‘Comment is Free’ writer praises Hamas for limiting its acts of terror to ‘only’ Israeli Jews

H/T Mark

The first indication that the essay by Tareq Baconi, Hamas is making a tactical appeal to the grassroots“, CiF, March 8, was going to represent yet another example of a Guardian whitewash of a terrorist group committed to the Jewish state’s destruction was the accompanying photo.

The beloved Ismail Haniyeh, a true man of the people.

But, it gets much worse.

Baconi writes:

Hamas officials have said that in the event of a war between Iran and Israel, they will not become involved on Tehran’s side.

Historically, Hamas has always gone to great lengths to assert its independence from any foreign influence. It is widely recognised that it receives support from powers such as Syria (until recently) and Iran. Yet this has never been worn as a badge of honour by the movement.

Rather, its leadership has consistently asserted that the movement cannot be influenced or directed by any external power. It has insisted that it charts its course based on the will of the people – in stark contrast to Fatah and its leadership, who have frequently been portrayed as the pawns of western powers and Israel.

Hamas: Authentic, boldly asserting its independence from imperial powers while engaging in terrorism.

Fatah: A pawn of the U.S. and Israel.

Baconi continues:

Hamas, which governs Gaza, is also territorialised, limiting its resistance to historic Palestine.… Unlike the Palestine Liberation Organisation…Hamas has rarely if ever meddled in regional or global affairs, either rhetorically or through acts of resistance.

[and has] limited its war to a well-defined battle: that of liberating Palestine from “Zionist occupation”. 

At a time when people at the grassroots are calling the shots across the region, Hamas is prudently differentiating itself from other regimes and parties by visibly siding with the people.

This is not a new concept for Hamas, since it has always derived its legitimacy and popularity from Palestinians [emphasis added]

Please read the above passages over.  

The euphemisms are meant to communicate the following:

  • Hamas, unlike the more moderate Fatah, is not guilty of cravenly being influence by Western powers, charts its own path, determined by the will of the Palestinian people.
  • As such, Hamas limits its terrorist attacks by targeting merely Israeli civilians (those living anywhere in pre or post 1967 borders): The murder of innocent Jewish men, women and children in Israel as an act of restraint.

Yes, “resistance” means murderous terror attacks.

Yes, “historic Palestine” means the entire nation of Israel.

And, yes, ‘Comment is Free’ published a commentary suggesting that brutal terrorist attacks against Israelis are consistent with the responsible and admirable behavior of a legitimate “resistance” movement. 

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