Hamas campaign poster: vote for martyred Yassine and the destruction of Israel
Here’s the caption, via Le Figaro: “Principal mouvement islamiste palestinien, le Hamas est devenu au fil de l’Intifada l’ennemi numéro un d’Israël. Prônant la lutte armée et la destruction de l’Etat juif, il est responsable de la grande majorité des attentats suicide anti-israéliens, qui ont fait ces dernières années des centaines de victimes. Acronyme en arabe de Mouvement de la Résistance islamique, le mouvement a été créé le 14 décembre 1987 par un groupe de militants islamistes se réclamant des Frères musulmans, parmi lesquels cheikh Ahmad Yassine (photo), tué par Israël le 22 mars 2004.”
Our rough translation: The principal Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas has become Israsel’s Public Enemy Number One since the Intifada. Praising armed conflict and the destruction of the Jewish state, Hamas has been responsible for the vast majority of suicide bombings aimed at Israelis, which have claimed hundreds of victims in recent years. The term Hamas is an Arabic acronym of Islamic Resistance Movement. Hamas was created December 14, 1987 by a group of militant Islamists from the Muslim Brotherhood, among whom was [their spiritual leader] Sheikh Ahmad Yassine, pictured above, who was killed by Israel in March 2004.
Just so we are clear about what Hamas and Yassine stand for, here’s a bit from BBC:
Up to 40,000 people rallied in Gaza City in December 2002 to mark Hamas’ 15th anniversary where they heard the group’s spiritual leader, the late Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, predict Israel’s destruction by the year 2025. Huge crowds also took to the streets after his assassination by Israel in 2004 and that his successor Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi later that year.
Today the commitment to the destruction of Israel is stronger than ever, again via BBC, in the course of discussing Hamas’ election victory:
Another Hamas official, Mushir al-Masri, warned that Hamas would not hold peace talks with Israel. “Negotiations with Israel is not on our agenda,” he said. “Recognising Israel is not on the agenda either now.” The likelihood of a resounding victory for Hamas – which is committed to the destruction of Israel – sent shockwaves though the Jewish state.
Clarity is a good thing. Now there is a genuine and overt terrorist government committed to the destruction of Israel on that country’s border, as opposed to a double-speaking Fatah movement of Arafat. With Palestine (now Hamastan) and Iran, things become ever clearer. As none other than Jacques Chirac has finally realized as he points his missiles at Tehran, “In numerous countries, radical ideas are spreading, advocating a confrontation of civilizations.” Some in the West continue to be apologists and look for excuses, but there is another side that is clearly spoiling for war.