The New Force That May Push Fatah AND Hamas Aside

Dr. Jonathan Spyer, a senior research fellow at the Global Research in International Affairs Center, writes about the new kid on the block.

The Rise and Rise of Hizb ut-Tahrir
Jonathan Spyer
October 9, 2007

Sitting in the best bar in Jerusalem about four months ago (it's called Sira, in case you're interested), I entered into conversation with a tall, ginger-haired young man who turned out to be a member of the Swedish contingent in the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH). Our conversation ranged over the trials and tribulations of the life of a member of TIPH, the very large amounts of money he seemed to be making, and the merits of Jerusalem when compared with other cities in the region.

An offhand remark he made concerning the political balance of power in Hebron turned the conversation from mildly interesting to memorable. I asked him if Hamas was gaining ground in the city of Hebron. He replied wearily that the fastest-growing political force in the city was not Hamas, nor any of the other well-known Palestinian political movements. Rather, the most notable and noticeable development on the ground in Hebron was the sudden and rapid rise in support for the Islamist party Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Subsequent months have attested to the truth of my Swedish friend's unexpected claim. Hizb ut-Tahrir (the "party of liberation") is indeed growing in strength and visibility in the West Bank, especially in the areas of Jerusalem and Hebron. So what does the Hizb's emergence as a political factor mean, and what implications may it have (if any) for the future direction of events between Israelis and Palestinians?

Read the whole thing.

Spyer recalls:

A Fatah official I spoke with recently told me that in his view Abu Mazen was "the last Palestinian," whose failure would mean the emergence to prominence of a new brand of chaotic, rejectionist politics among the Palestinians.

And Hizb ut-Tahrir may be part of that new trend.

Technorati Tag: Hizb ut-Tahrir.