Israeli commentators, and some Americans, are fond of comparing Hamas to IS. How do the two stack up?
Consider the following:
HAMAS/IS
Brutal terrorists Yes/Yes
Sunni fundamentalists Yes/Yes
Iranian allies Yes/No
Ultimate objective Destroy Israel/Universal Caliphate
Belief in democracy Slight/None
AND THE WINNER IS . . . Hamas. There really are nothing but losers here, but Hamas is breaking even in the world court of public opinion, and its chances of crushing the Israelis, however microscopic, exceed the likelihood of the universal caliphate.