Hamas, the Islamist group which runs the Gaza Strip, has watered down its anti-Semitic language to appear more moderate. But there’s still no pledge to let Israel exist or give up terrorism.
Hamas, the militant group built around violent resistance to Israel, sought on Monday to present a more moderate public face, taking its next shot in an intensifying struggle for leadership of the Palestinian cause and international recognition.
Released by Hamas just days before its chief rival, the Palestinian Authorityleader Mahmoud Abbas, was to meet President Trump, a new document of principles for the group calls for closer ties to Egypt, waters down the anti-Semitic language from its charter, and accepts at least a provisional Palestinian state — though it still does not formally recognize Israel…
And the group specifically weakened language from its 1988 charterproclaiming Jews as enemies and comparing their views to Nazism, though the new document does not replace the original charter.
Experts on all sides of the complex struggle here say the new document is unlikely to represent any profound change in Hamas’s true position toward Israel. The group recently chose a hard-liner, Yehya Sinwar, as its new leader in Gaza, and it still in no way recognizes Israel or has renounced violence.
Read the full blog piece by Andrew Bolt at The Herald Sun.