Introduction
In light of the escalating conflict between Hamas and Israel, it’s important to review the Hamas ideology and understand how Hamas views the conflict.

Hamas ideology, as expressed in the Hamas Charter, sees Hamas as part of the worldwide Muslim Brotherhood (Article 2) that seeks world Islamic domination. Israel is said to exist on territory that is Islamic Waqf (Article 11) and therefore Islam demands that Israel be destroyed. Accepting Israel´s existence is a violation of Islamic law (Article 13).

The Hamas charter presents the killing of Jews as God´s will, and the inevitable extermination of Jews as coinciding with the "Hour of Resurrection" (Article 7). The charter expresses eagerness to participate in and promote this killing of Jews: "Hamas has been looking forward to implement Allah´s promise [killing Jews] whatever time it might take" (Article 7). Finally, violence and terror (called "resistance") are presented as legitimate tools.

All of these principles continue to be stated regularly by Hamas leadership and in the official Hamas media throughout May 2007.

Part 1: Islamic supremacy over the world
Part 2: Destruction of Israel
Part 3: Demonization and extermination of Jews
Part 4: Promoting terror, suicide terror, and violence


Part 1: Islamic supremacy over the world

Former Foreign Minister and Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahhar: "The prophetic foundation is the message of the prophet Muhammad, that Islam will enter every house and will spread over the entire world."
[Al-Ayyam, March 25, 2007]

Dr. Ahmad Bahar, Hamas (acting Speaker, Palestinian Legislative Council):
"This is Islam, that was ahead of its time with regards to human rights in the treatment of prisoners, but our people was afflicted by the cancerous lump, that is the Jews, in the heart of the Arab nation. Make us victorious over the infidels. Allah, take hold of the Jews and their allies, Allah, take hold of the Americans and their allies Allah, count them and kill them to the last one and don´t leave even one." [PA TV, April 20, 2007]

Deputy Director of Al-Aqsa [Hamas] TV, Hazem Al-Sha’arawi, discussing the children´s program Tomorrow Pioneers:
"Let’s ask history: …which time period was good to all communities? The Jews lived in the time of Islam [under Islamic rule] and were happy. The Christians lived in the time of Islam [under Islamic rule] and were happy. Look at the history, the prophet [Muhammad]… ordered the army: ‘Do not kill a monk in his prayer room.’ Even the Caliph Umar Bin Al-Khattab, [Islamic conqueror of Jerusalem in 638] when he came into the Al-Aqsa Mosque, he secured the churches and the prayer rooms. Therefore, when we talk about the mission of the restoration of Islam to its natural place [of world rule], we [are] calling for justice, and for goodness, and for world love… so that the Christians will live in peace, and that even the Jews will live in peace and security.”
[Al-Aqsa TV, May 13, 2007]

Text from children´s program on Hamas TV, Tomorrow Pioneers: Hazim (Adult): "Islam will spread to all parts of the earth from one end to the other and justice and good and kindness will spread. Did history witness a time period better than that when Islam ruled?... Every day do you remember Andalus (Spain)? This dear Andalus will return [to Islam] one day." [Al-Aqsa TV, May 11, 2007]

Part 2: Destruction of Israel

Dr. Khalil Al-Hayyah, member of the Hamas political leadership and the Palestinian Legislative Council:
“The Hamas movement bases its strategy and its policy on that the option of resistance is the only option that can liberate Palestine from its [Mediterranean] sea to its [Jordan] river [ie destroy Israel].”
[Al-Risalah, Hamas newspaper, April 19, 2007]

Hamas spokesman, Dr. Ismail Radwan, confirmed …that his movement will not recognize any existence of the Israeli enemy on an inch of Palestinian land and said, “We will liberate Palestine, all of Palestine...Palestine will not be liberated by negotiations, committees and decisions, it will only be liberated by the rifle and the “Al-Qassam” [rocket]. Therefore, prepare yourselves.” [Al-Risalah, Hamas newspaper, April 9, 2007]

Video of Ahmad Yassin, founder and former head of Hamas, about future destruction of Israel, broadcast regularly March – May 2007: “Tel Aviv is gone. They are defeated, they have no words left. ... When this process will end, they will become a state with no ability, helpless. They established a state to protect the Jews from death and murder. If death and murder chase them in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Netanya and everywhere among them, then they will say: ´What am I doing here? I founded a state to protect me from death, and if death chases me, I want to flee and go back to Europe and America.´” [Al Aqsa TV, regularly, March – May 2007]

Former Foreign Minister and Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahhar: "Our position is the liberation of Palestine, all of Palestine. This is the final and strategic solution for us. There is a Quranic message for us, that we will enter the Al-Aqsa mosque, and the entrance to the mosque means the entrance into all of Palestine. This is the message, no one can deny it. Anyone who denies it must check his faith and his Islam.”
[Al-Ayyam, March 25, 2007]

"The representative of the Legislative Council, Dr. Yussuf Al- Sharafi, of the ‘Change and Reform’ faction [Hamas], emphasized the option of Jihad and resistance to banish the thieves of the occupation, who longed to drink the blood of our massacred people... because the Jewish faith does not wish for peace nor stability, since it is a faith that is based on murder: ‘I kill, therefore I am’ … Israel is based only on blood and murder in order to exist, and it will disappear, with Allah’s will, through blood and Shahids [martyrs]." [Al-Risalah, Hamas newspaper, April 12, 2007]

