{"id":595005,"date":"2023-10-20T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/hold-hamas-and-all-of-its-enablers-accountable\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T11:30:00","slug":"hold-hamas-and-all-of-its-enablers-accountable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/hold-hamas-and-all-of-its-enablers-accountable\/","title":{"rendered":"#Hold Hamas and all of its enablers accountable"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/AP23264024146463-e1696936921237.jpg?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>One of the things I love most about America is its nearly limitless capacity for charity and empathy.\u00a0 Americans are consistently among the world\u2019s most generous donors to those in need or crisis.\u00a0 And particularly now, no one should shy away from sympathy for and support to Gazans. <\/p>\n<p>But one should not confuse sympathy for the destitute or imperiled with support for terrorists.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Especially in times of high emotion, frank-speaking should not be abandoned for fear of hurt feelings. The facts matter now, as much or more than ever: Hamas is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/10\/15\/opinion\/hamas-war-israel-gaza.html\">as responsible for the suffering of Gazans<\/a> as anyone.  <\/p>\n<p>Moreover, no one should be shocked by Israel\u2019s response to Hamas\u2019 Oct. 7 invasion \u2014 least of all Hamas.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, some argue persuasively that the \u201cal-Aqsa Flood\u201d operation against Israel \u2014 which included systematic and savage attacks on Israeli families and hostage-taking, not to mention horrific acts of barbarism against young and old alike \u2014 was deliberately designed and executed to horrify and shock the world. It was designed to elicit an im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>te and ferocious response from Israel.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It was also designed to provoke the world. Only hours after Hamas militia had posted videos of the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/world\/story\/hamas-desert-rave-party-music-festival-south-israel-video-attack-toilets-palestine-war-2448868-2023-10-14\">execution of festival-goers<\/a>, the murder of innocents, and triumphant, gun-waving youth <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KNy8wjt-tkc\">celebrating<\/a> over the unconscious bodies of half-naked girls, Hezbollah and other Iranian satellites threatened to get involved in the conflict if the international community and particularly the U.S. fail to constrain Israel\u2019s response. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Even worse, much of the world has gone along with this nonsense. <\/p>\n<p>Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran not only demand an examination of the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ropriateness of Netanyahu\u2019s every act, but insist through their representatives and proxies that we ignore their own role as instigators of this pogrom as well as their deliberate and continued sacrifice of Gazans. <\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>And because many in the international community believe the only way to peace is through a rule-based order (as we have been taught), media and demonstrators focus almost exclusively on the plight of Palestinians and Israel\u2019s next moves.\u00a0This is a mistake.<\/p>\n<p>It is past time Americans and the West understood that a \u201crule-based order\u201d is not something Iran or Hamas believe in.\u00a0Nor is \u201crestraint\u201d in conflict \u2014 quite the opposite. \u00a0For Hamas the rules of war, \u201cproportionate response,\u201d and the sanctity of civilian life are weapons to be used against others \u2014 in this case, to tie Israel\u2019s hands \u2014 not rules to abide by. <\/p>\n<p>To support its cause, Hamas also engages in outright lies and truth-bending propaganda to blame Israel and others for the very crimes it continues to commit. Sadly, it has yet to be held to account. <\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Instead, Hamas continues to cynically benefit from sympathy for Gazans, even as it is putting those same Gazans in mortal danger by deliberately hiding among them. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>How much respect or concern does Hamas have for people living in Gaza? Here\u2019s a hint: Hamas\u2019s deputy chairman outrageously released a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.memri.org\/tv\/saleh-arouri-dep-chair-hamas-politburo-not-target-cvilians\">statement<\/a> claiming that \u201cordinary\u201d Palestinians \u2014 not Hamas \u2014 were the ones responsible for the killing of civilians and hostage-taking on Oct. 7. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And Hamas\u2019 strategy appears to be working. Has anyone publicly asked Hamas whether, having made the decision to attack Israeli civilian enclaves, it undertook preparations to ensure that its people (not just its leadership and those not happily ensconced in Qatar) would be prepared for Israel\u2019s retaliation by storing water, food, or energy for its populace?\u00a0Did the organization putatively in charge of Gaza prepare routes to safety or medical care?