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On Saturday October 14th, in a letter to the editor by Mr. Ira Chernus, published in the Longmont Leader is his titled “Let’s set the record straight on Hamas” https://www.longmontleader.com/letters-to-the-editor/lte-lets-set-the-record-straight-on-hamas-7673169 . Mr. Chernus pens an opinion that is chocked full of disingenuous mischaracterizations regarding the official Hamas Charter, the Islamist terrorist organization’s founding document drafted in 1987 and revised in 2017. Mr. Chernus’ letter boasts an inference that he has cornered the market on the truth of Hamas. In an era of rampant dissemination of misinformation or disinformation, we clearly need to remember that “facts matter”. My letter to the editor attempts to provide facts that correct a critically important point asserted by Mr. Chernus.
The fundamental point outlined in his letter is where Mr. Chernus notes that in the 2017 revised Hamas Charter, Hamas leadership is now willing to accept the pre 1967 war geographical boundaries. These prior boundaries divided the State of Israel and Palestinian designated lands which included the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Golan Heights; giving Hamas ownership of larger segments of land. What Chernus fails to address are several contradicting statements in the revised charter. The most prominent is a repeated claim to the geographical rights to all the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. This claim in effect, would annex from the Jewish people, their entire state of Israel.
Mr. Chernus’ letter to the editor was coincidentally published the day following the “Worldwide Day of Jihad”, which was a call to action that resulted in protests all around the world in support of the October 7 Hamas attacks. Countless supporters worldwide, cheered Hamas’ vicious massacre, which at last count, includes 1,300 mostly civilian Israeli fatalities and the hospitalization of over 2,600. The call to action was published online: https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/10/11/there-blood-hamas-issues-unambiguous-call-arms-support-jihad-waging-gaza/.
The “Worldwide Day of Jihad” was announced to the Muslim world by Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas political wing leader who the U.S. State Department designated as a terrorist in 2018, saying: “Haniyeh has close links with Hamas’ military wing and has been a proponent of armed struggle, including against civilians.” State Department official designation of Haniyeh as a terrorist: https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/09/246686.htm. The term “Jihad” is interpreted as “a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty”.
Preempting the Hamas October 7 land, sea, and air incursion from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, was the launching of an unprecedented number of Hamas rockets into Israel. The sheer number of rockets lobbed into Israel set new records, so have the long-range distances rockets are traveling into cities such as Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa. The vast number of Hamas terrorists who crossed into Israel have nearly all been eliminated or repelled back into Gaza, however, unguided and indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza into Israel have continued to this day. As a side note, it is widely known that funding of Hamas military weaponry, is provided by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Press reports of the barbaric massacre include atrocities that are reminiscent of ISIS in Afghanistan. Women have been reported raped, killed, and dragged through the streets. Children have been slaughtered and some burned alive. Many Israeli IDF soldiers have been decapitated. Clearly, Hamas does not recognize the Geneva Convention or any accepted military rules of engagement. Their actions on October 7 were inhumane and evil, indiscriminately killing people from 36 nations, including many Muslims.
One might ponder how can anyone, excluding psychotic serial killers, have the wherewithal to murder people with such cruelty and absent any reticence or remorse. Sadly, there exists an evil and cruel Hamas program to indoctrinate into the hearts and minds of their youth, the acceptance of racist antisemitism and justification of the eradication of the Jewish people. This mind virus that infects the children begins within the walls of their schools, beginning in their elementary grades with programs that resemble Sesame Street. These distortions are sadly reinforced at home by parents and other family members.
More facts to correct the primary point in Mr. Chernus’ letter to the editor:
(1) The revised 2017 Hamas Charter refers to Hamas’ favorite slogan, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free!” Widely circulated misinformation echoed by western media is the claim that Israel will not accept a two-state solution. What the media conveniently omits from their criticism of Israel is that the Hamas charter does not in effect, allow for a two-state solution as an option if the “River to the Sea” slogan is their stated goal.
(2) “The State of Israel is the only Jewish nation in the modern period, and the region that now falls within its borders has a lengthy and rich history that dates from prebiblical times.” Credit: https://www.britannica.com/place/Israel
(3) “As of December 2020, it (Israel) has received diplomatic recognition from 165 (or 85%) of the 193 total UN member states and maintains bilateral ties with all of the Permanent Five (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States).” Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_members_of_the_United_Nations_Security_Council
I encourage readers who are committed to the truth and have an honest desire to weed out misinformation, to read the 2017 revised Hamas Charter for yourselves. Reading this document will enable you to surmise the context of the revised charter in light of the facts I present here, comparing to those stated by Mr. Chernus’ “Let’s set the record straight on Hamas.” 2017 revised Hamas Charter: https://palwatch.org/storage/documents/hamas%20new%20policy%20document%20010517.pdf.
