The Shame of Hamas

Almost daily, western news agencies quote "15,000 civilian deaths" caused by the Israel Defense Forces. They once at least used to qualify "according to Hamas authorities." Now they don't even do that much, but employ "Palestinian authorities," as a euphemism for Hamas liars.

How does Hamas know the roughly exact number of "civilian" causalities, but not the number of Hamas warriors dead? Do surveillance photos reveal vast new civilian cemeteries that could accommodate such a vast count? Or is Hamas burying its terrorist deaths separately?

Did Hamas gain credibility by falsely reporting an Israeli bombing hit on a hospital that killed "500 civilians"? By falsely bragging that there were no tunnel complexes under the hospital. By falsely reporting hostages were killed by Israeli air strikes rather than being passed off to terrorist splinter groups who dispatched them?

Hamas claims simultaneously that:

1) it did not break the ceasefire;

2) but it boasted about and claimed credit for two terrorist brothers from Jerusalem who murdered four Israelis and injured six during the ceasefire by simply driving down a street, jumping out, and shooting civilians before they were gunned down by off-duty soldiers;

3) it bragged it had launched more rockets into Israeli civilian centers; and

4) during the ceasefire Hamas leaders have promised to renew the war and shortly to top the October 7 murdering spree.

Are we thus to assume this is a legitimate entity with which any nation would wish to conduct any sort of negotiations?

What did Kamala Harris, a Middle East expert, mean when she warned Israel, "Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering and the images and videos coming from Gaza are devastating." Did she remark on the "devastating" mutilations and decapitations of October 7? What does she think the U.S. military did in Mosul or Fallujah to root out ISIS and Saddamite terrorists other than use "devastating" methods?

One can see how cynically the beleaguered Biden triangulating administration once again outsources an unenviable task for the DEI Kamala Harris, on the expectation that her incompetence will further embarrass her, and thus win public opinion to whatever position is the exact opposite of her advocacy. As she weighs in to empathize with the pro-Hamas crowd, her nonsense only further discredits them.

What does Antony Blinken mean when he reportedly said to the Israeli government, "I don't think you have the credit for that" in response to Israeli promises to spend necessary months to destroy Hamas? Did he mean, "If you put us in an embarrassing situation with our Arab-Muslim constituencies, we will cut off arms to you"?

But did Congress not pass a massive aid bill for Israel? And did not Blinken's Party once impeach Donald Trump for delaying military aid to Ukraine to leverage the Ukrainian government to audit its corrupt government agencies that were buying influence into the Biden family, which in exchange had offered protection money by firing nosy prosecutors?

So, is Blinken predicating the sending of congressionally approved vital help to Israel based on what he feels are domestic political considerations in an election year—such as, further Israeli attacks alienate Arab-Muslim voters, who promise in turn not to vote for Biden, so Blinken warns Israel they have limited "credit"?

Here is the bottom line. The Middle East will blow up if Hamas is not destroyed—even as Europeans, moderate Arabs, and the U.S. population all desire its end. But to see Hamas gone will be a media circus that will spark protests throughout the world and likely violence. Everyone knows that if police broke up such violent riots, deported law-breaking resident aliens, and charged citizens for their illegality, the violence would stop.

And everyone knows if Hamas is dismantled, Hezbollah will do nothing. Iran will do nothing, and the Arab nations will do nothing—other than be relieved.

So, everybody knows the cure for the Hamas evil and its supporters, and no one wishes to apply the short-term medicine.

How the Biden administration figured that Hamas's survival is in the interest of the United States, or that allowing thousands to come from the terrorist nations of the Middle East into the U.S. is wise immigration policy, or sending embargoed money to Iran is necessary, make no sense other than either Biden's team is utterly incompetent or feel Israel's enemies are more important to us alive and active than Israel being stuck in perpetual danger.

Victor Davis Hanson

December 12, 2023