\u00a0 <\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Where are the calls for Hamas to account for its apparent lack of preparation for Gazans\u2019 predictable needs in the aftermath of its attack \u2014 particularly given its demands that civilians remain in place? <\/p>\n<p>What about the international aid received by Gaza and the huge sums apparently spent on weaponry while this operation was presumably being planned?\u00a0Are Israel and the rest of the world supposed to be more responsible for the post-offensive needs of Gazans than Gaza\u2019s own leadership? \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To be clear, all those who commit atrocities should be held to account \u2014 including the perpetrator of the recent bombing of the hospital in Gaza \u2014 regardless of what side they are on.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>But has anyone had the stomach to say to Iran, Hamas, and their apologists that, as a practical matter understood by belligerents for millennia, he who starts a conflict cannot dictate how his adversary will respond? \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Is the so-called government of Gaza, as instigator, not at least as responsible for putting its citizens in danger as the Israelis are?\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>Is it possible to imagine a discussion centered on whether, having initiated innumerable violations of the laws of war, the leadership in Gaza has a right to expect anything less from Israel? \u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Finally, while attempting to minimize the impact of the conflict on innocents and its broadening into a regional conflagration, Americans should not allow their government to stray into self-delusion on the potential strategic implications of the war.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>Why are U.S. officials contorting themselves into pretzels to claim there is no evidence of Iran\u2019s \u201cdirect involvement,\u201d when one need only look at the Iranian regime-linked Kayhan <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>paper, which <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/world\/irans-arch-terrorist-architect-hamas-massacre-1300-people-report\">claimed<\/a> that former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani had designed the recent \u201cal Aqsa Flood\u201d operation before this death, in hopes that an \u201cunprecedented\u201d land-air-maritime attack would extinguish Israel? \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The paper, whose leadership is appointed by the Supreme Leader himself, is understood to be a voice for the IRGC. It also claimed the offensive is just part of the \u201cimminent conquest\u201d of Israel that was promised last year. It boasts that the operation included first-time planning and coordination among various \u201cresistance factions\u201d aligned with Iran and will have strategic implications for the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Even if\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/middle-east\/iran-israel-hamas-strike-planning-bbe07b25\">reports<\/a>\u00a0that Iran assisted in the incursion or gave its final go-ahead turn out to be inaccurate or simply Iranian bluster, Iran\u2019s long-term support for Hamas in\u00a0its goal to destroy Israel makes it complicit. Hamas\u00a0has <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national-security\/2023\/10\/09\/iran-support-hamas-training-weapons-israel\/\">benefitted<\/a>\u00a0from Iranian military training, logistical help, and tens of millions of dollars in weaponry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2019s decades of support to its terrorist proxies matter. It\u2019s time to drop the charade and hold the Islamic Republic accountable for the crimes of Hamas and other terrorists.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>Mary Beth Long is former assistant secretary for international security affairs at the Department of Defense and chair of NATO\u2019s High Level Group, as well as a former CIA case officer. She is founder of Askari Associates LLC<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/opinion\/national-security\/4265180-hold-hamas-and-all-of-its-enablers-accountable\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the things I love most about America is its nearly limitless capacity for charity and empathy.\u00a0 Americans are consistently among the world\u2019s most generous donors to those in need or crisis.\u00a0 And particularly now, no one should shy away from sympathy for and support to Gazans. But one should not confuse sympathy for&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":595006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/AP23264024146463-e1696936921237.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[134343,10574,134661,145420,103820,90482,124783,2184,134351,71525],"class_list":["post-595005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-campaign","tag-education","tag-energy-environment","tag-gaza","tag-hamas","tag-house","tag-international","tag-israel","tag-morning-report","tag-national-security"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=595005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595005\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/595006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=595005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=595005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=595005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}