. Post contacts who work closely with the
Palestinian community in Jordan reported that local Muslim
Brotherhood offices distributed sweets in at least two areas
to celebrate Hamas' "victory" in Gaza - in the Baqa'
Palestinian refugee camp and at a social and sports club for
affiliates of the Muslim Brotherhood. Such celebrations, in
light of the brutishness of the Hamas takeover, have hurt the
MB in the eyes of many Jordanians.


7. (C) These same contacts, however, also warned emboffs that
if U.S. or Israeli actions to isolate Gaza involve imposing
stifling sanctions (i.e. cut offs of fuel, power or water),
such efforts would inadvertently rehabilitate Hamas' former
image as the "true resistance to Israeli occupation." They
urged the U.S. to persuade Israel to work with the new
government and demonstrate that the path of moderation was
viable, and said Abbas would need tangible results to prove
that there was benefit in choosing the moderate path.

MB Back-peddles Fast
--------------


8. (C) After initially issuing statements that were
supportive of Hamas' takeover of Gaza (reftel),Jordan's MB
is now back-peddling quickly after re-reading the public mood

AMMAN 00002668 002 OF 002


in Jordan against the excessive violence employed by Hamas in
Gaza.


9. (C) The IAF weekly Al-Sabil published a Muslim Brotherhood
statement aimed at nuance and damage control. While
supportive of Hamas, the statement stressed the legitimacy of
President Abbas, demanded that Hamas, Fatah and the
Palestinian presidency exercise self-restraint, called for
respecting the results of the Palestinian elections, asked
the Arab governments to have a balanced position on the
issue, called for the unity of the Palestinian cause, land
and people, and called on "our Jordanian Government" to
invoke the spirit of Jordanian unity and its solidarity with
the Palestinian cause. In the course of the statement, the
MB warned the Arabs, the Palestinians and the Jordanians from
submitting to U.S. pressure and from falling prey to "Zionist
plans." The statement shifted from the MB's earlier
unflinching support of Hamas (while maintaining criticism of
Fatah corruption and its role in the crisis) to one of
calling on all parties for restraint, reaffirming the
legitimacy of Abbas as President, calling for unity and
casting blame on the U.S. and Israel.


10. (SBU) The IAF's attempts to stifle criticism of Hamas'
actions within the Higher Coordination Committee of the
Opposition Parties (which it chairs) have further eroded its
public support. Al-Rai, an independent Arabic daily, quoted
on June 19 a "leader in an opposition party" as condemning
the "unacceptable" practices of the IAF. Al-Rai reported
that opposition members had sharp discussion with the IAF,
condemned what happened in Gaza -specifically the internecine
fighting and use of military force - as a crime against the
Palestinian struggle, and argued that what Hamas did was
unjustified and incomprehensible.

Internet Polls Split Between Hamas/Fatah
--------------


11. (U) Two new internet polls in Jordan are noteworthy in
the light they shed on gauging public opinion. One poll on
www.ammonnews.net asked, "who do you think will finally win?"
Hamas won with 52 per cent of the respondents answering
Hamas, and 48 per cent backing Fatah in the unscientific poll.


12. (U) A second poll, asked what the political repercussions
following Gaza will be. Of the respondents to the
unscientific www.elaph.com poll, 41 per cent signaled that it
signals the end of the dream of an independent Palestinian
state, 24 per cent indicated it would lead to the
establishment of a Palestinian state, 22 per cent indicated
it would lead to an Israeli re-occupation of Gaza and 13 per
cent thought that the emergency government would return
things to normal.


Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/

Hale