Earlier this month after Hamas' election victories, CNN reported: Jimmy Carter: Give Hamas a chance.
Hamas deserves to be recognized by the international community, and despite the group's militant history, there is a chance the soon-to-be Palestinian leaders could turn away from violence, former President Jimmy Carter said ...
With Israel, America and Britain cutting off or threatening to cut off funds to the Palestinian government this week, Carter is defending the people who voted Hamas into power: Don't Punish the Palestinians.
Hamas has a long, bloody history of terrorism against Israelis, and Hamas has stated explicitly that their goal is to destroy Israel, a free Jewish state. From the Hamas charter:
Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious... The Movement is but one squadron that should be supported by more and more squadrons from this vast Arab and Islamic world, until the enemy is vanquished and Allah's victory is realised...The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said: 'The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him...'
None of this is news to the Palestinians who elected Hamas. And despite now being on the international stage, Hamas has not relented. In the news:
-- A Hamas Web site (see cached version) features an animated graphic of the Star of David being destroyed by a nuclear-like blast;
-- ABC News reported that Hamas would not recognize Israel;
-- And CNN reported that Hamas would not disarm.
[Hamas leader Khaled] 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.
This is who Carter would like to "give a chance."
(Most links via Little Green Footballs.)
UPDATE -- Feb. 26: From LGF: The Hamas Big Lie and Hundreds of Millions to Hamas.
Posted by Forkum at February 23, 2006 02:27 PM
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