During this so-called Arab Spring, Middle Eastern dictators have attempted to suppress revolutions by murdering demonstrators, prompting the Obama administration to condemn those actions in the “strongest possible terms.”
It appears that Hamas, the Palestinian Authority’s new governing partner, has reserved that kind of condemnation for the U.S. attack that killed terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.
According to Reuters, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said:
“We regard this as a continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood. … We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab holy warrior. We ask God to offer him mercy with the true believers and the martyrs.”
Haniyeh, keep in mind, was selected to be Hamas’ Prime Minister, leading to the dispute that fractured Palestinian leadership. After the 2006 elections, Haniyeh was sworn in as Prime Minister and then dismissed for Salam Fayyad. That leadership shuffle led to the Hamas coup of Gaza, where they have created a haven for terror that is used to target Israeli civilians in southern Israel with rockets.
While Palestinian reconciliation is essential to establishing a lasting peace, Israel, the world and the Palestinians themselves must keep in mind that Haniyeh and Hamas have not disguised their fondness for terrorism. This basic value of theirs continues to emerge — whether it’s condemning the death of a terrorist, targeting Israeli civilians with rockets, or using children as human shields to protect bombs and mortars. Hamas’ value is terror, pure and simple.
In upcoming elections, the Palestinians will have the opportunity to demonstrate that they do not embrace Hamas’ values. It’s imperative that they reject terror to show Israel and the world that there is hope for peace and not merely a continuation of Hamas’ terror campaign. Any choice to the contrary would unfortunately make the Palestinians the heirs to bin Laden’s throne of terror.
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