Updates

The Hamas Charter of 1988 calls for the destruction of Israel, and includes rampant antisemitism and genocidal incitement. The Charter is also replete with Jewish conspiracy theories, for example Article 28 states:

“The Zionist invasion is a mischievous one. It does not hesitate to take any road, or to pursue all despicable and repulsive means to fulfill its desires. It relies to a great extent, for its meddling and spying activities, on the clandestine organizations which it has established, such as the Freemasons, Rotary Clubs, Lions, and other spying associations. All those secret organizations, some which are overt, act for the interests of Zionism and under its directions, strive to demolish societies, to destroy values, to wreck answerableness, to totter virtues and to wipe out Islam. It stands behind the diffusion of drugs and toxics of all kinds in order to facilitate its control and expansion…  Israel, by virtue of its being Jewish and of having a Jewish population, defies Islam and the Muslims. “Let the eyes of the cowards not fall asleep.”

However, as AIJAC’s Tzvi Fleischer pointed out in “Scribblings” in the latest Australia/Israel Review magazine, Hamas’ use of genocidal rhetoric is not confined to its Charter and continues today:

“Some people seem inclined to dismiss all this [the Hamas Charter] as ancient history (even though its less than 25 years old). But it is worth reminding everyone that all this is still common in Hamas’ discourse.

For instance, with respect to the calls for genocide, in August this year, the Deputy Speaker of the Palestinian parliament in Gaza, Ahmad Bahr, shouted in a sermon, ‘Oh Allah, destroy the Jews and their supporters. Oh Allah, destroy the Americans and their supporters. Oh Allah, count them one by one, and kill them all, without leaving a single one.’ Hamas Legislative Council member, Yussuf al-Sharafi, said something similar last year ‘Allah, take the Jews and their allies, Allah, take the Americans and their allies… annihilate them completely and do not leave any one of them.”

For more examples, read the rest.

However, to add to Tzvi’s point, Palestinian Media Watch has now exposed that the recent round of conflict brought forth some particularly blatant calls for murder and genocide of Jews – not Israelis – expressed as a religious obligation on Hamas’ al-Aqsa TV, the terrorist movement’s official TV station.

On November 15:

“Bless [Hamas’] Al-Qassam men, guardians of Palestine…
Oh pride of Salah Shahada, oh wisdom of Immad [Aqel]
(i.e., Hamas leaders killed by Israel)
[Oh] the explosives of [Yahya] Ayyash (i.e., Hamas bomb maker killed by Israel),
Martyrdom,
[Oh] lovers of the trigger:
Killing the occupiers [Israelis] is worship that Allah made into law…
Arabic text on sign:
‘Killing Jews is worship that draws us close to Allah’
Arise, oh determined men. The color of [the Martyr’s] blood protects the land.
Oh masked one wearing a keffiyeh (i.e., Arab head scarf), terrifying the Jews…
call out in Zionism’s face: ‘Muhammad’s army has begun to return.'”

On November 21:

“We are [Hamas’ Al-Qassam] Brigades
Brigades – we kidnap soldiers
Brigades – we kill Jews
Brigades – we watch the borders
Brigades – we ride at night
Brigades – on horseback
Brigades – we are not afraid of death
Brigades – gear up your weapon
Gear up, gear up
Prepare the force
Prepare, prepare
Prepare the force and get ready
Destroy the usurper’s dens and set fire to the oppressors
Through training and preparations, you roar, oh lion of Qassam
It’s in your hands to get [our] country back and then we will raise the banner of Islam.”

In addition to the song in Arabic, Hebrew words appeared on screen addressing Israelis as pictures of Israelis being attacked and of a funeral were shown:

“Your body parts are scattered everywhere”
“The cemeteries await you”

Sharyn Mittelman