The Difference Between Hamas and ISIS—Not Much
The world has finally admitted that that ISIS is a well-funded, thoroughly violent force that needs to be dealt with. Amazingly, this revelation came on the heels of this same world’s united condemnation of Israel, for defending herself forcefully. Some have even ignorantly and arrogantly called out Israel for Genocide. Genocide is usually planned—like in Hitler’s Final Solution (6,000,000), what we are seeing now with ISIS, Saddam Hussein’s gassing the Kurds on May 16th, 1988 (up to 5,000 dead in one day), or in Rwanda in the 90s (as many as 100,000 in 100 days—1,000 a day). That’s genocide.
Defending yourself against terrorists who are rocketing your civilian population from schools, hospitals, churches and mosques, is called self-defense.
If Israel Wants to…
If Israel was truly intent on such a heinous crime, we would have never sent one soldier into Gaza to destroy tunnels or hunt down terrorists (whereby 64 Israeli soldiers paid the ultimate price). Instead, we would have unleashed a bombing campaign that would have completely wiped out Gaza. But that is not who we. A true genocide could have been accomplished in a most devastating way, in about two hours—why waste a month?
The very fact that when Israel was being accused of the worst crime there is—genocide, there was actually a group of people in Iraq and Syria committing genocide, and the world was pretty much silent—until a few weeks ago. While Israel was defending herself against over 3,000 deadly terrorist rockets, ISIS was systematically going from village to village telling Christians to convert, leave or die. Arab Christians have been beheaded, crucified, raped, tortured, mutilated and shot at point blank range—and all the while, the world was obsessing over Israel acting in self-defense.
What is Hamas?
“Since Hamas’ 2007 takeover of Gaza, residents say it has imposed strict Taliban-style Islamic laws on the people.”[i] According to Archbishop Alexios, the most prominent Christian in Gaza:
“Islam is the rule of this place and whatever Hamas says we must obey or face consequences.”[ii]
Hamas is a ruthless, bloodthirsty terrorist group, and yet it is Israel who is being labeled evil for fighting them. The world is guilty of judging Israel with unequal weights and measures. In Syria, over 170,000 people have died and there are over 10,000,000 refugees—but Israel generated more condemnation over a self-defense operation that ended the day Hamas agreed to stop firing rockets. States like Cuba, Iran and most of the Arab nations trample on its citizens’ human rights, and the U.N. is silent (Cuba was actually on the U.N.’s Human Rights Council in 2009!). Meanwhile, as Israel’s residents are running for their lives to bomb shelters at all hours of the night, we are accused of genocide when we finally say, “enough is enough!”
Answering the Critics
Critics cry, “But it was the Israeli blockade that caused this!”
Really? The blockade began only after Hamas violently took over Gaza, killing PLO leaders, throwing some off the tallest buildings in Gaza. Moreover, Egypt also closed her northern border to Gaza. Where is the outrage over the Egyptian blockade? Why is Hamas not firing rockets into Egypt?
Then they say, “It’s the occupation!”
Really? The occupation of Gaza ended in 2005, when Israeli soldiers unilaterally, with no cooperation from the Palestinians or peace agreement, forcibly removed 10,000 Israelis who lived there. How was that received by the Palestinians? Since we left Gaza, we have endured over 12,000 rocket attacks. Yes, that was since we turned Gaza over completely to the Palestinians. Instead of seeing our leaving as a gesture of peace, they saw it as their military victory and a sign of our weakness, so they stepped up the attacks.
Then they say, “It was the Six-Day-War, when you took over Gaza and the West Bank.”
Yes, that was the war whereby Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Jordan were threatening Israel with…oh what is that word—oh yes, Genocide!
“Our basic objection will be the destruction of Israel.” President of Egypt on May 27, 1967[iii]
“This is our opportunity to wipe out the disgrace which has been with us since 1948. Our goal is clear—to wipe Israel off the map.” Iraqi President, May 31st 1967[iv]
Let me ask you, if you captured territory from enemy states that were sworn to your annihilation, would you give it back? Of course not! Not without guarantees of your security. When Egypt, after years of wars and threats of wars, did sign a peace agreement with Israel, Israel gave back the entire Sinai desert.
The world sympathizes with Hamas, as if its goals are noble. Here is what we know about Hamas:
Executed 20 Gazan protesters against the war
Used women and children as human shields
Intimidated the media with threats, kicking out journalists who sought to film where they launched rockets (i.e. hospitals, schools)
Executed tunnel builders for fear they would collaborate with Israel
Shot political opponents in front of their children
Israel cares more for the people of Gaza than does Hamas. Hamas is not a freedom seeking organization—they are a Taliban-like, Islamic, radical regime, that seeks to see Islam rule over the world—just like ISIS. Hamas was born not out of the Palestinian struggle for a homeland, but out of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, bent on global Jihad. Here are just a few recent newspaper headlines:
Hamas, Islamic Jihad Vow to Continue Terror—No Matter What
Hamas Official: We’ll Expel or Kill All the Zionists
Hamas Trains 13,000 Teens to Emulate ‘Suicide Martyrs’ (as weeklong ‘camp’)
Hamas TV: Muslims to Exterminate all the Jews
Hamas to Netanyahu: We’ll ‘Rain Hell on Israel’
Hamas Minister: First Israel, then the World
Yes, while the world was condemning Israel and justifying Hamas, a group JUST LIKE HAMAS was murdering 80 Yazidi men and kidnapping 100 women for refusing to convert to Islam (that is just a sample of their crimes). What if those 80 men and 100 women or the thousands stranded on the Iraq’s Mt. Sinjar could have pushed a button that would have eliminated ISIS—men, women and children. Would you condemn them for pushing it? Yet, when Israel confronts similar aggression the world cries foul.
You say, “But Israel is not defenseless!” RIGHT! That is the only difference. If we e couldn’t defend ourselves, you would probably see the same rapes, mutilations, beheadings, forced conversions, etc. right here in the middle of Rabin Square in Tel Aviv or the at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
[i] http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2014/august/gaza-bishop-hamas-used-church-to-fire-rockets-/
[ii] ibid
[iii] http://arabterrorism.tripod.com/FAQ/war1967.html
[iv] ibid
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