Hamas win has ramifications for Seeds camp

PORTLAND – The landslide victory of Hamas in Palestinian parliamentary elections last month won’t stop Seeds of Peace from bringing together Israeli and Palestinian teenagers this summer, officials say.

If necessary, the selection of Palestinian attendees for the summer camp could bypass the government formed by the Islamic militant group by going through private schools, said Janet Wallach, acting president of the organization.

Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union.

“We have to deal with people who recognize Israel, which is why we have to wait and see who is in the government and what positions they have,” Wallach said.

Seeds was created in 1993 to bring together Israeli and Arab teens. It has grown since then to include teens from other war-torn regions.

Bushra Mukbil Jawabri, a Seeds of Peace alumnus from the Arroub refugee camp in the West Bank, said he fears that the Hamas victory in the landmark Palestinian elections could lead to the elimination of Palestinian participation in Seeds of Peace.

“That, I think, is still an open question,” said Jawabri, who now works at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. “I think predictions are very difficult.”

Hazem Zanoun, a Palestinian Seed and a senior at the University of Southern Maine, believes most Palestinians who voted for Hamas were focused on domestic issues, not its call for the destruction of Israel.

Zanoun, 23, noted that the Palestine Liberation Organization once called for the destruction of Israel in its charter but removed it.

Fadi El Salameen, another Palestinian Seed, also is optimistic that Hamas will become more moderate. “It’s a political question: If I recognize your existence, what do I get in return?” said El Salameen, who also works in Washington.

Ya’akov “Koby” Sadan, an Israeli Seed from Tel Aviv who now attends Yale University, worries about having to read between the lines to figure out Hamas’ intentions.

If it doesn’t send a delegation, it will be a bad sign.

“It means they are giving up on future generations, on their own future,” Sadan said.