The Nazi-like party Hamas — whose official charter openly calls for the murder of Jews (Article 7), seeks the destruction of the Jewish State of Israel (Article 15), and claims to be fighting a world-wide anti-Muslim conspiracy led by Jews — has been voted into power by the Palestinian Arab people. The Hamas Charter even cites the notorious anti-Semitic forgery, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, in support of its views (Article 32). Hamas is on the US and many European lists of terrorist groups. Since the outbreak of the Palestinian terrorist war against Israel in September 2000, Hamas has killed almost 500 Israelis, and wounded and maimed almost 3,000 more in scores of suicide bombings and hundreds of other attacks. Preliminary results suggest that the Palestinian Arab people have voted Hamas into power, winning a majority of the 132 seats in the Palestinian legislature, possibly as many as 80 seats.
The ZOA calls on the Bush Administration and all other governments to immediately cease the flow of funds to, and end negotiations with, the Palestinian Authority now that the Nazi-like Hamas party has been voted into power by the Palestinian Arab people.
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “It is deeply disturbing, frightening and revealing that the Palestinians would elect a party with a Nazi-like platform. All of Hamas’ leaders past and present have supported this platform. This election is a wake-up call to all those who believe that Israel has a peace partner in the Palestinians. It shows that when you have a society that has promoted murder and hatred, elections will only bring this type of evil to power. Clearly elections are not enough; you need a transformation of the institutions of Palestinian Arab society, from the schools, the media, and the religious hierarchy, up to the government and its leaders.
“There is no reason to believe Hamas will now moderate its goals. Some believe that governing will moderate political leaders. But the evidence is otherwise. History shows that extremists who obtain power do not moderate; they go on to carry out their extremist programs. The Ayatollah Khomeini did not moderate his goals when he took over Iran 25 years ago. The Taliban did not moderate its goals when it took over in Afghanistan — both became sponsors of terrorism and practitioners of brutal repression. Saddam Hussein did not become moderate when he took power in Iraq — he started a brutal reign of tyranny, mass-murder and aggression that only ended when he was ousted in 2003. Going further back in history, coming to power did not moderate Hitler in Germany or Mussolini in Italy. When fanatics and killers win power, they use that power to carry out their programs.
“Hamas is leaving us in no doubt that it intends to do the same. In recent days, when asked whether Hamas might moderate its goals once in power, Mahmoud Zahar, a Hamas leader in Gaza, simply laughed and said that Hamas would never change its goals. Zahar recently also has called repeatedly for the destruction of Israel. Some days ago, Hamas staged a public burning of the Magen David (Star of David).
“What is less often appreciated is that the charter of former ruling party Fatah still calls for Israel’s destruction, and that Fatah actually committed more terrorist acts than Hamas. These facts are universally ignored.
“The one positive outcome of Hamas’ victory is that this reality of the joint-Hamas/Fatah goal of Israel’s destruction can no longer be ignored and must be confronted. Hopefully now, Israel, the US, and Europe will implement policies dealing with the newly realized reality — that the Palestinian Arabs’ goal is not simply a Palestinian Arab state, is not peace with Israel, but is clearly and only Israel’s destruction. Almost every Palestinian poll has shown that a majority of the Palestinians do not accept Israel’s existence as a Jewish state, and support continued terrorism against Israel even after a Palestinian state would be established.
“The ZOA strongly praises President Bush for his statement that he would not deal with the radical Hamas/Islamist party regardless of how many seats it won in yesterday’s Palestinian parliamentary elections.
“The ZOA now calls on President Bush to heed the recent letter from a majority of Congress not to negotiate with Hamas. The ZOA also urges President Bush to end all aid to the new Hamas/PA regime. Recent ZOA polls have shown that by a margin of 61% to 28%, Americans want no negotiations with Hamas members, and over 80% want all aid to the Palestinian Authority stopped. It would be unconscionable that funds now go to the PA when it is in the hands of an unequivocally terrorist movement. As part of the US war on radical Islamic terror, the US must fight this Hamas regime, not legitimize or strengthen it.”