Fatah’s participation in the new Palestinian government is a major mistake, as Hamas should have to bear full responsibility for the upcoming stage. This does not mean that Fatah should idly stand by and watch but rather it should do the opposite. It is important that the Fatah movement assist Hamas to succeed in its test. It is important that Arab countries help Hamas and it is even more important to convince the international community not to punish the Palestinian people for the movement’s success by freezing the financial aid and support given to the Palestinians.

We want to a see a Palestinian government of Hamas that will bear the historical responsibility of negotiating with Israel. We want to see Hamas shift from an opposing movement and one critical of other parties, as it is a movement that will negotiate with Israel and defend the interests of the Palestinians via political channels, into a liable movement that believes in the peace process and tackles the conflict with Israeli through negotiations and implementing Palestinian-Israeli agreements.

For Hamas to bear this great responsibility in administrating the new Palestinian government, this would surely reduce extremism, nihilistic proposals and rejection. If Hamas were to succeed in its difficult mission, its members would become policy-makers rather than supporters of a notion. Furthermore, the greatest ideological and political shift in the interest of the Palestinians would have been achieved.

Respecting the choice of the Palestinians entails the support of Hamas and assisting the movement in tackling the conflict with Israel in its current position of power. A new discourse that is beginning to be used by Hamas leaders is somewhat encouraging and optimistic. Moreover, the recent Russian initiative and enthusiasm from Russian mediators was apparent in dealing with Hamas, which also paints a brighter picture of the future.

The only way to escape extremism is to believe in democracy and respecting the people’s choice. Those who have voted for Hamas maintain high hopes. They will observe closely the movement’s actions, and will be amongst the first to punish the members of the movement if their efforts do not match their stated goals. The upcoming weeks will prove that those involved in the political game differ completely to those who sit by and watch and that a rejecting and nihilistic discourse is not suitable for those in power.