Arab writer: Iran won, Gaza lost

A lengthy op-ed in Firas Press bucks the trend of praising Hamas that has become fashionable in Palestinian Arab circles. Instead, the writer, Mohammed bin Ali Al-Mahmoud, writes that the apparent victory of Hamas is really a stunning loss for Gaza and the Palestinian Arab people, and was a victory for Iran.

The writer sarcastically speaks of the deaths of innocents in Gaza as being part of Hamas' "victory." He calls it a completely theatrical victory, that has nothing to do with Gaza and everything to do with Hamas' political desires for legitimacy - legitimacy that is entirely dependent on Iran's largesse at theexpense of Palestinian Arabs.

He gives an example of how a small group can be considered a winner when the larger group has lost, pointing out that arms dealers are clear winners in proportion to the losses of their own side.
The Hamas "victory" is likened to someone who declares himself a leader of a sinking ship that symbolizes the Palestinian Arab cause altogether.

Iran is the big winner here, as it manages to wage proxy wars against Israel via Hamas and Hezbollah without risking a single Iranian; it then positions itself as the leader of the Muslim world while Arab governments are more conflicted about supporting the extremist Islamist groups. Hamas is not really a winner; it has mortgaged itself as a vassal of Iran and it now sheds its own blood for its Iranian master. Gazans are the biggest losers, as well as Palestinian Arabs altogether.

The commenters on this article were very complimentary, indicating that Hamas did not fool every Palestinian Arab.