Hamas war against Israel is part of Islamist, jihadist war

against U.S., West & non-Muslims

 The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has expressed concern, puzzlement and disappointment that President-elect Barack Obama has remained silent and not uttered a public word of support for Israel‘s right and obligation to defend itself from Hamas terrorism. ZOA wrote to the President-elect Obama urging him to speak out on this issue in support of Israel‘s actions, as President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The ZOA noted that, since the collapse of the so-called ceasefire on December 19, the large increase of rocket attacks upon Israeli cities and towns that followed it (sometimes over one hundred a day), including strikes upon major cities like Ashdod and Beersheba that had previously been thought to be out of range of Hamas rockets, and Israel’s military operations targeting the Hamas leadership, personnel, fortifications, armories and rocket-launchers in Gaza, there has been no comment from President-elect Obama, even though Hamas missiles continue to rain down upon Israel. In the last twenty-four hours, a further rocket landed for the first time on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel‘s largest city.

President-elect Obama’s silence is especially surprising in light of the fact that when he visited the Middle East in July, including the Israeli town of Sderot, half of whose residents have fled due to relentless rocket fire and the chronic disruption of normal life, he said, “If somebody was sending rockets into my house, where my two daughters sleep at night, I’m going to do everything in my power to stop that … And I would expect Israel to do the same thing.” (Steven Lee Myers and Helen Cooper, ‘Obama Defers to Bush, for Now, on Gaza Crisis,’ New York Times, December 28, 2008). He also said in Jerusalem on that visit that occasion that “I’ll never compromise Israel‘s security … Terrorism is not theoretical, it’s right here a block away from this hotel, and it must be fought with full force and strength.” (Tim Butcher, ‘Barack Obama uses Israel visit to reassure Jewish voters,’ Telegraph [London], July 2008).

Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since its violent seizure of the territory from Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority in 2007, is dedicated in its Charter to the destruction of Israel (Article 15) and the murder of Jews (Article 7) with whom it says it is waging a world-wide struggle that must end in the killing of Jews. The Hamas Charter also says that it is at war with the non-Muslim world, not only Jews, as part of a global campaign of jihad (Introduction). Christians are described as mostly iniquitous (Introduction) and bent on subverting the Islamic world (Article 15) while both the non-Muslim East and West as described as enemies united in “unbelief” (Article 22). Hamas declares that its respects and appreciates other jihad movements (Article 23) while condemning Christian missionaries and others for corrupting the Islamic world (Article 27). Hamas has been responsible for the murder of hundreds of Israeli civilians through dozens of suicide bombings, hundreds of shooting and thousands of rocket attacks. It is an immensely anti-American organization which has called for the success of the terrorist campaign against America in Iraq and praised Al-Qaeda terror leaders. Al-Qaeda affiliates like Jaish al-Islam, the Army of the Umma and Fatah al-Islam have been established in Gaza since Hamas took over have been established in Gaza since Hamas took over. Hamas is driven by the same anti-West anti-U.S., anti-non-Muslim jihadist ideology that drives the Islamist terrorists who executed the 9/11 attacks in new York City and Washington D.C., the train bombings in Madrid, Spain, the airport attacks in Glasgow, Britain, the Mumbai, India massacres, the on-going attacks on Christians in Egypt and the Philippines and other attacks around the world.

Anti-American statements by Hamas leaders:

·        Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Hamas founder and ideologist: the U.S. “will be defeated, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Palestine and in all the Muslim lands” (Reuters, September 24, 2003).

·        Khaled Meshaal, Hamas head in Syria: “Were the entire umma (Muslim peoples) to fight as well as the Palestinians and Iraqis “in Rafah, Jenin and Falluja, then by God we will defeat both the United States and Israel” (Reuters, April 19, 2004).

·        Hamas statement: “Hamas considers the U.S as an enemy and as an accomplice to the Israeli enemy aggression against the Palestinians. Hamas regards the U.S position as a criminal act that puts her in a confrontation with “weak” nations. The U.S will face responsibility for its position as an accomplice with Israel to the animosity” (Press release, October 6, 2004).

