We as a people want to live in our homeland, the land of our ancestors, in freedom, dignity and democracy, and with a just peace that restores our rights. We do not want to attack anyone and do not accept anyone attacking us. As we have said on more than one occasion, the key to security is the end of occupation....I would like to reiterate on behalf of my people our sincere desire to live in security and stability, without wars and bloodshed; we hope that the world will help us in this venture. We extend our hand to all those who seek a just peace to work seriously to end the occupation and help us establish our state, which the world has already recognised....We do not want more blood.
The first deception for the English-language audience is the definition of "occupation." According to Hamas, all of Israel is on occupied territory, as I have proven a number of times.
Hamas has made it crystal clear that it wants to destroy Israel in stages, as Mahmoud Zahar said on video in 2010:
"We have liberated Gaza, but have we recognized Israel? Have we given up our lands occupied in 1948? We demand the liberation of the West Bank, and the establishment of a state in the West Bank and Gaza, with Jerusalem as its capital – but without recognizing [Israel]. This is the key – without recognizing the Israeli enemy on a single inch of land.Hamas' charter also makes it clear it does not seek a democratic Palestinian Arab state, but a pan-Muslim 'umma where Palestine is swallowed up by a new large Islamic nation. Democracy is not the goal, but a tactic.
"This is our plan for this stage – to liberate the West Bank and Gaza, without recognizing Israel’s right to a single inch of land, and without giving up the Right of Return for a single Palestinian refugee.
[...]
"Our plan for this stage is to liberate any inch of Palestinian land, and to establish a state on it. Our ultimate plan is [to have] Palestine in its entirety. I say this loud and clear so that nobody will accuse me of employing political tactics. We will not recognize the Israeli enemy. "
Now, as far as Hamas' desire for "peace" and "no bloodshed," here are some recent Hamas statements:
March 30:
Hamas confirmed that the Al-Aqsa Intifada "will continue to be present at the heart of every Arab and Muslim, and that they address the Palestinian issue." and the Islamic movement stressed in a statement that the resistance will continue in all its forms in the liberation of Palestinian land ....Hamas stressed that the intifada "will remain a landmark inspired by the Palestinian people the meanings of resilience, stability, and the challenge against the crimes of the Zionist enemy."
May 16:
The entire [Hamas] Palestinian Legislative Council confirmed that the armed resistance is the only option to restore the rights and Palestinian rights.Here is the illustration of that article from the Hamas newspaper Palestine Times:
May 26:
Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal confirmed that resistance is a right for all peoples and every nation, and no nation in history has terminated occupation voluntarily, but it only happens by the use of force.Even though the Guardian's "Comment is Free" column is meant to showcase a variety of views and opinions, it seems ridiculous that it is meant to be a platform for baldfaced lies.
Yet it is.
UPDATE: Here is my comment in The Guardian:
Do Guardian readers know that when Haniyeh says he wants and "end to occupation" he means an "end to Israel?" Hamas media in Arabic define all of Israel as "occupied" and all Israeli towns as "settlements."
Do Guardian readers know that at the exact same time that Haniyeh claims to not want bloodshed, Hamas leaders are saying the exact opposite? Just in the past month Khaled Meshal and the Hamss legislative council confirmed in very clear terms that "armed resistance" is the ONLY method to "liberate Palestine," and that they praised the suicide bombing spree known as the second intifada.
Do Guardian readers know that only last week Hamas leaders praised suicide bombers and other terrorists, and their media lovingly went over the details of how their "martyrs" blew up innocent Israeli women and children to bits?
Or is it better to ignore everything Hamas says daily in Arabic and believe the baldfaced lies that they say in English to credulous Westerners?