Hamas: The Endemic Foe

Hamas: The Endemic Foe: By Jerrold L. Sobel


As of this writing Israel is entering the third week of fighting against its contumacious foe, Hamas. Despite the dismantlement of all Jewish settlements in Gaza by the Sharon Government in 2005, the Israeli cities and towns adjacent to this territory have known nothing but incessant rocket attacks ever since. Notwithstanding a truce signed with Israel this past July and with propaganda value trumping the misery being inflicted upon its citizenry, the terrorists fight on. It’s difficult for a western mind to comprehend why they do this, but let’s give it a try:

In the history of global conflict enmity between secular nations are generally attributed to political, economic, or resource based, disputes. The Napoleonic Wars, the American Revolution, and even the two World Wars of the 20th century were geo/political in nature and allowed for eventual peace treaties and a return to normalcy between the nations involved. In conflagrations such as these, irrespective of the tenacity of the conflict, an eventual reconciliation is possible. In most cases the bitterness ends and the protagonists are enemies only for the duration of the conflict. This is quite different than hostilities generated by religious embroilments where the animus far exceeds economic or political concerns. These disputes are far more daunting. Here the hatred of one side towards the other is so philosophically inherent; the antagonism so vehement, that only a truce or a complete surrender can be attained, but never a true peace between equals. To be certain, the most intractable and seemingly irreconcilable situations are those where one side congenitally considers the other a foe. It’s through this prism that Islam has viewed Jews and Christians to a lesser extent for centuries. However, due to political weakness, a poor economic base, and antiquated technology, the Arab world has in recent times been unable to compete with the West. All that changed during the last couple of decades due mainly to the wealth generated by oil, the exposure to modern technology, and favorable demographics. Funded by Iran and supplied with modern weapons by that country and its lackey Syria, fanatical terrorists such as Hamas and Hezbollah have been able to pursue 7th century goals in a 21st century setting.

With just cursory knowledge of current events, it’s unmistakable; every ongoing conflict in the world today involves Islamic extremism. From the Taliban’s destruction of the ancient Buddha’s in Afghanistan; to the massacres of thousands of Hindus in India; From the Madrid train attack, to the nightclub in Bali; explosions in London; Abu Sayyaf insurgency in the Philippines; wars on the African continent; the Israeli, Palestinian conflict; fighting in Lebanon; Sept. 11th; the horror of Mumbai; the shelling of Sderot. With each abhorrent act, the question begs, why is this? What’s making these people so angry? The answers to these questions are there for anyone who goes on the web and pulls up the Hamas Charter of 1988. In no uncertain terms these zealots outline what their goals are and from whence they get their inspiration; the Qur’an.

The Charter contains thirty six articles which are replete with religious references such as: “… most of them are evil-doers… They will not harm you save a trifling hurt, and if they fight against you they will turn and flee:“ It goes on to outline the Qur’an as their constitution and makes further references, such as: “Surat Al-Imran (III), verses 109-111 Israel will rise and will remain erect until Islam eliminates it as it had eliminated its predecessors.” Not much room for peace here.

While hiding in Syria, Hamas leader Khalid Mashal shows that his hatred for Jews is far greater than the misery and suffering he has wrought upon the wretched population his terrorist organization has been entrusted with. The cowardly way in which Hamas launches military operations from schools, Mosques, and hospitals show their utter disregard for the lives and well being of their own people. For the sake of publicity, they’ve shown time and again a willingness to sacrifice women, children, the infirmed, and the elderly. In each previous encounter Israel has invoked its moral compass and has refrained from total war. But due to the new found power of Hamas, its outside influences, and their expressed intentions, it may be time for the Jewish state to reconsider its options.

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