Video Reveals that a Lack of Moral Center Is Central to Hamas's War Strategy

After writing two articles in two weeks defending Israel, I thought I was done with the topic for a while. (One piece showed why Hamas is responsible for the current conflict, and the other laid out why Hamas is responsible for the civilian casualties in Gaza.) After all, one glance at my HuffPost author page will reveal that I am interested in a range of issues, not just the Middle East, and, in fact, until last week, I had never written about Israel for the site.

But then a friend sent me a link to this video, and I felt I had no choice but to comment.

The clip shows Hamas urging its citizens, including children, to go to a house to act as "human shields," after Israeli security forces, in an effort to limit civilian casualties, called the owner to inform him that the house was to be bombed.

Anyone who is interested in the Israel-Hamas conflict needs to watch this video. It's sickening.

The whole world is quick to condemn Israel for civilian deaths in Gaza, but there is utter silence over Hamas's blatant disregard for the lives of its own citizens. It is an unfair double standard, which should come as no surprise, since Israel is always held by the world to unfair double standards, asked to endure things (like rocket attacks on its citizens) without reacting that would be asked of no other nation.

But once I got past feeling ill as I watched a terrorist organization herd its population toward the site of a potential bombing, it occurred to me that the video really demonstrated that to support Hamas over Israel, you have to leap through a moral looking glass, where right is wrong and wrong is right.

I say that because the video crystallized something for me: That Israel has a moral center and a sense of right and wrong, while Hamas completely lacks either. Don't agree with me? That's okay, because you know who does? Hamas.

I'll explain. Hamas's recognition that Israel, as a nation, cares about the lives of innocent civilians and has an innate moral code, while Hamas does not, is the center of Hamas's war strategy. Hamas not only directs its population to sites of potential bombings, but it uses traditionally civilian locations, like mosques, schools and hospitals, as sites at which it can store and launch weapons and hide its leaders. For that strategy to work, it involves two basic assumptions by Hamas:

1) The Israelis think it's wrong to bomb traditional civilian areas. If the Israelis were just bloodthirsty war-mongers who didn't care who was harmed in their quests of aggression, it wouldn't matter to them who or what they were bombing. If this was the Israeli mindset, what good would it do to go to the roof of a building to try and prevent an attack? But because Hamas knows that Israel does care about civilian lives, the terrorist group uses the Israeli sense of right and wrong as a weapon, hiding its violent activities behind its civilians.

2) Hamas doesn't have any moral code or respect for civilian lives. After all, to use civilians as human shields, and to conduct military operations from traditionally civilian locations, you have to not care if your citizens are injured or killed. Because if you did care, you would never endanger them by using them as shields or by conducting military operations in their pressence.

If Hamas truly believed that Israel didn't care about harming civilians, or if Hamas actually cared about the safety of its own people, it could not maintain its current war strategy. It would make no sense.

The video also reminded me of some basic differences between Israel and Hamas that show that Israel has a sense of morality that Hamas lacks.

- The goals driving the Israeli action (all Israeli military actions, really) are the safety of its citizens and the preservation of the existence of a sovereign nation. Hamas, on the other hand, has its goal the destruction of Israel, not the safety of its citizens. To paraphrase something New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said during his recent trip to Israel, Hamas should be more concerned with building a Palestinian nation than destroying a neighboring one.

- Hamas's rockets target Israeli civilians (4,500 attacks since 2005), while Israel's intention is to hit Hamas military targets, while going to great lengths to avoid collateral civilian casualties. For crying out loud, what other country makes warning phone calls before an attack? There is no strategic reason to do so. It is only to save lives. Despite Hamas's use of civilians as shields, Israel has managed to carry out its military goals with only a vast minority of the deaths being civilians.

- While Israel was building shelters to protect its civilians, Hamas was building a network of tunnels, many connected to mosques and homes, from which to conduct war, but no shelters for its citizens.

