Hamas has failed to rally the Middle East to its cause
But it has managed to demolish America’s plans for the region
“O,OUR PEOPLE in all Arab and Islamic countries,” intoned Muhammad Deif, the leader of Hamas’s military wing, in a recorded statement released to coincide with the group’s attack on southern Israel. “…The day has come when anyone who has a gun should take it out. Now is the time. If you do not have a gun, take up your cleaver, hatchet, axe, Molotov cocktail, truck, bulldozer or car.”
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “Resisting the call, for now”
From the October 14th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
The Assad regime’s fall voids many of the Middle East’s old certainties
What if Syria abandoned its hostility to the West and stopped menacing Israel?
Syria has exchanged a vile dictator for an uncertain future
It is not clear how stable or how benign the new regime will be
Gambling is growing like gangbusters in America
Technology and legal changes are spurring a betting bonanza
The Adani bribery case could upend Indian business and politics
The allegations against the corporate champion may end up being resolved diplomatically rather than in court
The war in Ukraine is straining Russia’s economy and society
Despite advances on the battlefield, pressure is growing
How will Donald Trump handle the war in Ukraine?
And how will Ukraine, Russia and Europe respond?