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Hamas: We Are Not Terrorists; We Just Want to Destroy Israel

(Gatestone Institute) Khaled Abu Toameh - Hamas wants to be removed from the U.S. State Department list for foreign terrorist organizations, without changing its strategy or charter, which call for jihad [holy war] and do not recognize Israel's right to exist. Hamas is also not prepared to dismantle its armed group, Izaddin al-Kassam, or stop smuggling weapons, or give up thousands of rockets and mortars it possesses in Gaza. And of course Hamas is not prepared to renounce violence in the context of its effort to seek legitimacy in the international community. The Americans and most EU countries are opposed to Fatah's efforts to achieve unity with a movement that remains on their list of foreign terrorist organizations. In private, however, Fatah leaders say they are also opposed to removing Hamas from the list out of fear that such a move would legitimize it. Hamas wants to be removed from the list because it feels that the world has changed, and that many naive Westerners are now willing to tolerate its radical ideology and terrorism. Anyone who supports Hamas' bid should also favor removing al-Qaeda from the same list.
2013-03-22 00:00:00
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