How Will Hamas Rule?

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Throughout the Palestinian territories, the Hamas triumph has fueled a new assertiveness, but beneath the bluster, there have been hints of accommodation. "The fact that Hamas is part of the Palestinian Authority is already a sign that they are prepared to compromise," says political scientist and moderate independent legislator Ziad Abu Amr, whom Hamas may bring in as Foreign Minister. Hamas leaders say the party will honor previous Palestinian Authority agreements and have offered the possibility of a long-term cease-fire--which also squares with the desires of its Arab neighbors. According to Palestinian officials in Damascus and a senior Israeli security official, jailed Hamas leaders have asked the militant group Islamic Jihad to respect a cease-fire with Israel. "They're trying to buy time," says the official. "And they understand they need calm so they can work out what to do when they're in power."

So what sort of rule is the party likely to establish? Palestinian insiders say the new government will be stocked with technocrats and academics rather than party ideologues. The job of Prime Minister is likely to go to Ismail Haniya, one of the more moderate top leaders. Hamas' first priority is to curb lawlessness in the Palestinian territories, which it blames on unruly security forces loyal to Fatah. Hamas leaders say they intend to impose order on the security apparatus, a move that may spark clashes between loyalists of the two parties. Al-Bitawi says "the bad people in the security services will be dismissed" and the remaining personnel consolidated into one or two forces.

Hamas says the money saved by running a more efficient security force will be spent on social services such as health clinics, schools and soup kitchens--all of which Hamas has used to build grass-roots support. But some Palestinian officials warn that Hamas may also push for new social restrictions. "Hamas must decide whether they want to establish an isolated fundamentalist system or a national system open to the whole world," says Jibril Rajoub, former national security adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In the Gaza Strip, Hamas' main stronghold, alcohol is no longer publicly served, and nearly all women wear the hijab. Hamas officials say they will move slowly but make no secret of their desire to expand the use of Islamic law--currently limited to resolving family disputes--to criminal cases. That might lead to harsher punishments for crimes such as murder and rape. "In principle, the Shari'a should be applied on all life activities," says Mahmoud al-Khatib, 34, the youngest Hamas member to win a seat. "But there are some circumstances where it can't yet apply. We believe in graduality. It will take time." Al-Khatib uses an Arabic word that means "mutual consent." "We approach people openly and see what they are willing to accept," he says. "You cannot bring back the rules of Islam in one day."

Some Palestinians appear willing to trade some social freedoms for a government able to stand up to Israel. "Hamas will not be preoccupied with the hijab or whether people can drink or not," says Rawand Khilfeh, 23, who just graduated as a civil engineer and wears a hijab in public. "They will concentrate on the Israeli problem." Her younger sister Dima, 21, who leaves her hair uncovered, says, "Even if Hamas did force things, this is Islam. It's not bad."