Is Hamas's inclusion in the Palestinian parliamentary elections a positive or negative development for Israel? Is it an achievement for Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, which would glorify him, or a victory that could lead to our destruction? Supposedly, this is an accomplishment for the Palestinian Authority, which would for the first time include Hamas in the Palestinian parliament and transform it from a terror group to a partner in the formal political game. Some hope this would depress its violence, and cite other places in the Middle East, such as Iran, Lebanon and even Turkey, where Islamic movements who gained power had to don an artificial cape of responsibility. But others fear that after a wide victory in the polls, Hamas would halt the political process with Israel from the inside, and possibly end up taking over the Palestinian Authority. They say this could happen either through the parliament, or by implementing Hamas members in Palestine Liberation Organization institutions, where the group is demanding from Abbas 40 percent representation. Hamas is likely to win a stunning victory at the polls, and Fatah officials know this. During this year's Palestinian local council elections, Hamas won 40 percent of votes cast in the West Bank and 70 percent in Gaza. No Islamic party has ever gained such power in Arab countries, except Algiers, where the issue sparked a civil war in the 1990s. The passive approach seems more rational – Hamas is not hiding its ambition to take over the Palestinian Authority from the inside. Hamas, the offspring of Egypt's Islamic Brotherhood, has always exploited what is out there. Even its late leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin never ruled out an alliance with the Palestinian Authority. The group today is weakened. Many of its leaders have been killed and it feels threatened. In this situation, it feels it must use what it can for future achievements. Its leaders decided not to participate in a PLO executive committee meeting, showing a hint to their intentions. They demanded not only an announcement of the number of Hamas representatives that would join the movement even before it actually joins, but also called to cancel amendments in the Palestinian charter, which were implemented in the years of the Oslo peace process, and re-implement anti-Israeli clauses. Another sign is their recent mass arming of terrorists, who are filling their ranks and preparing for battle. The claim that Hamas would turn responsible once being elected into parliament is similar to the Lebanese terror group Hizbullah, only with a significant difference: Israel withdrew from Lebanon, effectively ending the active conflict between Israel and Lebanon. The final decision regarding the future of the West Bank and Gaza, however, has still not been made and Hamas will be dedicated to that struggle for many years to come. Hamas does not plan to give up its raison d'etre - to spread the word of Islam and fight against Israel. As the old Arabic saying goes, you can't gather grapes from thorns.