"Hamas sees the territory of Israel as exclusive to all the world’s Muslims (not just Palestinians), forbids a Jewish state on “any part” of the land and promotes the idea that it is the “duty for every Muslim” to reverse Israel’s existence: . . ."
"On October 7, Hamas attacked Israel, slaughtering around 1,200 men, women, children, and infants in the largest and most brutal massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Hamas terrorists intentionally recorded their murder, rape, and torture of civilians, including around 200 foreign nationals, and took at least 240 hostages back with them to Gaza.
The physical attack was followed by a propaganda and disinformation campaign. Knowing that Israel would have no choice but to respond to the October 7 massacre, Hamas retreated into its network of tunnels beneath the homes, schools, and hospitals of Gaza, using Palestinian civilians as human shields in order to weaponize the resulting civilian casualties.
This left Israel with two options – either do nothing in response to the murder and kidnapping of its citizens by invading Hamas terrorists, thereby inviting more attacks, or act against Hamas as it hid behind and under its own citizens. As Hamas leaders themselves admit, Hamas sees either path as a strategic win for its campaign of terror and incitement against Israel, with the ultimate goal of Israel’s eradication. While there can be legitimate criticism of specific Israeli policies and actions during its war with Hamas, it is paramount to remember this worldview of Hamas.
Since its founding in the late 1980s, Hamas has been promoting rhetoric and policies aimed at destroying the Jewish state of Israel and killing Jews and Israelis around the world. This is evident in their founding charter, which cites the infamous Protocols of the Elders of Zion forgery as “proof” of a Zionist plot to control the world. It remains true after Hamas released a new charter in 2017, which essentially simply swapped the word “Jew” out and replaced it with “Zionist” while repeating antisemitic tropes.
The following are examples of hateful rhetoric by Hamas leaders and officials, as well as language from their charter:
Hamas Leaders and Officials:
Statements by Hamas officials make clear the terrorist organization’s commitment to destroying Israel and killing Jews and Israelis around the world.
- Ismail Haniyeh in 2020: He explained that Hamas rejects ceasefire agreements by which, “Gaza would become Singapore,” preferring to remain at war with Israel until a Palestinian state is established from the River to the Sea: “We cannot, in exchange for money or projects, give up Palestine and our weapons. We will not give up the resistance... We will not recognize Israel, Palestine must stretch from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea.”
- Hamas official, Hamad Al-Regeb in an April 2023 sermon: He prayed for “annihilation” and “paralysis” of the Jews whom he described as filthy animals: “[Allah] transformed them into filthy, ugly animals like apes and pigs because of the injustice and evil they had brought about.” Al-Regeb also prayed for the ability to “get to the necks of the Jews.”
- Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Saleh Al-Arouri in an August 2023 interview: He expressed Hamas’ desire for “total war” with Israel: “Therefore, we are convinced that if a total conflict begins, the airspace and seaports of this entity will be shut down, and they will not be able to live without electricity, water, and communications.” . . . Entire article here.
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