Part 3: Demonization and extermination of Jews

The Hamas spokesman, Dr. Ismail Radwan:
“The Hour [Resurrection] will not take place until the Muslims fight the Jews and the Muslims kill them, and the rock and the tree will say: ‘Oh, Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, kill him!’… We must remind our Arab and Muslim nation, its leaders and people, its scholars and students, remind them that Palestine and the Al-Aqsa mosque will not be liberated through summits nor by international resolutions, but it will be liberated through the rifle. It will not be liberated through negotiations, but through the rifle, since this occupation knows no language but the language of force… O Allah, strengthen Islam and Muslims, and bring victory to your Jihad-fighting worshipers, in Palestine and everywhere… Allah take the oppressor Jews and Americans and their supporters!”
[PA TV, March 30, 2007]

"We find more than once condemnation and denunciation to the resistance operations and bombings [suicide attacks], carried out by Hamas and the Palestinian resistance branches... everyone will know, that we did this [suicide terror] only because our lord commanded so, I did it not of my own accord [*] and so that people will know that the extermination of Jews is good for the inhabitants of the worlds …" [Al-Risalah, Hamas newspaper, April 23, 2007] [*] Translation of Quranic verse taken from USC Compendium of Muslim Texts.

Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Bahar (acting Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council):
“Oh warrior brothers, who stay put and withstand the [patience] test on the land of beloved Palestine. Do you know these Zionists, why they kill the children, the women and the men? This is the policy of the Zionist entity, this is a planned and organized policy. Their false Talmud, their false Torah, and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, call for the murder of children, women and men, ...” [PA TV, August 4, 2006]

Hamas Web site: video of Hamas suicide terrorist, February 2006 – April 2007:
"My message to the loathed Jews is that there is no god but Allah, we will chase you everywhere! We are a nation that drinks blood, and we know that there is no blood better than the blood of Jews. We will not leave you alone until we have quenched our thirst with your blood, and our children´s thirst with your blood. We will not leave until you leave the Muslim countries."

"In the name of Allah, we will destroy you, blow you up, take revenge against you, purify the land of you, pigs that have defiled our country... This operation is revenge against the sons of monkeys and pigs." [Hamas website, February 2006 – April 2007]

Part 4: Promoting terror, suicide terror, and violence

Hamas TV dramatization of woman suicide terrorist Reem Riyashi’s four- year-old daughter vowing to be a suicide terrorist like her mother - March 21, 2007 and repeatedly through May 2007.

[Background: Reem Riyashi killed four Israelis and wounded seven in 2004.] The following is the Hamas TV dramatization of the song in which Duha, Reem´s daughter, sings to her mother:

[Daughter sees mother preparing explosives sticks]
"Mommy, what are you carrying
in your arms instead of me?
[Mother turns to hide bomb]
A toy or a present for me?...
Mommy Reem!
Why did you put on your veil?
Are you going out, Mommy?...
Come back quickly, Mommy
I can´t sleep without you,...
[Daughter sees mother´s picture and news story about bombing on PA TV] My mother, my mother,...
Instead of me you carried a bomb in your hands.
Only now, I know what was more precious than us...

[Images of her mother´s grave and the graves of other terrorists, including Aayat Al-Akhras, 17-year-old female suicide terrorist]
Send greetings to our Messenger [Muhammad] and tell him:
´Duha loves you.´
My love will not be [merely] words.
I am following Mommy in her steps.
[Finds explosives that mother left in her drawer,
picks up stick of explosives]
Oh Mommy, oh Mommy."

Repeated calls for kidnapping Israeli soldiers

"Fathi Hamad, Hamas member of Palestinian Legislative Council, demanded the kidnapping of more Israeli soldiers in order to force Israel to free the [Palestinian] prisoners… Hamad said this at a gathering of the "Wa´ed" organization for prisoners and released [prisoners] in Khan Yunis ... Hamad stressed it was the responsibility of the government, the Legislative Council, the [armed] factions and military arms to dedicate all the efforts at their disposal to free the prisoners. He argued that the kidnapping of the soldier Gilad Shalit hit Israel very hard." [Al Ayyam, March 10, 2007]

Transcript of Hamas broadcast:

Member of the Legislative Council Um-Nasser Farachat:
“With no connection to my being a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and my involvement in the leadership, as a Palestinian citizen, by God, I don’t believe in any solution other than one: kidnapping Zionist soldiers.”

The newscaster:
"The kidnapping of more Zionist soldiers [is required]… 10 Zionist soldiers – maybe less – will guarantee the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners."

Sa’id Siam, former interior minister:
“There were suggestions to repeat the operations of kidnapping other Israeli soldiers, because we know that the occupation understands no other language. Second, the capture of the [single] soldier will not be enough cause for the release of [the] over 10,000 prisoners… There are many suggestions, but what’s important is what will actually be done.”

Member of the Legislative Council Um-Nasser Farachat:
“We hope that with the help of Allah, praise and extol him, the kidnappers will stick with their demands and will not lower their demands in any way… until they [the Israelis] will surrender to our conditions.”

The newscaster´s summation:
“A number of suggestions were brought up during the meeting of the Legislative Council, and the most prominent was the call for further kidnappings of Zionist soldiers as a solution to end the prisoners’ suffering.”
[Al Aqsa TV, Hamas, April 18, 2007]