Al-Jazirah, Saudi Arabia, January 10
After the American military targeted and eliminated the world’s most wanted terrorist, Qasem Soleimani, the world was divided into two camps: those who sided with truth and justice and commended the assassination of the man who orchestrated the killing of thousands of innocent people in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran; and those who condemned the killing of Soleimani. A prominent voice in the latter group was Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic resistance organization, which lamented Soleimani’s death and described him as one of the strongest supporters of the Palestinian cause. Ironically, Hamas members seem to have forgotten that it was Soleimani himself who ordered the killing of innocent Palestinians in Syria’s Yarmouk camp, as well as in other places in Iraq and Lebanon. While Hamas’ stance elicited some angry responses, it seems to have slipped under the radar of many others. The problem is not with Hamas’ sadness over the killing of one of its largest benefactors, but rather with Hamas’ shameful support of a man who murdered Arabs, in general, and Palestinians, in particular, throughout the Middle East. This must not be erased from the Arab collective memory. Most importantly, Hamas’ response clearly proves that the organization is nothing more than a puppet movement that serves every interest except for the Palestinian one. This is not the first time that the Palestinian movement has shown its true colors. In the past, I did not believe that Hamas would dare support Bashar al-Assad, who killed thousands of Palestinians in Syria – but I was wrong. It has become clear that Hamas is nothing more than a proxy of the regime in Tehran, and its sole goal is to implement the Iranian agenda – even when it contradicts the interests of the people of Gaza. The killing of Soleimani was an important test for the movement, but it unfortunately proved, yet again, that its loyalty lies far away from Palestine. –Ahmed Al-Faraj