On October 7, 2023, the terror organization Hamas launched a multi-pronged attack on Israel, killing hundreds and kidnapping dozens.

Hamas is the ruling authority in the Gaza Strip, a parcel of land roughly double the size of Washington, D.C.. The Gaza Strip, sandwiched between Israel and the Mediterranean Sea, is home to some 2.5 million so-called Palestinians, Arabs of various origins that the rest of the Arab world does not want.

War, Terror and Violence

Since its rebirth as a nation in 1948, Israel has contended with near-constant war, terror and violence from Arab Muslims in the region, with hard-core terrorist groups like Hamas taking the bloody lead.

In this latest, carefully planned attack, Hamas terrorists struck Israelis by land, cutting their way through Israel’s border fence, by sea, landing by speed boat, and in a bizarre “snakes on a plane” like twist, by air on paragliders.

Israel Declared War

During the attack, Hamas terrorists purposely targeted civilians, including infants and the elderly, killing many and kidnapping others. In response, Israel has declared war against Hamas, giving it the legal flexibility to do whatever is necessary to protect its citizens.

Thanks to Hamas, the Middle East is now careening towards war, with many wondering why Hamas attacked Israel.

War in 1973

Some point out that this attack came near the anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, and Hamas might be hoping for a return of the “spirit” of that war. In that war, which began on October 6, 1973, two Arab nations, Egypt and Syria, simultaneously attacked Israel from the north and the south hoping to cripple the state or, if possible, eradicate it.

Not the Middle East of the 1970s

But the Middle East of 2023 is not the Middle East of the 1970s, and Hamas likely knows this. Egypt is already trying to play peacemaker and stop the current fighting, and owing to twelve years of civil war, Syria can’t feed its people, let alone make war on Israel.

Others speculate that Hamas has attacked Israel hoping to destroy the nearly-concluded peace deal between Israel and Saudia Arabia. This deal would, in the words of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, “go a long way in ending Arab-Israeli conflict and will encourage other Arab States to normalize their relations with Israel.” In this explanation, we may be getting closer to the truth about Hamas’ motivations. Hamas is a ruthless, satanic terrorist organization, and like all other terrorist organizations, it cannot exist in a state of peace, only finding a “reason for being” where there is blood, pain and suffering.

Hamas is a Jihadist Islamic Organization

There is another reason why Hamas does what it does. Like all terrorist groups that have made our world hell over the past half-century, Hamas is a jihadist Islamic organization. Like other jihadist Islamic organizations, Hamas routinely calls for destroying the Christian West, Jews wherever they might be, and Israel. Because of its jihadist Islamic foundations, Hamas has repeatedly rejected all proposals for peace with Israel, including those recognizing Palestine as a nation.

American Support for Hamas

But support for Hamas throughout the United States is widespread, especially on college campuses and among squads of the Democrat Party.

Why?

First, Hamas has managed a careful PR campaign, blaming Israel anytime Hamas terrorists kill the innocent. Also, Hamas rarely speaks directly to Western media but primarily to Palestinians in long-winded speeches about the “right” to kill Israelis and the duty to “thwart global Zionism.”

Strangely, Western media rarely reports on Hamas’ violent rhetoric. But a little Google-digging reveals that Hamas spends much time and effort stoking hatred of all things Christian, Western, Jewish and Israeli.

Occasionally, an Islamic organization speaks plainly and openly to the West about who they are and their plans for us. The Islamic State, or ISIS, was one such group. 

ISIS’ Involvement

From 2014 to 2016, ISIS published an English-language magazine called Dabiq. Though it only ran for two years, Dabiq was a tightly focused publication with a highly polished production value. It was also flat-out grotesque, with images of beheadings, violence and war unsuitable for anyone with a weak stomach.

But it was important. Why? Because it forced many in the West to see jihadist Islam for what it is: violent, demonic, bent on war and terror.

Additionally, and unlike Hamas of 2023, ISIS used Dabiq to speak directly and plainly to the West, telling anyone who cared to listen what they and other jihadist Islamic organizations had planned for the West and Israel.

For example, in issue 15, the lead article in Dabiq was titled “Why We Hate You and Why We Fight You.” The “You” in the title referred to “us” in the West, and the first paragraph and a half of the article is worth quoting in full, with a few added notes to explain some terms and references:

Shortly following the blessed attack on a sodomite, Crusader nightclub by the mujahid (meaning soldier of Allah) Omar Mateen (who attacked the Florida nightclub on June 12, 2016), American politicians were quick to jump into the spotlight and denounce the shooting, declaring it a hate crime, an act of terrorism, and an act of senseless violence. A hate crime? Yes. Muslims undoubtedly hate liberalist sodomites, as does anyone else with any shred of their fitrah (inborn human nature) still intact. An act of terrorism? Most definitely. Muslims have been commanded to terrorize the disbelieving enemies of Allah. But an act of senseless violence? One would think that the average Westerner, by now, would have abandoned the tired claim that the actions of the mujahidin – who have repeatedly stated their goals, intentions, and motivations – don’t make sense. Unless you truly – and naively – believe that the crimes of the West against Islam and the Muslims, whether insulting the Prophet, burning the Quran, or waging war against the Caliphate, won’t prompt brutal retaliation from the mujahidin, you know full well that the likes of the attacks carried out by Omar Mateen, Larossi Aballa (who killed two French police officers on June 13, 2016), and many others before and after them in revenge for Islam and the Muslims make complete sense. The only thing senseless would be for there to be no violent, fierce retaliation in the first place!

I believe the meaning is clear and speaks for itself. And, as strange as this might sound, I also believe the author when he points out that the intention of jihadist Islamists to kill us is not “senseless” but deliberate and well-planned, just like Hamas’ attack on Israel.

Get Over the Phobia of Being Accused of Islamophobia

It is time to face the fact that jihadist Islamic groups, like Hamas, intend, quite plainly, to terrorize us, maim us and kill us.

It is time for all of us to get over our phobia of being accused of Islamophobia for pointing this out since taking someone at their word is precisely the opposite of phobic.

And it is time for all good men and women in the West to judge Hamas and other jihadist Islamic groups by their actions, if not their words. Once we do, we must call (loudly) for the elimination of Hamas as part of the defeat of jihadist Islam, shrugging off accusations of “intolerance” and “hate.” Remember, it is not Islamophobia if they are really out to get you.

Dr. Jeff Gardner holds an MA in history and a Ph.D. in Communication and Media Studies. For over a decade, he has worked in media, writing and taking photographs for various publications and organizations across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. His work has been featured in numerous national and international publications and broadcasts. He teaches courses in media, culture and government at Regent University. You can reach him at jeffgardner.online.