Hamas backtracks on "kill Jews worldwide" - but not on foreign sleeper cells, bomb belt factories or calling to stab Jewish civilians in Israel

Both Hamas and Fathi Hamad himself have distanced themselves from Hamad's remarks on Friday that Hamas was ready to attack all Jews worldwide.

Hamas said:

 These remarks do not reflect the official stances of Hamas and its policy, which state that our struggle is only against the Israeli occupation which occupies our land and desecrates our holy places. Again, our struggle is not with Jews elsewhere or with Judaism as a religion. Hamas has condemned and continues to condemn any attacks against the Jews and their worship houses worldwide. 

Hamad's press release stated:

Professor Fathi Hammad, a member of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, insists on the policy of the movement to limit its resistance against the Zionist occupation, which is raping the land of Palestine and desecrating its sanctities, which is always expressed by Hamas in its political behavior.

Our resistance to this tyrannical entity will continue in all forms, whether armed or through the peaceful popular struggle represented by the great return marches.

It is jihad, victory or martyrdom.

The thing is that Hamad's speech was a bit more than just the threat to worldwide Jews.

Here's the entire transcript from MEMRI:

 "We say to the Zionist enemy that it has exactly one week – until next Friday. If it does not lift the siege by then, and if it does not implement the understandings [with Hamas]... We have many methods and means up our sleeves, and they are just waiting for the green light to powerfully explode in the face of the enemy, Allah willing. They think that we are rational people. Well, we aren't. The people of Gaza are not rational. For 70 years in Gaza, the Zionist enemy tried to change our genes. [Our genes] have not changed. On the contrary, they have progressed even more, and they are ready to blow up in the face of the enemies, Allah willing. You have one week, oh Zionist enemy! If you do not lift the siege... Well, we will not die standing [idly by]. We will not die of starvation. If we die, it will be while we are killing you and cutting off your heads, Allah willing.
[...]
"If you don't lift the siege, we will explode in the faces of our enemies, Allah willing. And the explosion won't just be in Gaza – it will also be in the West Bank and abroad, Allah willing. Our brothers abroad are still preparing. They are warming up... They have been warming up for a year and a half... Oh, you seven million Palestinians abroad, enough warming up! There are Jews everywhere! We must attack every Jew on planet Earth – we must slaughter and kill them, with Allah's help. Enough warming up!
[...]
"And I say to those in the West Bank: How long will you sit in silence? You can buy knives for five shekels! How much is the neck of a Jew worth to us – isn't it worth five shekels, or even less?
[...]
"By Allah, [the Jews] will be killed by our [explosive] belts, Allah willing! There are new factories for [explosive] belts and they are up and running. Anybody who wants one can wait his turn... you can have one, and you, and you... Go!
[...]
"May the mediators and the Zionist enemy hear this message! If we die, we die – but we will die with honor, while attacking, and not while retreating! We will die while exploding and cutting the necks and legs of the Jews! We will lacerate them and tear them to pieces, Allah willing."

Hamas and Hamad did not deny that they have people abroad, "preparing," for a year and a half, to attack foreign sites if asked.

They did not deny calling to kill civilian Jews in Israel and the territories with knives.

They did not deny creating explosive belt factories.

 People will seize on this statement as if Hamas is suddenly moderate. Pundits are so relieved to be able to forget about Hamas again that they aren't even asking these basic questions.

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