Palestine Liberation Organization and Hamas

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Until the January 2006 legislative election the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was the main Palestinian organization. It has maintained conflictual ties with the Hamas over the years, which culminated with the election of the latter party. However, before the transfer of power, the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority (PA) assembly voted the automatic membership of the PLO to all Palestinian deputies. Hamas deputies are therefore members of the PLO, which has officially recognized Israel.

The rhetoric, methodology, and end-goals of these two parties have vastly differed at times, leading to ideological and political rifts between them. Hamas has described itself as posing a challenge to the PLO's authority, and charges that many of its leaders have been arrested by the PA.

Under the Oslo Accords, the PLO was obliged to refrain from incitement to terrorism and to act against terrorism. Critics charge that the PLO has violated this agreement by supporting Hamas.

In 1996, following 1996 Hamas's wave of suicide bombings which removed dovish Shimon Peres from office, the PA had a major crackdown on Hamas cells, but all the activists were released in 2000 and 2001. Israel claimed that the PA was following a "revolving door" policy in which activists were arrested following international pressure, and released quietly shortly afterwards.