In a new Hamas pre-election video, the terror organization again declares that it will not give up its armed struggle until Israel is destroyed. The Hamas message likewise celebrates its love of death as superior to Israel’s love of life. It also expresses support for those Israeli Arabs that wish to destroy Israel “from within.” Hamas looks forward to a day when their flag will fly over not only Jerusalem, but over all Israeli cities, including Acre and Haifa.

The Hamas election video calling for Israel’s destruction

The release of the new video on the Hamas website, reiterating its goal of destroying Israel, coincides with two polls this week showing Hamas turning into a major political force, with between 32% - 45% of Palestinians saying they will vote for Hamas in January’s parliamentary elections. What are the implications for peace, should nearly 50% of the Palestinian Authority parliament be open supporters of Israel’s destruction?

It will be interesting to see if the continuing Hamas election campaign calling for Israel’s destruction will prompt a change in United States or European Union policy. Presently the US State Department has made clear that while it continues to transfer hundreds of millions of dollars of support to the PA, it will make no demands on it to prevent the Hamas from participating in the upcoming elections. The EU and United Nations have also agreed that Hamas can participate in the elections.

The following are the words on the new Hamas video:

"We succeeded, with Allah's grace, to raise an ideological generation that loves death like our enemies love life. We will not abandon the way of Jihad and Shahada [Martyrdom] as long as one inch of our holy land is in the hands of the Jews.

"Congratulations to our people of 1948 [Israeli Arabs] on the liberation of Gaza. You wish to destroy them [the Israelis] from their interior. We will never forget you, and never leave you. A day will come when our flag will fly above all the quarters of our land. Our flag will fly on the minarets of Jerusalem, and the walls of Acre, and the quarters of Haifa".
[Hamas website, December 12, 2005]