Speaker 1:

(singing)

Speaker 2:

Gaza, the Mediterranean city is poorer than most Palestinian areas, more radical, and home to an extremist group now clearly a force in Palestinian politics and the peace equation. Just a fortnight ago, the founder and spiritual leader of Hamas was serving a life sentence in an Israeli jail. The extremist group's most potent enemy was not about to offer it any concessions, and the Palestinian leadership, under international pressure, had begun to dismantle key parts of the Hamas organisation. Now one Israeli slip-up, amplified in the fragile diplomatic climate of the Middle East, has changed everything.

Speaker 3:

The only winner for the time being is nobody. Everybody is weakened by this, everybody was exposed naked with his bad choices and bad decisions.

Speaker 2:

The bad decisions apparently began on July 30th. In an emergency meeting after the Jerusalem suicide bombing, an angry Israeli cabinet decided to hunt down key Hamas officials, like Jordanian Khaled Mashal.

A fortnight ago, two men attacked Mashal as he entered his Aman office, one piercing the Hamas leader with a lethal nerve toxin. Mashal's bodyguard ultimately overpowered the attackers after a car chase. Their Canadian passports were fakes. They were Israeli agents.

Jordan's King Hussein was furious. His ally had attempted an assassination on Jordanian soil.

Speaker 4:

He's really one of the best, the only best friend of Israel in the Middle East. So to do this to him, it's really to stab him in the back.

Speaker 2:

As Khaled Mashal lay unconscious, near death in an Aman hospital, his doctor's powerless to combat Mossad's mystery poison, King Hussein apparently contacted both Israel's government and US President Bill Clinton. If Mashal died, he said, Israel's agents would be tried and hanged in public. Israeli press reports suggest the prime minister had insisted on the mission against the advice of Mossad chiefs and ultimately had to order the antidote's release. It was bungled then by the prime minister.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, no doubt about it. He's in charge. He did it and he have to pay the price for it.

Speaker 2:

The price Mr. Netanyahu had to pay King Hussein to recover his two Mossad agents: Freedom for up to 70 prisoners from Israeli jails, one of them of great symbolic importance.

Hamas' spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin founded the militant Islamic group 10 years ago, but spent eight in prison. By blundering in a man, Prime Minister Netanyahu had not only failed to kill one Hamas leader, he had forced upon himself the release of another, the most important Hamas figure of all, and had given the organisation he despises extraordinary recognition.

Speaker 3:

The result now with his mistake, he has to cope with the development. Hamas rises again as a major partner, not as the underdog or the under-the-table activist.

Speaker 4:

It's really the big win here because, you see, Hamas now play a role of a major actor in the Middle East arena. I don't remember anyone that King Hussein went into the helicopter, they brought him, and kissed him. It was a competition who will kiss him more, this sheikh, and who'll hug him more between Arafat and between King Hussein and the others. That's really incredible for Hamas, such a triumph.

Speaker 2:

When President Arafat embraced another Hamas leader in August, for weeks after, Israel's government accused him of kissing terrorists. Mr. Arafat is still kissing Hamas. Now, though, apparently it's okay.

Speaker 3:

Now Hamas is recognised as a member, as a partner within the Palestinian society by the Likud, by the Israelis.

Speaker 2:

For all its embarrassment, Israel might just salvage one positive from the sheikh's freedom. The Hamas that sees itself as more legitimate might also be more moderate and less inclined to use terror. It's too soon to know for sure, but already the newly liberated leader isn't sounding quite the extremist of old.

Translator:

If they stop attacking civilians, we will also stop attacking civilians.

Speaker 2:

Now Sheikh Yassin meets lines of well-wishers and is applauded loudly and often. If his failing health holds out, he may have the backing to bring on his side others who see no compromise with Israel.

Speaker 6:

We can't recognise Israel. We said enough is enough for occupation.

Speaker 2:

Hamas had about 25% support among Palestinians. In recent days, that could only have grown, making the radical Islamic group more important to Yasser Arafat. If Israel's government wants peace with the Palestinians, to Prime Minister Netanyahu as well.

Speaker 4:

Hamas will play more major role on the Palestinian side. No doubt that the Palestinian position will be, let's say, more tough and not more flexible.