The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has appointed Hamas leader Ismail Haneya as the Palestinian Prime Minister to be responsible for forming the new government. Earlier, Hamas-led Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) had sworn in.

The Palestinian-Israeli relations have aroused new concerns after Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, won a landslide victory in Palestinian legislative elections. Being both religious and political, Hamas has been insisting on its radical stance and calling for Israel's destruction. After the initial shock by Hamas' ascending into ruling power, Israel hastily settled on a "three not" position -- Hamas is not a peace negotiation partner; Israel will not recognize a Palestinian government formed or participated by Hamas; and it will not contact Hamas directly. Following that, Israel dished out three conditions for talking with PNA, that is, Palestinian militant groups including Hamas must renounce force, recognize Israel and accept previous agreements signed between Israel and Palestine. Meanwhile, the four Middle East-related sides (UN, US, EU, and Russia) also echoed Israel's demands.

Hamas remained as hard as a nail under pressure from all sides and made tit-for-tat responses against Israel. The organization stressed that not to talk with Israel is a strategic choice and it will never disarm as long as Israeli occupation exists, saying its right of military resistance is "naturally endowed" and thus can't be deprived.

After more than 20 days' "look and see", Israeli cabinet decided that the Hamas-natured Palestinian government will be one "supporting terrorism", and, consequently, it hoisted up its first "card of sanction" on the second day of Palestinian parliament inauguration. The measures included: no contact in whatever form with Hamas-led government, immediate withdrawal of the monthly $54 million customs and tax monies collected on behalf of the Palestinian government, call for the international community to halt various funds outside humanitarian aids to Palestine and tightened border checks of Palestinian people and goods.

Recently, Israeli army killed three Palestinian militants and arrested many others in Gaza and the West Bank, a move believed to mean a head-on blow to Hamas leadership.

To show support for Israel, the US took back its $50 million aid money offered to Palestine last year, so that it will not fall into the hands of Hamas. The Department of Treasury also ordered seal-off of an institutional bank account which was thought to be involved with Hamas.

The Palestinian people have long been struggling under a torn economy while their government could hardly make ends meet. In the past, Hamas as the opposition partly blamed Fatah mismanagement and corruption for the declining economy. But in fact it knows the real reason is the long-term conflict with Israel. Now, with changed political status, Hamas as the "bread-earner" of the country has to seek for a way out to finally lift its people out of suffering. So, it is only a question of time that Hamas adjusts stance and strategy, but it may not be so easy for it to openly give up its "Israel's destruction" goal in a short term.

Now, Israel and the US are jointly pressing Hamas to change its course by economic sanctions, but past experiences have never proven sanction as an effective solution. Always a hardliner, Hamas made it clear that it will not yield to US pressure. And even former US President Jimmy Carter held that the US should play a positive role at such a delicate moment. Whether above or under the table, the behavior of disrupting Palestinian cabinet formation by punishing ordinary Palestinian people may only produce an opposite effect and even worse results.

By People's Daily Online