With the death toll of Hamas’ recent killing spree climbing past 1,400 people, many in the West are wondering how can Hamas commit such depravity. Why would Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal refer to this operation, which includes murdering, raping, kidnapping, and dismembering civilians as a “dream come true?” Why would Hamas be so prepared to use their population as human shields when faced with a response from Israel?
By examining Hamas’ charter, The Hamas Covenant (1988), one can readily see that Hamas can never co-exist with Israel, as the organization espouses perpetual religious war and genocide against the Jewish people.
The charter promotes the following principles which are fundamentally incompatible with Israel:
Islam’s Ultimate Goal is to Destroy Israel
“Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.” (Preamble)
Muslims Have a Religious Duty to Commit Genocide Against Jews
“The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him[…]” (Article 7)
“Palestine” [including Israel] is Muslim Land, So Muslims Must Wage Holy War Against Israel
“[Hamas]…strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine.” (Article 6)
“…The land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf [Holy Possession] consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgment Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up.” (Article 11)
“Palestine is an Islamic land…Since this is the case, the Liberation of Palestine is an individual duty for every Moslem wherever he may be.” (Article 13)
“It is necessary to instill in the minds of the Moslem generations that the Palestinian problem is a religious problem, and should be dealt with on this basis.” (Article 15)
“The day the enemies usurp part of Moslem land, Jihad becomes the individual duty of every Moslem. In the face of the Jews’ usurpation of Palestine, it is compulsory that the banner of Jihad be raised.” (Article 15)
“Arab countries surrounding Israel are asked to open their borders before the fighters from among the Arab and Islamic nations so that they could consolidate their efforts with those of their Moslem brethren in Palestine.” (Article 28)
“…Allah’s purpose is achieved when ranks will close up, fighters join other fighters and masses everywhere in the Islamic world will come forward in response to the call of duty while loudly proclaiming: Hail to Jihad. Their cry will reach the heavens and will go on being resounded until liberation is achieved, the invaders vanquished and Allah’s victory comes about.” (Article 33)
Arabs Making Peace with Israel Are Committing “High Treason”
“[…[S]o-called peaceful solutions and international conferences…are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement…There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors.” (Article 13)
“Egypt was, to a great extent, removed from the circle of struggle [against Zionism] through the treacherous Camp David Agreement. [The Zionists] are trying to draw other Arab countries into similar agreements in order to bring them outside the circle of struggle…Leaving the circle of struggle against Zionism is high treason, and cursed be he who does that.” (Article 32)
Miscellaneous Anti-Semitic Canards
Jews rule the world. “For a long time, the enemies have been planning, skillfully and with precision, for the achievement of what they have attained…They strived to amass great and substantive material wealth…With their money, they took control of the world media, news agencies, the press, publishing houses, broadcasting stations, and others. With their money they stirred revolutions in various parts of the world with the purpose of achieving their interests and reaping the fruit therein. They were behind the French Revolution, the Communist revolution and most of the revolutions we heard and hear about…With their money they formed secret societies, such as Freemasons, Rotary Clubs, the Lions and others in different parts of the world for the purpose of sabotaging societies and achieving Zionist interests. With their money they were able to control imperialistic countries and instigate them to colonize many countries in order to enable them to exploit their resources and spread corruption there…They were behind World War I, when they were able to destroy the Islamic Caliphate, making financial gains and controlling resources. They obtained the Balfour Declaration, formed the League of Nations through which they could rule the world. They were behind World War II, through which they made huge financial gains by trading in armaments, and paved the way for the establishment of their state. It was they who instigated the replacement of the League of Nations with the United Nations and the Security Council to enable them to rule the world through them. There is no war going on anywhere, without having their finger in it…The imperialistic forces in the Capitalist West and Communist East, support the enemy with all their might, in money and in men…” (Article 22)
Jews “challenge” Islam, Muslims. “Israel, Judaism and Jews challenge Islam and the Moslem people. ‘May the cowards never sleep.’” (Article 28)
Israel is insatiably expansionist. “The Zionist plan is limitless. After Palestine, the Zionists aspire to expand from the Nile to the Euphrates. When they will have digested the region they overtook, they will aspire to further expansion, and so on. Their plan is embodied in the ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’, and their present conduct is the best proof of what we are saying.” (Article 32)
Jews are warmongers. “The Islamic Resistance Movement consider[s] itself to be the spearhead of the circle of struggle with world Zionism and a step on the road. The Movement adds its efforts to the efforts of all those who are active in the Palestinian arena…all of these [groups] are the best-equipped for the future role in the fight with the warmongering Jews.” (Article 32)
Conclusion
Hamas’ charter reveals that at its core, Hamas is incompatible with Israel and incapable of making long-term peace with the Jewish state. Any military of diplomatic victory that Israel will be able to obtain from Hamas, or any “cease-fire” imposed by the international community, will be tactical and fleeting in nature, due to Hamas’ supremacist and genocidal worldview. Only by Israel obtaining total victory and by vanquishing Hamas can the Jewish state finally be at peace with Gaza.
