On Saturday, the Hamas terror group, whose
charter calls for
the destruction of the State of Israel and the murder of
Jews, took its place as the majority party of the new
Palestinian Authority legislature.
Ismail Haniyeh was chosen as the new Palestinian Authority
Prime Minister. Much of the media is describing this terrorist
leader as "pragmatic" or "moderate."
The
Washington Post offered this profile of Haniyeh:
Born in Gaza's Shati refugee camp, Haniyeh graduated from Gaza
City's Islamic University in 1987 with a degree in Arabic
literature and became a close associate of Hamas founder Sheik
Ahmed Yassin.
Haniyeh was expelled by Israel to south Lebanon in 1992,
returned to Gaza a year later and became the dean of the
Islamic University. In 1998, he took charge of Yassin's
office.
A pragmatist, he served as a liaison between Hamas and
Palestinian Authority, established in 1994 and dominated by
the rival Fatah movement.
The
New York Times describes him as "considered
less radical
than others" and he "held a number of
top administrative positions at the Islamic University in Gaza
City."
The
BBC says: "But he is considered a moderate in the
movement's ranks whose position on the list was intended to
appeal to mainstream Palestinian voters.... "
The
Associated Press and
Reuters similarly describe him as a
"pragmatist" with an administrative background.
Who is Ismail Haniyeh?
Haniyeh, has been one of most senior Hamas leaders in Gaza
for over ten years. He
served as bureau chief for
Hamas head Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, but was given a higher
leadership position after Yassin's death. He was arrested
several times and deported to Lebanon for terrorist
activities.
In 2003, Hamas took credit for a
horrific bus bombing in which 23 Israelis were killed. In
response, Haniyeh was placed on
Israel's most wanted list. He narrowly escaped an Israeli
attack as he was meeting with Yassin and other terror leaders.
According to the
Jewish Virtual Library:
Haniyeh has always favored violence over diplomacy, and said
the Hamas' wins in the municipal elections in 2005 were proof
that the majority of Palestinians support terrorism against
Israel.
The Hamas Charter
There is no indication that Haniyeh is interested in changing
the charter of the organization he had helped to lead for many
years.
As
Reuters reported:
They (the United States and others in the international
community) are threatening to cut off aid to any government
run by Hamas unless the group renounces violence and abandons
its charter commitment to Israel's destruction. "These
demands are unjust to the Palestinian people," Haniyeh
said.
Terrorism
There is also no indication that Haniyeh thinks Hamas should
give up terrorism. On the contrary, after the Israeli
withdrawal from Gaza he was asked if Hamas would give up
armed struggle. Haniyeh had
this to say:
"These weapons liberated the land and by these weapons, we
will continue the liberation process."
Honoring Agreements
Both the Oslo Accords and the Middle East Road Map require the
Palestinians to recognize Israel and renounce terror.
There are those who say that Haniyeh will accept these
agreements since they have been signed by the Palestinian
Authority. However, all he has said is that:
"Agreements
that harm our people we will leave out. Agreements that serve
our people's interest we will keep."
Today, there is no evidence Haniyeh has indicated he is in
favor of changing the Hamas charter, rejecting violence, or
recognizing Israel. Without these basic steps, it is difficult
to see how
anyone can accurately define him as "pragmatic."
If your local media describe Haniyeh as "pragmatic" or
"moderate" ask them on what basis they are using those
terms.
Comments to: The
Washington Post, The
New York Times, The
Associated Press and
Reuters.
Thank you for your ongoing involvement in the
battle against media bias.
