Avi Issacharoff, reporter for Yediot Aharonot, was interviewed this past Wednesday morning on 103FM radio to discuss the recent assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.
Issacharoff, who had met Haniyeh in the past, described his death as a significant blow to Hamas. He stated, "Haniyeh was a politician who tried to maintain a positive image, but his goal to destroy the State of Israel was firm. Haniyeh was the highest political figure in the organization and the number one most important man in the movement. He became a sort of president, while its leading authority was Sinwar. Haniyeh wanted to be the president of the Palestinian people. He was photographed on soccer fields because he used to be a player, and he even kept in touch with Israeli journalists for a number of years."
"I met him, as did other journalists like Suleiman Al-Shafi. Shlomi Eldar was one of the journalists who knew him closely. His sons were in touch with the Israeli media, and he was truly a politician, not a great fighter. In the past, he worked in construction and renovations in Israel and then became the head of Ahmed Yassin's office."
"It would be jarring to say, but when he met with journalists, he tried to present a pleasant image. Not someone who said outright, "I am going to slaughter you." Despite all the sweet talk, when he tried to show he was a politician, his goal was clear. According to Haniyeh, there would ultimately be no Jewish state. I remember him trying to explain this."
The contrasting roles of Sinwar and Haniyeh
Issacharoff then added, "Sinwar grew up within the military wing. He is a terrorist through and through, a man who murdered collaborators with his own hands, and in prison, he tortured collaborators. He has his hands soaked in blood. In contrast, Haniyeh was a politician. He did not participate in fighting. He was one of the deportees to Marj El Zhour in 1992 after the kidnapping and murder of Nissim Toledano. He was a symbol. The nature of the relationship between the two was not of great hostility. They had mutual respect among Gazans, but Sinwar viewed him as a politician. There was no hostility as there was between Khaled Mashal and Haniyeh due to their geographic rivalry and competition for the same position."
When asked about the ongoing hostage deal negotiations, Issacharoff said, "I don't know all the details. Did Haniyeh, in his role as a corrupt and hedonistic rich man, lead a line that wanted to end the incident versus Sinwar, who is leading the entire Palestinian people to ruin? Haniyeh was an intermediary figure who could talk to the Qataris, the Egyptians, and Abu Mazen. This is a loss and will undoubtedly have an impact. Someone else will come in his place. The question is who will inherit him as the head of Hamas's political bureau."
Issacharoff concluded, "Assassinations promote a response. Even the assassination of Haniyeh, which, in my opinion, is more important than the assassination of Hajj Mohsen, in broad daylight in the heart of Tehran. We saw the pictures from yesterday, and I don't see the Iranians staying calm in this situation. The question now is how they will respond."