Lt. Col. (res.) Dr. Shaul Bartal
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,221, Oct. 17, 2023
“Hamas believes, like al-Qaeda, that the purpose of the Islamic caliphate is to fight the infidels and interlopers, led by the Jews. They believe this to be a continuous jihad that is not limited in time.”
On May 2, 2011, Osama bin Laden, the founder of the al-Qaeda organization responsible for the deaths of approximately 3,000 Americans in the largest terrorist attack in the history of the United States on September 11, 2001, was killed by US Navy Seals. Most countries around the world welcomed the elimination of this prominent terrorist figure. Hamas, however, which had signed a unity agreement with the Palestinian Authority at the time, was one of the few authoritative voices that expressed opposition to the killing
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In 2005, Israel evacuated Gaza. Hamas won a majority of seats in Palestinian democratic elections that were held in January 2006, with the participation of American observers. In June 2007, Hamas violently seized total control over the Gaza Strip, using its own military forces, to conquer and “purify” the region of members of the Palestinian security agencies that were in control at the time. According to estimates, around 130 Fatah members were killed during that military confrontation. Hamas has ruled Gaza in an effective dictatorship ever since. It has been part of several unity governments under the leadership of Abbas, but these coalitions rarely hold.
According to Ismail Haniyeh, a senior political figure in the Hamas organization, bin Laden was one of the great jihadists of the Islamic nation. Haniyeh accused the United States of oppressing and shedding the blood of Muslims worldwide. The connection between Hamas and al-Qaeda can be seen via Abdullah Yusuf Azzam, one of the founders of al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden’s spiritual mentor. Azzam was an active member of the Muslim Brotherhood. The founder of Hamas, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood as well.
According to some Arab sources, Azzam may have co-authored or solely written the August 1988 Charter of Hamas, which explicitly calls for the killing of Jews. Azzam included the full Hamas charter in a book he published entitled “Hamas: The Historical Roots and Covenant.” Azzam was assassinated on November 24, 1989, shortly after the publication of this book. … [To read the full article, click here]