- When Israel detects an incoming Hamas rocket, it urges its citizens to seek cover in shelters. When Israel lets the Palestinians in Gaza know a bomb is coming, Hamas urges its citizens into the line of fire. Hamas is not opposed to using its citizens as propaganda props, getting them killed so that the images can be rushed to the international media in a bid to gain support. When was the last time you saw footage of the Israeli casualties of Hamas's terrorism? You probably haven't, because Israel doesn't rush the images to the media like Hamas does.

Since I don't know if I'll be coming back to the Israel-Hamas issue again in the near future, I wanted to address one tangential issue that demonstrates the moral gap between Israel and Hamas. Hamas represses its own people, especially its women. Human rights groups vigorously fight for the rights of women in places like Afghanistan (and I agree with these protests 100 percent), but nobody seems to care that the same type of subjugation occurs in Gaza. When Hamas leader Nazar Rayyan was killed last week by the Israelis in Gaza, press reports noted that some or all of his four wives were also killed, but there were no comment about this fact. It was treated as if it was not an issue at all. (Of course, Al Jazeera tried to hide that Rayyan had four wives, only saying he died with "14 members of his family.")

If Israel treated women the way Hamas does, and if Ehud Olmert or Ehud Barak had four wives, the international community would be in constant uproar, decrying the violations of the rights of Israeli women (and they would be correct to do so). But Hamas represses Palestinians, especially the women, and what is the international reaction? Dead silence.

I am absolutely amazed that so many people are so quick to defend and support Hamas and rail against Israel, when Hamas shows absolutely no respect for basic moral tenets by which any civilized society should live. How do Hamas supporters sleep at night knowing that the terrorist group has built its entire operation on the premise that Israel respects civilian lives but Hamas does not? I sleep very well as a defender of Israel knowing that a terrorist organization is relying on Israel's sense of basic morals as the underpinning of its violent campaign.

Watch the video again. It may give you nightmares, but it reveals the true nature of Hamas.

Comments

[onlyhere]

THe Video shows people gathering to prevent the bombing of a house, a heroic selfless act against the brutality of a merciless enemy.

What right does Israel have to bomb homes and schools?

Propaganda of the IDF and its minions.

[onlyhere]

Mr.Bard's argument defies logic, the perpetrator of Genocide becomes the moral victim.

A pogrom of 1.5 Million collectively punished people by slow and systematic death lack morality.

No it will not fly this time, we know better, Terrorism, Islamists ....etc. and many other name is a failed attempt to dehumanize the victim.

Israel and its supporters are out of arguments, No more.

[Akin]

Thank you for sharing your comments, Mr. Bard.

Your well-crafted article brings some much-needed perspective on this issue.

[TimSearl]

Mr. Bard chose to write an article defining the conflict in moral terms. I find that argument deeply offensive and deeply inhumane. I believe that moral superiority is dangerous to pretend and will lead to immoral acts. It is particularly dangerous to pretend moral superiority when there is an armed conflict as this will lead to the very worst in human behavior.

In this article Mr. Bard chose his own facts. He writes "Despite Hamas's use of civilians as shields, Israel has managed to carry out its military goals with only a vast minority of the deaths being civilians." You can check with either the UN or the ICRC and they will tell you the truth.

He decided he could attach motives to AlJazeera, when he can not support it factually.

He invents a mythical world where Palestinians could construct bomb shelters for themselves that would withstand Israeli munitions.

And he purports to defend Israel on moral grounds.

[TimSearl]

Thank you. The line is a very very thin line, apparently.

[Michale32086]

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You can check with either the UN or the ICRC and they will tell you the truth.
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Yer kidding, right??

The UN is **THE** most corrupt agency on the planet...

What makes you think THEY are going to tell the truth??

Regardless of that, "truth" isn't the issue here..

The issues here are "facts"...

Michale....

[TimSearl]

Mr. Mitchell Bard. You write, that Israel “Israel has a sense of morality that Hamas lacks" and further you write “When Hamas leader Nazar Rayyan was killed last week by the Israelis in Gaza, press reports noted that some or all of his four wives were also killed, but there were no comment about this fact. It was treated as if it was not an issue at all. (Of course, Al Jazeera tried to hide that Rayyan had four wives, only saying he died with "14 members of his family.")"

