UC Santa Barbara professor weighs in on Wednesday’s assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—The New York Times says Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed Wednesday in Iran by a bomb planted in his Tehran, residence— likely  by Israeli Mossad agents. 
 
Thousands took to the streets of Tehran to mourn his death— with Iran’s supreme leader vowing revenge.
 
“ The killing of leaders doesn't really weaken Hamas. If anything, it strengthens them,” said UCSB Professor of Sociology and Global Studies Mark Juergensmeyer.

 
Juergensmeyer says Haniyeh was the lead negotiator in the peace talks with Israel.
 
He adds that killing Haniyeh was a calculated move and is igniting fears of a wider regional war.
 
“Why on earth, if they're in serious negotiations for a peace deal, would they want to kill the top negotiator? You would think that this would be a sure way of scuttling the peace talks.  It did two things for Netanyahu. One is it pandered to the desires of the far right, which is a partners in his coalition that he desperately needs in order to stay in power. And the other is that it creates chaos,” said Juergensmeyer.
 
With tensions rising, a permanent ceasefire will be harder to reach.
 
“They diminished the possibility of a kind of negotiated settlement that would allow for a two state solution, which they adamantly reject, because they want to control all of the West Bank and all of Gaza. And so this kind of clears the way to increasing control of Israel over those those regions.” said Juergensmeyer.
 
Juergensmeyer says the results of the n\November election will have a huge impact on what will happen to Israel and Palestine. 
 
“Netanyahu has said that he doesn't really want a peace process. He doesn't really want a cease fire. What he wants is to destroy Hamas. But he has another audience that he has to ameliorate, and that's us. That's the Biden administration, the United States, because the US support is obviously critical for anything that Israel does, especially anything it does militarily,” said Juergensmeyer.