Palestinian terrorist group Hamas is ecstatic about passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israel’s settlement policy, and its own incitement to violence.
Hamas issued a statement supporting the resolution Saturday, one day after its passage. The Obama administration abstained from voting on the measure, allowing it to pass. The move infuriated Israeli officials who saw it as an abandonment of the historical U.S. policy of vetoing such resolutions.
“We value the position of states that voted in favor of the resolution and welcome this significant transformation in international positions that support the Palestinian people’s rights,” said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum in a press release.
The terrorist group’s keen support is surprising, given the resolution supposedly also condemns groups like Hamas for engaging in terrorism against Israelis. What’s more, Barhoum goes on to say his group supports further resolutions “backing the Palestinian people’s just cause.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry claimed Wednesday the resolution rightly condemns incitement, but the resolution itself makes no mention of Palestinian incitement specifically. Instead, a majority of the resolution outlines Israel’s alleged transgressions.
Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes assured reporters in a phone call Friday that the administration’s decision to abstain from the vote does not change its long-standing policy of supporting Israel.
“President Obama has done more for Israel and its security than any previous U.S. president,” claimed Rhodes.
Hamas took over governance of the Gaza Strip in a 2007 after the Israelis evacuated the territory the year before. It eventually joined a unity government with the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas.
The Hamas charter explicitly states the group seeks the destruction of the state of Israel. As a result, Israel and Hamas have engaged in three major conflicts since, the most recent of which occurred in 2014. Hamas militants regularly carry out terrorist attacks in Israeli territory to this day.
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