There’s a well-known quote that goes: “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” Evidently, many media outlets subscribe to this relativistic worldview. Yet this line is from a novel, a work of fiction, and is of no relevance to the media’s responsibility to relay information to news consumers in an objective manner. By incessantly referring to Hamas as a ‘militant’ group (See here, here, here, here, and here) the world’s premier outlets are effectively burying the character, methods of operation, and true goals of the Gaza-based movement that has been officially designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and dozens of other countries around the world.
Hamas is a terrorist group, not “militants,” not “fighters,” not a “resistance force.” Calling a terrorist a militant, is like calling a heart attack — a chest pain. Technically you’re not wrong, but there’s a world of difference between the two. You’re downplaying their threat… https://t.co/GhSiTujiwd
— Palki Sharma (@palkisu) October 17, 2023
BBC’s and NYT’s ‘Terrorist’ Blindside
To the casual reader, the issue of accurately describing Hamas could be perceived as a mere matter of semantics. But it became a hot-button topic following the October 7 attack by the organization against Israel. So much so that Israeli President Isaac Herzog blasted the BBC – which refuses to term Hamas as ‘terrorist’ even though the UK proscribes the group’s military wings as terror organizations. In his meeting with then-British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Herzog told the UK premier: “We feel that the way the BBC characterizes Hamas is a distortion of the facts. We are dealing with one of the worst terror organizations in the world…there has to be an outcry so that there will be a correction, and Hamas will be defined as a terror organization.”
The reluctance to call a spade a spade isn’t confined to the British press. The New York Times is another serial offender. A review by HonestReporting of a recent interview with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken found that the term ‘Israel’ appeared 104 times in the transcripts, while ‘Hamas’ made 34 appearances. The term ‘terror’ (or ‘terrorism’ or ‘terrorist’) shows up a grand total of zero times.
Indeed, the only time you’re likely to see the terms ‘terror’ or ‘terrorism’ in connection to Hamas is in quotation marks, since they’re almost invariably taken from an Israeli source – providing a way for journalists to distance themselves from supposedly biased Israeli officials.
‘Terrorist’ Vs. ‘Militant’: A Distinction With Major Differences
There is undoubtedly some overlap between militants and terrorists. For example, they both engage in violence in order to achieve their goals. But there are important distinctions. The motives and actions of a designated terrorist organization are unique.
While there is no international consensus on the definition of terrorism, it’s broadly understood to be the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. Every government has its own interpretation of terrorism. According to the United States State Department:
For the purpose of the Order, “terrorism” is defined to be an activity that (1) involves a violent act or an act dangerous to human life, property, or infrastructure; and (2) appears to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, kidnapping, or hostage-taking.
Related Reading: Who Are the U.S.-Designated Terrorists That Israel Has Eliminated Over the Past Year?
By describing Hamas as a mere militant group, media outlets are downplaying the very acts that made the October 7 attack so horrific: The targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure; the use of civilians as human shields; and the taking of non-combatants as hostages. It’s also worth noting that these crimes against humanity were all “…central aims of the planned attack, and not actions that occurred as an afterthought or as a plan gone awry or as isolated acts.”
‘Militant’ Hamas: A Gateway Bias
Not calling out Hamas for the terrorist organization it is has had far-reaching consequences beyond a battle over terminology.
Because Hamas is widely depicted as a militant group, agenda-driven media personalities like Mehdi Hasan have found a way to perpetuate false analogies between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s conflict with the Gaza-based terrorist organization. Though the disparity between the two situations could not be more striking, Hamas gains support and legitimacy whenever it’s compared to a UN-member state that was invaded.
The whitewashing of Hamas can also be discerned in the way many prominent publications describe the group’s most powerful members. After Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination, The Wall Street Journal called him a “leading advocate for a ceasefire,” while Reuters and The Guardian labeled him a “moderate.”
In fact, Haniyeh was designated a “global terrorist” by the U.S., and responsible for heinous acts against civilians.
And when Hamas’ true terrorist nature is covered up, burying their true aims becomes that much easier. The Wall Street Journal stated in October 2023 that the internationally-recognized terror organization is “dedicated to the creation of an independent Palestinian state” and that it has “indicated it is willing to accept a two-state solution…” Truth is, the group is openly committed to the destruction of Israel. This has been expressed in Hamas’ 1988 founding charter, as well as numerous statements by Hamas leaders such as Ismail Haniyeh and Saleh Al-Arouri.
Media Not Adjusting to New Realities After October 7
While media outlets don’t want to be accused of taking sides in the Israel-Hamas war, governments have. Switzerland in December 2024 officially declared that Hamas is a terrorist organization. Argentina became the first state in Latin America to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, in a move announced by President Javier Milei in July 2024.
These and other governments adjusted their policies regarding Hamas in response to the horrors perpetrated by the terrorist outfit on October 7, 2024. There is a growing recognition that the threat Hamas represents is global, and must not be ignored any longer.
Yet far too many news organizations continue to treat Hamas with kid gloves. By not describing Hamas as a designated terrorist group, news publications have effectively normalized it.
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Image Credit: Chris McGrath via Getty Images