So you justify the killing of 15 in order to kill one person, as a moral act.

So would you justify killing 100 people to kill one person?
Would you justify killing 1,000 people to kill one person?
Would you justify killing 10,000 people to kill one person?
Would you justify killing 100,000 people to kill one person?
Would you justify killing 1,000,000 people to kill one person?

They used to argue about how many angels can dance on a pin, and you have apparently argued exactly what? How many can you kill to kill one person. Give us the metric and the moral argument to support the metric.

[Michale32086]

@hennep

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micheal32086,

As what the Israeli were planing to do is against International Law (assination of elected leaders and officials of forgien entities) they are stopping Israel self harming if anything.
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Please cite the International Law that prohibits the assassination of "elected leaders and officials of foreign entities..

Further, I am constrained to point out that HAMAS is NOT made up of "elected leaders"... They are elected REPRESENTATIVES who took control in a bloody coup that resulted in the deaths of over 1500 Palestinians..

Isn't it interesting that ya'all really don't seem to care about the deaths of Palestinians unless it is ISRAEL that is involved??

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said "clear out your family we're going to drop a 2,000lb bunker buster from an F16 on you in so many minitues"
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Considering the love I have for my family, I would clear out...

Who wouldn't???

Besides the ones who hate Israelis more than they love their families, I mean...

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We should ask what does the call say, do they ask the intended victim to stay and be bombed while the others escape?, do they say the estimated blast radius to clear the appropriate area around the target zone?, why phone him and give him time to leave, its a bit self defeating isn't it?.
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Not if the target is not the person, but rather the tons of munitions stored in the basement.

Michale.....

[PublicAdvocate]

The Jews have suffered horribly throughout the ages.
*Christians persecuted/burned them at the stake during the Inquisition
*Russians expelled millions using Pogroms
*The Nazi's exterminated millions of innocents in death camps.

Do historical injustices to Jews give them the right to commit genocide against their neighbors in Palestine and Lebanon for centuries of mistreatment from others and pent up rage?


Israel is an Imposition State founded in 1948 by the USA .The Palestinians have legal ownership of this land and earned in exchange for their cooperation with the British Empire during WWI in fighting and defeating Germany and the Axis powers and dismantling the Ottoman Empire.


Even Israel's founder David Ben Gurion acknowledges that Israel was founded without legal precedent and a theft of property when he spoke to Nahum Goldman:

“There has been anti-Semitism the Nazis Hitler Auschwitz but was that their [the Palestinians] fault? They only see one thing: We have come here and stolen their country. Why should they accept that?”

Historical claims of state ownership or the occupied territory by Israel have no merit or legal standing because God will not appear as witness in a court of law. Anyone can claim that God spoke to them and gave them the world. That does not make it so.
For its own peace/preservation, Israel should legally purchase/relocate to another part of the world (perhaps South America) where it can exist in peace and prosperity without conflict.

[Michale32086]

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Do historical injustices to Jews give them the right to commit genocide against their neighbors in Palestine and Lebanon for centuries of mistreatment from others and pent up rage?
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No... But since Israel isn't doing that, it's a moot point...

As to the rest, the newly formed United States also stole land..

Do you suggest it be returned??

Michale.....

[chaos4700]

Why not? I'd love to see the look on faces of militant Americans like you, whose relatives were probably responsible for committing ethnic cleansing against some of my relatives (not blood relations, but still).

Anyway, that's a moot point. There were no international laws regarding ethnic cleansing and war crimes. There are now. And Israel is culpable to them.

[doriath22]

At the very least, our First Nation people should be paid reparations and see their lawful treaty rights enforced.

[SurrealPumpkin]

So the only choice is Hamas or Israel? I support the right of the Palestinians to exist. I support the right of Israel to exist. Does Hamas making immoral decisions absolve Israel of all moral responsibility?

Does Hussein's treatment of his people justify ours?

