The
landslide victory of the Hamas terror organization in the Palestinian Authority
elections has tremendous ramifications not only for the Middle East peace
process but for the global fight against terrorism. While it is our mission to
portray and respond to media bias, it is also important to note when the media
do an accurate job. Most of the media we monitor, including many news organizations
which we have previously cited for anti-Israel bias, have so far been
responsible in their coverage of the issue.
The
Associated Press noted correctly:
The group (Hamas), which opposes the existence of Israel and has killed hundreds of
Israelis in suicide bombings, is expected to lead the next Palestinian
government, hurting the chances for a peace deal.
Reuters
also draws attention to the fact that:
Hamas's charter calls for the destruction of Israel and its replacement by an
Islamic Palestinian state.
The
New York Times shows how not only is Hamas unapologetic for its history of
terrorism, but also that no Hamas leader is prepared to accept compromises to
achieve peace with Israel:
(Hamas leader Khalad Maashal) insisted that "resistance is a legitimate right
that we will practice and protect," and he defended attacks on Israeli
civilians, which included many suicide bombings until a cease-fire nearly a year
ago...
(The Hamas Charter) calls for the elimination of Israel and Jews from Islamic
holy land and portrays the Jews as evil, citing an anti-Semitic version of
history going back to the Crusades. It also includes a reference to the noted
czarist forgery of a plan for world domination, "The Protocols of the Elders of
Zion," and condemnation of supposedly Zionist organizations like the Rotary Club
and the Masons...
No Hamas leader or candidate is on record as sanctioning a permanent recognition
of Israel's right to exist side by side with an independent Palestinian state,
which has been the cornerstone assumption of peace negotiations since the Oslo
accords in 1993...
...As Mr. Zahar (prominent Hamas leader in Gaza) also said, "We do not recognize the Israeli enemy, nor his right to
be our neighbor, nor to stay, nor his ownership of any inch of land."
We will be monitoring the New York Times and other major media to make sure they continue to cover
Hamas as a terrorist group devoted to the destruction of Israel.
CNN also uses quotations from Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal to demonstrate
that Hamas has no intention of disarming. On the contrary, Hamas is seeking to
strengthen its armed faction:
Mashaal indicated the possibility of a Palestinian army in the wake of the
historic elections that swept his party into power this week.
At the same time, he stood by the militant group's longstanding refusal to
disarm.
"If you do not like our militancy, we are ready to unify the Palestinian arms
... and create an army, just like any other country," Mashaal said.
"Hung Up on the Wrong Issues"
A columnist in The
Guardian takes an opposite approach. Citing Hamas' victory as "the best
news from the Middle East for a long time," Jonathan Steele goes on to
assert that:
Above all, Europe should not get hung up on the wrong issues, like armed
resistance and the "war on terror". Murdering a Palestinian politician by a
long-range attack that is bound also to kill innocent civilians is morally and
legally no better than a suicide bomb on a bus. Hamas's refusal to give
formal recognition of Israel's right to exist should also not be seen by
Europe as an urgent problem.
The Israeli Defense Forces have never "murdered Palestinian
politicians." Following waves of suicide bombings and other terror attacks,
the IDF has acted to arrest or incapacitate terrorists planning attacks and
terrorist leaders. In addition, the IDF has taken great pains to avoid civilian
casualties, even when it means increased risk to IDF soldiers.
Comments to the Guardian:
letters@guardian.co.uk
Comments to Jonathan Steele:
j.steele@guardian.co.uk
We at HonestReporting believe in not only exposing media bias but also in giving
credit where credit is due. Now that many of the major media organizations are
on record describing Hamas accurately, we will measure how their current
coverage is reflected in their future reporting. Since Hamas is being described
as a "terrorist" organization, make sure that media you read continue to use the
word "terrorist" when referring to Hamas.Those who need one more
example of how extreme and dangerous Hamas is need look no further
than
Hamas' own website which includes the following statement from
their charter:
The time will not come until Muslims will fight the Jews (and kill them);
until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry: O Muslim! there is a
Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!
Thank you for your ongoing involvement in the battle against media bias.
