We must remember that many of those protesting Israel’s war in Gaza are not simply advocating for a cease-fire or a two-state solution. Instead, they are advocating for the end of Israel. This is the obvious meaning of the “river to the sea” chant. But what is implied is now being stated explicitly by anti-Israel protesters and their allies. And they are only articulating what has always been the fundamental position of Hamas.
In a fascinating April 13 interview, Yuval Bitton, head of the Intelligence Division of the Israel Prison Service, described his interactions with Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar. Bitton first interacted with the prisoners as their dentist before getting into intelligence work, so he got to know these men on very personal terms.
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He explained that whereas Fatah prisoners would talk about a two-state solution, that was never Hamas’ position. “The thing with Hamas is that they have always been a faction of the Muslim Brotherhood,” he said. “They set themselves Islamist goals: to annihilate the state of Israel, to liberate sacred Muslim lands. The Israelis just didn’t get it: For them, Hamas and Fatah were the same thing.”
“As a dentist. Fatah talked about the 1967 borders, about the occupation, about the Palestinian people,” he continued. “To me, the Hamas inmates would say, ‘There’s neither 1967 nor 1948. There are no borders, and there is nothing to talk about. You are on Waqf land, Muslim sacred ground, and you have no place here.’”
This remains Hamas’ official position, as stated in its “Our Narrative” document of Jan. 21 “The battle of the Palestinian people against occupation and colonialism did not start on Oct. 7, but started 105 years ago, including 30 years of British colonialism and 75 years of Zionist occupation.”
Thus begins the document. There is no ambiguity here.
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David Parsons