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Hamas Leader a Terrorist?

Hamas Leader a Terrorist?

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

On October 8, 1997, the State Department wrongfully declared Hamas a foreign terrorist organization - at the behest of Israel to vilify the group for forthrightly opposing illegal occupation of historic Palestine.

On January 25, 2006, Hamas triumphed overwhelmingly in Palestinian Legislative Council elections, winning 74 seats to Fatah's 45.

It's Palestine's legitimate government, a nonviolent freedom-fighting organization, not a terrorist one, not involved in any activities connected to terrorism.

Yet, it's illegally blockaded in besieged Gaza - for political, not security reasons. 

Hamas threatens no one. It never attacked Israel. It justifiably responded in self-defense against three preemptive Israeli wars of aggression since December 2008.

Ismail Haniyah is its political leader - chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau, Palestine's elected prime minister, Israeli ruthlessness depriving him of his rightful position.

Longtime Israeli collaborator/illegitimate president Mahmoud Abbas wrongfully appointed Salam Fayad to replace him in June 2007 - a former World Bank official and IMF representative to Palestine. He served as PM until June 2013.

On Thursday, the State Department disgracefully designated Haniyeh a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order (EO) 13224."

Rex Tillerson lied calling him a key terrorist leader, threatening Middle East stability, "undermining the peace process, and attacking our allies Egypt and Israel."

His assets are frozen, subject to confiscation if located. US persons are "prohibited from engaging in any transactions with" him.

Saying he's "been involved in terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens" is a bald-faced lie. So is blaming him for the deaths of 17 Americans killed in alleged "terrorist attacks."

"Terrorism designations expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and deny them access to the US financial system. Moreover, designations can assist the law enforcement activities of US agencies and other governments," the State Department announced - to its disgrace, vilifying a legitimate political leader, ignoring real terrorists in Washington and Israel.

Hamas' military wing is solely for defense - though no match against IDF power when unleashed, especially its terror-bombing, massacring civilians indiscriminately in all Israeli wars.

The Jewish state considers civilians and nonmilitary related sites legitimate targets, flagrantly breaching international law.

IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot earlier said "(w)hat happened in the Dahiya quarter of Beirut in 2006 will happen in every village from which Israel is fired on." 

"We will apply disproportionate force at the heart of the enemy's weak spot (civilians) and cause great damage and destruction." 

"From our standpoint, these are not civilian villages (towns or cities). They are military bases. This is not a recommendation. This is a plan. And it has been approved."

Dahiya strategy is state terrorism, aiming to inflict maximum deaths, injuries, destruction, displacement and human suffering - core international humanitarian law breaches.

Haniyeh is a marked man, perhaps targeted for elimination, maybe another Israeli Gaza war planned.

Founded in 1987 during the first intifada, Hamas in Arabic means courage and bravery. It's a resistance movement against occupation harshness.

Its Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades military wing is for self-defense and internal security. Hamas rejects war and related violence, seeks liberation through negotiation and international consensus.

It rejects Zionist tyranny. So should everyone. It's corrosive and racist, a destructive pure evil force, harming Jews and non-Jews alike.

Anti-Zionism isn't anti-Semitism. The long ago discredited canard surfaces whenever Israel wants its critics vilified - also accusing them of terrorism and incitement.

State terrorism is official Israeli policy. Netanyahu and his coalition partners are terrorists, not Haniyeh or the government he heads.

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