Inaccurate Criticism
Reader comment on item: U.S. Army War College Publishes Apologia for Hamas

Submitted by Jerry Landrum, Jan 27, 2009 18:01

I read Dr. Zuhur's monograph, and it is no way an apologia of Hamas' targeting of civilians. She does not deny that the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Squads, the military wing of HAMAS, has used terrorism as a tactic. However, she also acknowledges that Israel has at times used a disproportionate amount of force in its response to these acts. The most important point Dr. Zuhur makes is that there is more to Hamas than its military wing. She states that 95% of Hamas' budget is used for social programs. This is a fact which is verified by other sources such as the Council on Foreign Relations backgrounder on Hamas: " Hamas funds schools, orphanages, mosques, healthcare clinics, soup kitchens, and sports leagues. "Approximately 90 percent of its work is in social, welfare, cultural, and educational activities," writes the Israeli scholar Reuven Paz." This group is much more than a terrorist organization. In fact, they have been democratically elected as leaders of the Palestinian people. Given this reality, is it not wise to consider the idea that discussions with them might be the correct course of action? In a CFR interview, Richard Murphy advocates for this dialogue as a contrast for the belated opening of dialogue with the PLO.

Note: IPT will moderate reader comments. We reserve the right to edit or remove any comment we determine to be inappropriate. This includes, but is not limited to, comments that include swearing, name calling, or offensive language involving race, religion or ethnicity. All comments must include an email address for verification.