[Michale32086]

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Does Hamas making immoral decisions absolve Israel of all moral responsibility?
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Of course not. But most everything Israel has done to date has been within the confines of the GC and the ICC. Granted,it's likely that mistakes have been made and those should be investigated and those guilty should be punished if warranted. As I am sure that they will be..

But the mistakes do not justify castigating the entire campaign..

No one is claiming Israel is perfect... But just because Israel isn't perfect doesn't mean that HAMAS has the moral high ground..

Michale.......

[chaos4700]

The next time you're up before a judge, Michale, do us a favor and legally represent yourself. I'd love to see the transcript from /that/ trial.

[RogHol]

I just read in Haaretz:
'Hamas official says Shalit's fate is no longer group's concern'
They abducted this border guard some years ago by digging a tunnel under the Israeli-Ga­za-border.
They held him as hostage until now.
If words kill, you got them.

[CaptD]

I hope this will be picked up by 60 Minutes!

[Michale32086]

CONT

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Don't you find recitations of history dating back to 1948, discussions of what Hamas has in its charter, or of tactics, or politics,.... simply BESIDE THE POINT in the face of these
Questions?
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No, because as bad as the things that has happened, NOTHING justifies terrorism...

Any legitimacy to their cause that the Palesitinians have (and I'll be the first to admit that they DO have legitimate complaints) is immediately rendered moot by HAMAS' terrorism..

Stop the terrorism and Israel won't have a moral leg to stand on. Obey the rules of warfare, the International Criminal Courts and the Geneva Conventions and Israel would be seen for the monster you seem to think it is...

As long as HAMAS commits terrorism and commits gross violations of the ICC and the GC, then Israel pretty much has a blank check...

I know people like to try and make it more complicated than that. But it really isn't...

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

@TommyMcCarthy

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Watch out! .....I'm going to use some quaint phrases not much in use these days.
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Awww right! I'm ready for 'em!!!

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Threshold questions:
Do you or do you not believe that is is IMMORAL to kill and maim scores of innocent civillians?
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I believe it is immoral to INTENTIONALLY kill and maim scores of innocent civilians... But Israel is not doing that.

My turn...

Do you believe it is immoral to place military weapon systems in urban areas that are crowded with civilians? Do you believe it is immoral to place weapon depots in mosques, schools and such? Do you believe it is immoral to use Human Shields to protect leaders and weapons??

HAMAS has done all of this. Israel has done none of this...

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Is it or is it not simply WRONG to withold medical treatment from mortally wounded children bleeding to death as they cling to the corpses of their parents?
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I believe it is wrong to INTENTIONALLY withhold medical treatment..

CONT

[SurrealPumpkin]

The thing is, Hamas puts its weapons in crowded areas. Israel bombs Hamas. They are intentionally bombing civilians. Does what Hamas does suck? yes. Does that absolve Israel for the responsibility of dropping the bombs? No.

Intentionally withholding medical treatment? Israel has had a stranglehold on the Gaza strip for years.

[Michale32086]

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Does that absolve Israel for the responsibility of dropping the bombs? No.
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Actually, legally, it does absolve Israel of all responsibility...

Morally is subjective and is not absolute.. So, I can see why someone would THINK that Israel is acting immorally.. I simply disagree..

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Intentionally withholding medical treatment? Israel has had a stranglehold on the Gaza strip for years.
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It's not Israel's responsibility to provide medical treatment for Gazans. It's HAMAS'...

Hamas decided that weapons, missiles and other military hardware are more important than food and medicine.

That is also, not Israel's responsibility.

Michale.....

[rcpmac]

Morality is for those without weapons

[BelGazou]

Hamas, much as al Qaeda, is a death cult, albeit Hama's only goal is to destroy Israel whereas al Qaeda puts it's sights on the world. They are both more aligned with Thanatos then "Allah". The worst case scenario would be if they or any similarly minded group came into possession of nuclear weapons from the exceedingly unstable Pakistan. In their zeal to sacrifice both themselves and their own, they want nothing less than to make of the world one vast graveyard.

[JiminNC]

I am 52 years old ... and from all the words, deeds, treaties, handshakes, resolutions and arms expended over that place during my life ... nothing has changed.