Hamas TV Promoting Destruction of Israel, Group Says
Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - Hamas television has been broadcasting taped messages from the group's deceased founder predicting the destruction of Israel and promoting terrorism as the way to push Israel out of the land, a media watchdog group said.
Palestinian Media Watch, an independent media watchdog group, reported on Wednesday that Hamas' new Al Aksa satellite television station has been broadcasting a 2004 statement from Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who was targeted and killed by Israel that same year.
Yassin, in the taped message, says Palestinian terrorism forced Israelis to leave their Gaza Strip settlements -- and he suggests that terrorism is the key to destroying Israel.
Yassin also refers to a comment made by former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon before the Israeli disengagement, in which Sharon said Gaza Strip settlement of Netzarim was as important to Israel as Tel Aviv is.
Sharon suggested that Israel would never leave Netzarim -- and then, a short time later, he proposed the evacuation of Netzarim and 20 other Gaza Strip communities (plus four in the West Bank).
According to Yassin, Israel was established to protect the Jewish people from murder and destruction, but if murder and destruction follows the Jews to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and their other cities, the Jewish people will flee back to Europe and America, he predicted.
According to PMW, Yassin's statements have been broadcast frequently, an indication of "how important this political message is to Hamas."
Critics of Sharon's disengagement plan warned at the time that it would send a message of weakness and defeat to Hamas and other terror organizations.
Proponents of the plan believed it would give the Palestinians a trial run of their much-desired independence -- without Israel in the picture. But it didn't happen.
Instead, according to Israeli security estimates, Hamas is training and equipping a veritable army in the Gaza Strip, preparing for the next round of fighting against Israel.
Palestinian Media Watch, an independent media watchdog group, reported on Wednesday that Hamas' new Al Aksa satellite television station has been broadcasting a 2004 statement from Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who was targeted and killed by Israel that same year.
Yassin, in the taped message, says Palestinian terrorism forced Israelis to leave their Gaza Strip settlements -- and he suggests that terrorism is the key to destroying Israel.
Yassin also refers to a comment made by former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon before the Israeli disengagement, in which Sharon said Gaza Strip settlement of Netzarim was as important to Israel as Tel Aviv is.
Sharon suggested that Israel would never leave Netzarim -- and then, a short time later, he proposed the evacuation of Netzarim and 20 other Gaza Strip communities (plus four in the West Bank).
According to Yassin, Israel was established to protect the Jewish people from murder and destruction, but if murder and destruction follows the Jews to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and their other cities, the Jewish people will flee back to Europe and America, he predicted.
According to PMW, Yassin's statements have been broadcast frequently, an indication of "how important this political message is to Hamas."
Critics of Sharon's disengagement plan warned at the time that it would send a message of weakness and defeat to Hamas and other terror organizations.
Proponents of the plan believed it would give the Palestinians a trial run of their much-desired independence -- without Israel in the picture. But it didn't happen.
Instead, according to Israeli security estimates, Hamas is training and equipping a veritable army in the Gaza Strip, preparing for the next round of fighting against Israel.