People have picked up on this story as an example of irony. (Hat tip: Earl H.)
Elsewhere in Gaza, a top Hamas bombmaker died when a device blew up as he was training militants to prepare explosives.
But I think there’s a different angle. Reuters isn’t even bothering to bury the next graf deep inside the article; it’s actually the fourth paragraph and will make many newspapers’ “International News” sections.
“Hamas is continuing to train the mujahideen in order to pursue their task of jihad,” said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri.
Hamas openly states its purpose to destroy the Jewish state, and the world still insists on giving them a chance to “moderate.”
They will never “moderate.” They will never change. Fatah never changed. They simply lied about it and allowed the world to pretend that they had an “armed wing” called the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade that couldn’t be controlled.
In an interview with Newsweek and the WaPo, Ismail Haniyeh, the chosen Prime Minister of the PA, lies, evades, and manages to convey that Hamas will never change even while pretending that Hamas may someday change. This is what their $180,000 spin doctor has done for them:
Does a peace in stages means the ultimate obliteration of the Jewish people?
We do not have any feelings of animosity toward Jews. We do not wish to throw them into the sea. All we seek is to be given our land back, not to harm anybody.
Except he manages to get the real message across even in attempted diplo-speak:
Do you recognize Israel’s right to exist?
The answer is to let Israel say it will recognize a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, release the prisoners and recognize the rights of the refugees to return to Israel. Hamas will have a position if this occurs.
And the Hamas position?
Israel does not have a charter calling for the destruction of the Palestinian state.
Our only position will be declared once Israel recognizes our right to exist.Meanwhile, Hamas has denied reports that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said that Hamas may recognize Israel. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu-Zahari said that Hams would “never recognize the Israeli occupation.”
They have already declared their position. It is the one stated in their charter:
The Islamic Resistance Movement maintains that the land of Palestine is Waqf land given as endowment for all generations of Muslims until the Day of Resurrection. One should not neglect it or [even] a part of it, nor should one relinquish it or [even] a part of it. No Arab state, or [even] all of the Arab states [together], have [the right] to do this; no king or president has this right nor all the kings and presidents together; no organization, or all the organizations together – be they Palestinian or Arab – [have the right to do this] because Palestine is Islamic Waqf land given to all generations of Muslims until the Day of Resurrection.
This is the legal status of the land of Palestine according to Islamic law.
Hamas. Will. Never. Moderate.
The palestinians don’t want a state in the territories occupied since 1967. They consider all of Israel occupied territory.
The thing is, in spite of this article, I trust my fellow Americans, because we are a nation that sees through bullshit. Opinion polls consistently prove that Americans believe Israel is in the right.
The question is, will the American media turn out to be as bright as the average American?
Hamas’ charter isn’t just words. It is a mission statement of a terrorist group that will never moderate.
First, the line about not having anything against Jews per se is a bald-faced lie. Their charter is available in English on the net and at several points it calls for killing Jews; not “Israelis” or “Zionists” but Jews.
By the way, among the curses for which they blame Jews–not just the French Revolution, the Freemasons, and the World wars, which is understandable–is the Rotary Club. Does anyone have any idea why they hate Rotary?
Second, Hamas has done all the west is going to requie it to do, namely say something in English (I’d bet their Arabic statements are a bit different) that can be construed with some difficulty as holding out some hope of a solution short of destroying Israel. At that point Israel will be pressured again, since the world demands deeds from Israel and only words from its enemies.
Hamas makes its position clear: “Israel has to give up any possible bargaining leverage it may possess and then we’ll have a response, whatever it may be.” Obviously after that it’s only Israeli intransigence that blocks peace and happiness from breaking out.
If the Palestinian Arabs refuse to settle for a two-state resolution they will eventually force a one-state resolution: Israel from the river to the sea. Where will the Arabs go? After the savagery of their terrorism in of the Oslo War, I don’t care, so long as it is to some other Middle East country where, no doubt, they also will be able to enjoy the benefits of Islamist thuggery…er, I mean beneficent rule. If they refuse to live at peace with Jewish neighbors let them go find neighbors with whom they can live at peace, somewhere else. This may be a bit difficult for them to do, since their “Arab Brothers” tend to treat them worse than the Israelis do.
By electing Hamas the Palestinian Arabs have shown that they reject a two-state resolution and demand a one-state resolution to the conflict they started. They should get their wish, as an example of “Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.”
According to the indispensible Khaled Abu Toameh in the Jerusalem Post, “Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday denied that Hamas was prepared to make peace with Israel, saying he had been misquoted by The Washington Post.”
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