ONE of the first fruits of the Israeli accord with the PLO is that

Hamas, the Palestinian militant Islamic group, is considering forming a

political party. It remains to be seen whether the whole organisation

will emerge from underground or whether any new party would simply be a

front. The idea of a front may still appeal, for the leadership of

Hamas, according to spokesmen, is worried about the dictatorial

propensities of the PLO. Coming into the open means exposure not just to

voters but to the PLO-dominated state in Gaza and Jericho. That state

may see Hamas as a public enemy inviting more than political

competition. On the other hand, the probability is that the PLO (and

even more the Israelis, who might now be expected to aid it) already

knows the identities of most of the members in the Hamas network. Not

much would be protected by remaining underground.

Where terrorist groups run front political parties there is always a

time when the known party, with its legitimising electoral support,

surpasses the clandestine body so that the tail wags the dog. But almost

by definition a political party is incompatible with terrorism for

parties seek to persuade and are bound to respect democracy (at least

until it affords them power) while terrorists always seek to intimidate.

If Hamas becomes a party, its terrorism will be progressively diluted.

Its willingness to consider this course is admitted to be in response to

the recognition that its influence is already being undermined by the

way in which the PLO is now able to pull many levers of power because of

its own open political role. Terrorism is not enough, especially when

its focus, local Israeli control, has been removed, at least in part of

the occupied territories. In short the grant of some political

independence is already allowing the fragmentation of Palestinian

opinion to become open and admitted. It may be possible for moderate

opinion to develop without fear of assassination.

That must be a peaceful way forward. There is no reason why Hamas

could not play a straightforward political role: there is as much room

for religious parties in autonomous Palestine as there is in Israel. The

trouble is that new parties with old terrorist associations may not be

able to face the rejection that democratic politics can impose. In this

case Hamas may find it hard to accept the PLO-negotiated political

structure which provides its opportunity. If it can stomach that it will

be well on the way to normal political life which replaces bullets and

bombs with words.