by Justine Hemmestad
3-7-24
Hamas-dispersed information, meant to shock the world, is spread through the international media with the goal of playing on the sympathies of the West. But like all deceptions, the truth is hidden beneath the surface of what is shown. A psychological game is at hand…and Hamas has learned what the hot-button issues are in America in order to exploit them. The truth is that, “Hamas’ leadership both inside and outside Gaza steals money from Gazans, who have had to live in bad conditions, in order to build military infrastructure and for private purposes, including to maintain their expensive lifestyles,” said IDF Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, former national security adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Everything seems to come down to money, and Hamas is playing Western sources like a fiddle. Further, the acquisition of funds in the Gaza Strip can be summarized as follows: 1) The Palestinian Authority transfers only 33% of its annual budget to Gaza. 2) Hamas raises hundreds of millions of dollars annually by taxing goods arriving through the Rafah crossing with Egypt and the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel. Hamas also imposes tariffs on contraband entering Gaza via their network of tunnels. Before the October 7 massacre that killed 1200 Israelis, Hamas raised somewhere between $300 million to $400 million through taxation, extortion, border control, and additional ways of controlling the Gaza Strip. 3) Iran has contributed an estimated $250 million every year since 2014. Hamas likely had Iranian backing in their October 7 attack on southern Israel. “Not only did the Hamas attack come straight out of the Hezbollah playbook, but Iran has funded, trained, and armed both Hamas and Hezbollah for decades, investing billions of dollars over time in these groups in support of their terrorist activities,” wrote a speaker at a congressional hearing on terror funding. With Iran’s help, these terrorist groups can bypass sanctions in various ways, including investments, sham charities, virtual currencies, and real estate. As a matter of fact, Iran has spent billions of dollars to arm, train, and fund Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and others to achieve its goal of destabilizing the Middle East in order to be the dominant power. My friend Itamar Ben David of Jerusalem adds that their goal also includes, “promoting Shia Islam all over the region and ultimately the world. Their main obstacle - both ideologically and militarily - is Israel.” 4) Perhaps the most terrifying of all ways Hamas receives its money is through charity. A 2023 investigation by Focus on Western Islamism (FWI), an organization that works to expose Islamist extremism and finances, showed that over $260 million were raised by Hamasaligned charities in the US. Not only has Hamas preyed on people in the Middle East, but in the US as well. Especially in America, Hamas has relied heavily on abuse of charities. Those who give aren’t aware their money is being funneled into a terrorist organization. In its 2018 National Strategy for Combating Terrorist and other Illicit Financing, the Treasury noted that “Hamas, which has historically raised funds in the United States through the creation of sham or fraudulent charities, continues to look to the United States as a venue for revenue generation.” Ben David asserts clearly, “They exploit the western compassion and sensitivity to human rights - and that’s why it [has] embedded itself behind and under civilians.” The aid brought into Gaza even now is being sold to benefit Hamas. 5) Qatar has been transferring tens of millions of dollars in cash monthly to Hamas since 2018. Herein lies Netanyahu’s problem, as it was the policy of his government to allow Qatar to send funds to the Gaza Strip, thinking that it would buy quiet. In return, Qatar enjoyed security, particularly for the royal family (unlike other royal families in the Gulf area). Qatar also enjoyed influence and prestige as a supporter of the Palistinians. 6) Last year, Israel intercepted 16 tons of explosive materials that were headed to Gaza from Turkey. Even with US pressure though, Turkey isn’t likely to end its relationship with Hamas. 7) Besides the lavish lifestyles of its members, Hamas spends its money on terror infrastructure and weaponry. Tim Robinson, co-founder of blockchain research firm Elliptic, says, “Hamas has been one of the more successful users of crypto for the financing of terrorism.” Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has become a terror fortress, interlinked by a network of terror tunnels. Hamas relies on these tunnels, through which they move and/or store weapons, supplies, and launch platforms, all undetected. The Hamas arsenal consisted of approximately 15,000 rockets, including long-range missiles, drones, and many bombs and mortars; and the 30,000 member fighting force of Hamas has been depleted by approximately 13,000 members since the beginning of the war. Yitzhak Gal, an Israeli expert on the Palestinian economy, explains, “When the war stops and normal life resumes, the question will be: will this whole financing system resume or change?” Additionally, “Who will be in charge of providing food, water, and shelter to these refugees - Hamas or another organization, another mechanism?” Ben David says, “Not Israel.”
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