Does Hamas' Charter Call for the Killing of All Jews?
Whatever one thinks of Hamas, we need to be factually accurate. The original Hamas Charter of 1988, considered the more 'radical' iteration in comparison to the milder 2017 version, does not explicitly advocate for the indiscriminate killing of all Jews. This perception may arise because, at the time, Hamas was unwilling to cede any territory, aiming for the complete elimination of the state of Israel. However, it is crucial to differentiate between the call for the elimination of a state and the advocacy for violence against all individual Jews. Even the elimination of a state does not necessitate a call to commit violence against all of its citizens. A state perishes when its governmental institutions and national recognition dissolves.
One can read the 1988 charter here https://www.palestine-studies.org/sites/default/files/attachments/jps-articles/2538093.pdf. The interchangeable use of “Zionists” and “Jews” makes it clear that Zionist Jews were being referred to. In article 6, it clearly states:
“Therefore, in the shadow of Islam, it is possible for all followers of different religions to live in peace and with security over their person, property, and rights.”
Under Article 31, it explicitly states:
“The Islamic Resistance Movement is a humanistic movement that takes care of human rights and follows the tolerance of Islam with respect to people of other faiths. Never does it attack any of them except those who show enmity toward it or stand in its path to stop the movement or waste its efforts.
In the shadow of Islam it is possible for the followers of the three religions-Islam, Christianity, and Judaism-to live in peace and harmony, and this peace and harmony is possible only under Islam: The history of the past and present is the best written witness for that.”