Hamas’s new 42-clause charter explicitly talks about accepting the concept of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders. The document talks about the Israelis as occupiers but deletes any inflammatory references to Jews, showing a clear ideological acceptance of the parameters of peace that Abbas and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) have espoused since the famous 1993 White House handshake between former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat. “Hamas advocates the liberation of all of Palestine but is ready to support the state on 1967 borders without recognizing Israel or ceding any rights,” said Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal on Monday.

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Ideologically, the fact that Hamas has dropped any mentions of the Muslim Brotherhood (compared to six references in the previous charter) represents a move away from Islamic radicalism and a closer approach to the PLO’s secular policies. For the Arab quartet of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, all of which are against the Muslim brotherhood, this should represent a victory.

The document still talks about forms of resistance that are a right for people under occupation, and it doesn’t include a de facto recognition of Israel. It also does not rule out military action against Israel

Still, this latest development from Hamas reflects the gradual political maturity that the Palestinian national movement under Arafat and Abbas has gained over the years. It is no coincidence to see positive references in the new document to the PLO and calls for finding “national compromises” between the Palestinian’s two major political camps. The possibility of Hamas agreeing to work within the umbrella of the PLO could bring with it breakthroughs for the Islamic national movement.

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If Hamas agrees to join the Palestinian National Council (the Palestinian parliament in exile) and become part of the PLO, it would automatically remove several obstacles that still exist in its amended charter. The PLO has signed the Oslo accords which foresee a two-state solution, and has accepted a mutual exchange of recognition with Israel. The new Hamas document rejects those positions, but if the group joins the PLO, it will be bound by those preexisting signed agreements.

But why did Hamas alter its position now? While the desire for political legitimacy in the eyes of Arab states and the international community was important to Hamas, other issues have contributed to the sea change in the group’s position. The Syrian civil war has been a major blow to Hamas. By opposing the Assad regime, Hamas lost its two major political and financial patrons. Hamas leaders abroad left Damascus after their opposition to Iran and the Assad regime. Instead American allies, Qatar and Turkey, have filled the vacuum of Hamas’s lost sponsors. With a NATO member and a country with a large U.S. airbase as its new patrons, it was obvious that Hamas needed to moderate its political trajectory accordingly.

A further reason for the new charter is the internal elections in the movement which are expected to witness the resignation of Khaled Meshaal and the ascension of former Palestinian prime minister Ismael Hanieh. Hanieh’s period at the helm of the Palestinian government in 2007 was short-lived because of Hamas’s refusal to accept three international conditions: recognizing Israel, renouncing terrorism and accepting previously signed Palestinian agreements. If the current document prepares the road for Hamas to be part of the PLO, these three conditions will be automatically met.

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Also, Hamas has refused to conduct municipal elections in Gaza, and has not joined the April 17 hunger strike led by Fatah’s best-known prisoner, Marwan Barghouti. It has yet to fulfill agreements with the PLO to end its isolated rule in Gaza, which gives Israel and Egypt an excuse to keep Gaza under a crippling blockade. If the new amended Hamas charter will bring about Palestinian national unity and prepare the way for general parliamentary and presidential elections, Gazans might be able to breathe a little.

Even with Hamas’s new charter, it is highly unlikely that Israel or the United States will remove Hamas from the terrorism list. Some European countries, however, will see Hamas’s move towards moderation and will encourage the Islamic movement to continue its pragmatic course. For example, Sweden, which has already recognized the state of Palestine, might be one of the first to deal with Hamas.