Is Hamas On It's Way Out?

Khaled Abu Toameh writes that Hamas's days as the darling of Iran and Syria are over.

Hamas failed to come out clearly in support of Syria's Assad and his brutal crackdown on unarmed protesters. As result, Iran and Syria are backing the competition--Islamic Jihad.

Already, Islamic Jihad's leaders ate welcome in capitals around the Islamic world--including in Egypt, where is not particularly welcome to begin with.

Islamic Jihad is asserting itself by launching its own rockets at Israel, putting Hamas in the position of appearing to be more sympathetic to Israel--exactly the position Hamas has accused Fatah of taking.

Things are so bad that Hamas members are defecting.

The deal for the release of Gilad Shalit also plays a role. While it may have strengthed Hams, that may have driven Hamas's competition in Islamic Jihad to do something to assert themselves.

Thus the current increase in rockets being fired from Gaza.

In the Middle East too, no good deed goes unpunished.

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