WaPo

You want to know how the world let two thirds of European Jewry be murdered in the Holocaust? Well, for a clue, you need look no further than yesterday's Washington Post. An editorial there, titled Palestinians' Risky Elections, explains how Hamas is really okay ... We're talking about Hamas, now, whose goal - indeed, the very reason for its existence - is to eliminate Jewish life in the Middle East.

The Washington Post refers to Hamas as an "Islamic movement," altogether a more palatable description than, say, terrorist organization, genocidal maniacs, or even murderers:

The hope offered by the election is that it will lead the Islamic movement further down a political path that could eventually lead to its disarmament.

Let's look first at the "movement," before we consider if - much less how - the members of that movement might be disarmed.

HAMAS is an Arabic acronym for Islamic Resistance Movement. It was founded in 1988 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood and an alternative to the more secular Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). The Hamas describes itself as "a distinct Palestinian Movement which owes its loyalty to Allah, derives from Islam its way of life and strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine." Clear enough?

Article 28 of their covenant plainly states that "Israel, by virtue of its being Jewish and of having a Jewish population, defies Islam and the Muslims." Clear enough, again. The Hamas "movement" reviles Jewish existence in The Land and fully intends to obliterate it "as it had eliminated its predecessors" (an "ideological starting-point" to the Hamas convenant).

It is only by ignoring (side-stepping? transcending?) the stated goal of raising "the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine" that the Washington Post can feel free to endorse, even praise, Hamas:

... Hamas's military wing is disciplined; it has maintained a cease-fire with Israel for nearly a year. Its leaders emphasize their plans to fight corruption and provide better education and health care to a much-deprived population.

Whether you view Hamas as dangerous or simply "disciplined," everyone seems to agree that they should be disarmed. Even the argument of the Post editorial -that the way to disarmament is through political empowerment- presupposes that disarmament is desirable. Most organizations that "fight corruption and provide better education and health care" wouldn't be called upon to disarm.

By acknowledging, a priori, that Hamas should be disarmed, we can assume that the Washington Post is fully aware of the evil intent of Hamas to use arms to murder Jews, and ultimately, to annhiliate Israel. EVEN SO, they editorially support the candidacies and election of Hamas members in upcoming Palestinian elections.

Hamas has consistently said it will not disarm. The Post editorial specifically mentions that Hamas says it will not disarm. There is no reason on earth to believe that Hamas will disarm. And if past behavior is indeed the best predictor of future behavior, I can give you hundreds of reasons to believe that Hamas will continue to kill Jews.

The Washington Post states -for no apparent reason whatsoever- that a "political path" "could eventually" lead to the disarmament of Hamas. Now think about that. Politically legitimizing and empowering a "movement" would {somehow} lead its adherents to renounce their very raison d'etre. In what universe?

The Post doesn't explain the process by which this might occur, how all the necesary factors would fall into place, only that they "could." Saying it does not make it so. (A good case in point is Jimmy Carter saying today that Abu Mazen is a "person of integrity").

I said this editorial provides a clue to how the world allowed the Holocaust. Hitler made clear his intent, Hamas makes clear their intent. Hitler wanted to extinguish Jewish life in Europe, Hamas wants to extinguish Jewish life in the Middle East. The WaPo editorialist knows this and refuses to admit it, refuses to include the FACT of it in his reasoning.

Saying something does not make it so, and ignoring something does not make it go away. For whatever reason -fear, denial, cowardice or some combination thereof- the world viewed Hitler as political instead of genocidal, all the while Jews were being killed. The Washington Post is making the very same mistake in portraying Hamas as a political entity, instead of the genocidal entity they KNOW that it is.

Maybe if you're Palestinian, Hamas is all about clean government, education and health care, but Palestinians take the hatred-and-murder-of-Jews aspect for granted.

How dare the Washington Post do the same?

Comments

[Fe in TO]

This would make a strong letter to the editor. Have you considered submitting it to the WaPo? Best regards and continue the good work.