·        Khaled Mashaal: “America will be defeated in Iraq. Wherever the [Islamic] nation is targeted, its enemies will be defeated, Allah willing … These fools will be defeated, the wheel of time will turn, and times of victory and glory will be upon our nation, and the West will be full of remorse, when it is too late … I say to the [European countries]: Hurry up and apologize to our nation, because if you do not, you will regret it. This is because our nation is progressing and is victorious. Do not leave a black mark in the collective memory of the nation, because our nation will not forgive you.  Tomorrow, our nation will sit on the throne of the world. This is not a figment of the imagination, but a fact. Tomorrow we will lead the world, Allah willing. Apologize today, before remorse will do you no good.” (Damascus‘ Al-Murabit mosque, Al-Jazeera TV, February 3, 2006).

·        Mahmoud al-Zahar, Hamas Foreign Minister: “On the death of Al Qaeda senior leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi: “We are dead sure that the assassination of any of the people [like al-Zarqawi] who are resisting will not … end the resistance” (Jerusalem Post, June 8, 2006).

·        Hamas statement: “With hearts full of faith, Hamas commends brother-fighter Abu Musab … who was martyred at the hands of the savage crusade campaign which targets the Arab homeland, starting in Iraq” (Jerusalem Post, June 8, 2006).

·        Abu Abdullah, a leader of Hamas’ Izzedine al-Qassam Martyrs Brigades: “Here the Americans did not support the elections, they actually gave their support and their encouragement to a Palestinian civil war. It is our duty to prove to the Americans that they chose the wrong policy … [Asked which U.S. targets Hamas would hit, Abu Abdullah replied] Do you think that I can give you an answer to this question? I can say that the Middle East is full of American targets and the world has had the occasion to learn what are the weapons of the anti-American forces in the region … I would not be surprised if a change takes place in our present policy regarding attacks against American targets in the region.” (Aaron Klein, ‘Hamas threatens attacks on U.S.,’ World Net Daily, December 22, 2006).

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “We are puzzled, concerned and disappointed by President-elect Obama’s silence. It is clear that part of Hamas’ goal in incessantly firing rockets into Israel is to render as much of Israeli territory as possible uninhabitable and to cause paralyzing insecurity across the nation. In seeking to deal with this threat, Israel deserves his support.

“Certainly, this is the only area which we can recall in recent weeks in which President-elect Obama has chosen silence, saying there is only one president and that he will therefore not comment. Such reserve is not shown by him elsewhere. Since winning the presidential elections in November, President-elect Obama has made public statements on many aspects of U.S. policy – regarding the auto industry bail-out, for example, other economic matters, the terrorist assaults in Mumbai last month, as well as other issues. He has not held back his views of current policy on the economic stimulus package, insisting that there is only one president. Yet, when it comes to the rocket assaults on Israel from Gaza, about which he spoke so forthrightly in July when on a visit to the region, there is deafening silence now when Israel acts to legitimately defend its citizens.

“We call upon President-elect Obama to reiterate his support for Israel exercising its right and obligation to self-defense. We urge him to join President Bush and Secretary of State Rice in their statements of support for Israel and identification of Hamas as the source of the problem compelling Israel‘s military operations. Such statements have also been forthcoming from other leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“We make this call not only because it would be the right thing for President-elect Obama to do in this situation. Hamas is part of the wider network of global Islamist, jihadist terror. Though occasionally downplaying their connection, Hamas supports Al-Qaeda’s Islamist vision in its Charter. Indeed, in Article 23 of its Charter, it even says that it supports other jihadist movements. In short, Israel‘s conflict with Hamas is part of the wider West conflict with Islamist, jihadist movements. Israel needs support, as failure here would encourage Hizballah, Al-Qaeda and Iran to continue to advance their terrorist agendas against the non-Muslim world. It is only right that President-elect Obama’s voice be heard lending support to Israel’s necessary and long overdue campaign which is part and parcel of the U.S. own war against Islamist terrorism.”