RAMALLAH, West Bank -- As it struggles to form a government for the Palestinian territories, Hamas seems to be clutching the biblical verses of Ecclesiastes rather than the desires of the Quartet (United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations), which is charged with trying to bridge the Israeli-Palestinian divide.
"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven" fits Hamas' current agenda, because its priorities and time frame are different from those of the international community, which is pressing it to make immediate political declarations -- most importantly, to recognize Israel's right to exist.
Hamas understands the political obligations that it must meet to be fully accepted in the world community, but its leaders prefer to wait until they are fully empowered before exploring these issues. Moreover, Hamas, like most Palestinians, is trying to evaluate the best way forward in the peace process. In their eyes, the current process produced years of inaction in negotiations, allowing for continued occupation and theft of Palestinian lands.