JAFFA, Israel – Hamas has come under fire from Palestinian and Syrian pundits and social media users after deputy leader Moussa Abu Marzouk lauded Iran for its support for Palestinian resistance movements.
In an official statement, Abu Marzouk said that no other country matches Iran in terms of the financial, logistical and military aid it has given the Palestinians.
It is yet unclear whether the statement marks a change in the movement’s relationship with the Islamic Republic. Hamas has been mostly cautious in recent years to keep its distance from Iran in part because of larger ideological conflicts along the Shiite-Sunni divide brought to head by the so-called Arab Spring.
Abu Marzouk was criticized left, right and center for his pro-Iran comment.
Anwar Gargash, a former UAE minister and a detractor of Iran, tweeted: “Dr Moussa Abu Marzouk’s comments about Iran’s support brings back Iranian influence on the movement to the agenda at a very sensitive regional crossroad, just when Hamas’ position seems confused and conflicted.”
تصريح د. موسى أبو مرزوق حول دعم إيران لحماس يعيد إشكالية النفوذ الإيراني على الحركة، في هذا المفصل الحرج في المنطقة موقف حماس ملتبس ومتناقض.
— د. أنور قرقاش (@AnwarGargash) June 15, 2016
The Saudi News 50 website launched a hashtag #Hamas_acquits_Iran and wrote: “Hamas acquits terrorist Iran by saying that it supports the Palestinian resistance.” Many commenters used the hashtag to bash Hamas.
حركة حماس تُلمع إيران الإرهابية وتزعم أنها دعمت المقاومة الفلسطينية .#حماس_تلمع_إيران
— أخبار السعودية (@SaudiNews50) June 16, 2016
Yasser Zaatreh, a pro-Muslim Brotherhood Jordanian commentator and an associate of Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal wrote that “barring a few exceptions, the Arab countries are hostile to Hamas. Many seek to weaken it, but praising Iran while it fights against our nation is not the right move forward.”
موقف العرب الرسمي من حماس باستثناءات محدودة سيء، وكثير يتآمر عليها، لكن مديح إيران وهي تقاتل الأمة ليس حلا، فخسارة الأمة لا تعدلها خسارة.
— ياسر الزعاترة (@YZaatreh) June 15, 2016
Islamic scholar Ahmad Abu Farha tweeted: “What Hamas does by being obsequious to Iran isn’t just a political statement. It’s flagrant political prostitution. Iran’s outreach to the world is not meant to serve the Muslims.”
ما تفعله حماس من شكرها الدائم المفرط لايران ليس تصريحات سياسية انما دعارة سياسية صارخة
الحضن الايراني الشاذ ما كان يوما لخدمة المسلمين— أحمد أبو فرحة (@ahmadabufarha21) June 15, 2016
Pro-Hamas Algerian journalist Anwar Malek wrote: “If that’s the logic that guides Hamas, and what they care about is money at the expense of the people butchered by Iran, we no longer recognize it as a movement that can return to reason.”
إن كان هذا هو منطق #حماس وما يهمها سوى الإمداد والمال على حساب شعوب تذبحهم #ايران فإننا نتبرأ منها حتى تعود لرشدها!! https://t.co/E2XkgNc2Kl
— أنور مالك (@anwarmalek) June 15, 2016
“What would be Hamas’ position if the Syrian opposition took money and support from Israel, while thanking them for their support against Assad the criminal?” Kuwaiti MP Walid Altabtbie tweeted. “How do they expect us to react to their praise of Iran, our nation’s enemy?”
ماموقف #حماس من المعارضة السورية لو أخذت سلاحا ودعما من #اسرائيل ثم شكرت دعمها لهم ضدالمجرم الأسد فكيف تريدنا أن نقبل شكرها لعدو الامة ايران
— وليد الطبطبائي (@Altabtabie) June 15, 2016
Many of Hamas’ detractors were Saudi, among them high-profile activist Aon Alaon, who wrote: “Hamas overlooks Saudi Arabia’s support and the blood of Saudi martyrs who died in Palestine before the corrupt Hamas cropped up.”
تتناسى حماس الدعم السعودي ودماء الشهداء السعوديين الذين سقطوا في فلسطين قبل أن تنبت هذه النبتة الفاسدة المسماة حماس pic.twitter.com/rCSlZ6upul
— عون العون (@aon780) 15 June 2016
Renowned Saudi journalist Abedalaziz Alkhames tweeted: “Oh, the irony! It looks like Hamas’ real colors are only now being shown. We know it, and our view of it has always been more accurate than others’.”
يا للسخرية، البعض وكأنه للتو يكتشف توجهات حماس.يبدو أننا نعرف أكثر منهم،أو موقفنا صائب وأدق منهم منذ زمن طويييييييل. pic.twitter.com/cByeTGqL54
— عبد العزيز الخميس (@alkhames) June 15, 2016
“It looks like political expediency comes even before religion,” Khaled Gahtan, a Syrian activist, wrote. “The humiliation and submission Hamas leadership is willing to take is endless, despite Iran’s policy of death and destruction.”
يبدوا أن سياسة “المصلحة” فوق كل شيء حتى الدين, وسقف المذلة والإنبطاح لدى “حماس” وقياداتها لا يوازيه سقف آخر, رغم ماقدمته إيران من قتل ودمار!
— خالد شعبان (@Khaled_qahtan) June 15, 2016
Saad Alghneam, a member of the International Council of Islamic Lawyers, tweeted: “Hamas continues to hesitate. Whoever fails to answer the question ‘what is Iran’ is a fool.”
ماتزال حركة #حماس تتخبط
من لم يدرك من تكون #إيران فهو جاهل https://t.co/r13hTtHouf— سعدبن عبدالله الغنيم (@alghaneam) June 15, 2016
Ben Ewed, a top Saudi activist, wrote: “In 2007, the Kingdom brought Hamas and Fatah to Mecca where they agreed to join hands in resistance, for which they got $1 billion in aid. The next day Meshaal flew to Tehran and turned his back on Fatah.”
في2007،جمعت المملكه حماس بفتح في مكة وتعاهدو على توحيد صف المقاومة وتم دعمهم بمليار دولار..في ثاني يوم طار مشعل لطهران وانقلبت حماس على فتح
— بن عويد #2030 (@fdeet_alnssr) June 15, 2016
He later added: “Thank Allah Hamas is not ours and we are not Hamas’. It is Iran’s, and Iran is theirs.”
نحمد الله ونشكره ،، ان حماس ليست منا ولسنا منها .. بل هي من ايران وايران منها .. https://t.co/3cvvPJc2s9
— بن عويد #2030 (@fdeet_alnssr) June 15, 2016