Khaled Mashaal, the chairman of Hamas (the internationally-recognized terrorist group that rules the Gaza Strip) was in Qatar over the weekend to express sympathy for his fellow jihadists (martyrs) who were killed while conducting terrorist attacks against Israel and to reiterate Hamas’ goal to eradicate Israel’s Jews.
The chairman reaffirmed and stressed that Hamas’ founding principles have not changed one iota. The group will continue to dedicate its efforts to taking back the “Holy Land,” from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
Not only should we praise the martyrs, Mashaal articulated, but Palestinians should also promote the value of dying in the name of Allah. Mashaal continued to encourage Palestinian fathers to say, “This son of mine is a sacrifice for Palestine.” Mashaal stated that when Palestinians decide to join the Al-Qassam brigades (a militant wing of Hamas), “We are very happy.” If Palestinians decide to carry out a terrorist attack, “We are overjoyed.” Commencing his speech, the terror leader asked his fellow compatriots to achieve “the pinnacle of our aspirations” through “jihad in the path of Allah.” Lastly, Mashaal threatened Israel with more violence, explaining that it was the only plausible way for Palestinians to achieve statehood.
The charter of Hamas bluntly and overtly calls for the destruction of the state of Israel and a restoration of a Judenrein state of Palestine in its place, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. Not a single word in the Hamas charter has been amended since its creation in 1988.
Last week, Hamas continued its terror campaign against Israel, firing 60 rockets into Israeli territory. While the attacks did keep millions of innocent Israeli civilians on high alert, leaving thousands to run for their nearest bomb shelter with only 15 seconds’ notice, no serious casualties occurred. Three of the rockets were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense battery, a system built successfully through the joint collaborative efforts of America and Israel’s defense industries.
While Hamas remains fully committed to ensuring Israel’s destruction, the Obama administration remains fully committed to the two-state solution, which calls for “two states for two peoples.” Recently, the Obama administration reneged support for Israel’s insistence that a peace plan must specify that the Palestinian state recognizes the state of Israel as a Jewish state.
Two important questions remain if the two-state mold remains to be sought. First, will the final status negotiations resulting in the creation of a Palestinian state end up expanding the influence of the radical Islamists in Gaza? Second, will that internationally-recognized Palestinian state continue to promote Hamas Chairman Mashaal’s advocacy of suicide terrorism as the highest human order?
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