On Tuesday, Isreal decided to let Aziz Dweik out of jail two-months early. Mr. Dweik is also the Speaker of the Palestinian Parliament and a member of Hamas, his membership in that organization is what prompted the Israelis to throw him in jail for a three year stretch on charges of being a member of an illegal organization.
But now that Speaker Dweik is out of jail will he, and Hamas, push to formally take over the Palestinian government? While Palestine is currently led by President Mahmoud Abbas, his term in office officially ended in January, meaning that under the Palestinian constitution, Abbas legally has no claim on the job. Power should pass, according to the structures spelled out in the constitution, to the Speaker of the Legislative Council, Mr. Dweik, though formally taking power would obviously have been difficult with him stuck in prison.
Now that's changed. Hamas didn't push the matter of control when Abbas' term ended, because back in January Palestine was reeling from the three-week Israeli incursion into Gaza. But with Dwiek out of jail, the peace process stalled and the relationship between Israel and their chief ally, the United States, strained over the issue of Israeli settlements, you have to wonder if Hamas will think the time is right to make a bid for full control over the Palestinian government.
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