Radical Islam & Terror Hijacked the Palestinian Cause... And They’ve Had Help.

The Palestinian cause has long been portrayed as the legitimate struggle of a “hard done by” displaced people seeking statehood and justice. It’s a compelling story, one that’s easy to sell. But peel back the layers, and you’ll find a different narrative, one that is far more focused on destruction of Israel than Palestinian self determination.

From the outset, the Palestinian cause has been weaponized, manipulated, and distorted by groups with their own agenda and little regard for the plight of ordinary Palestinians. First it was the Soviets, then the PLO and other terrorist groups. Today it's Iran and radical Islam.

A Nation is Born

Strangely enough, the concept and creation of a Palestinian national identity was in fact, instigated and created by the Soviets who saw an opportunity to counter wester influence and destabilize the Middle East.  The KGB handpicked an Egyptian and played a key role in elevating him to become the face of the Palestinian struggle. Yes, Yasser Arafat, founder and powerhouse of the PLO was born in Cairo. 

A Lieutenant General in the Romanian secret police, Ion Mihai Pacepa, defected to the United States in 1978. At the time, he was the most senior Soviet asset to have done so. He told the CIA officers in his debrief, that, and I am paraphrasing; “after the failure of Arab armies to defeat Israel, in 1964, the KGB decided to create the PLO pretty much at the same time and in the same vein as they created the National Liberation Army of Bolivia, under “Che” Guevara.”

In the Beginning

According to Pacepa, the original draft of the Palestinian National Covenant/Charter was written not by Ahmad al Shukeiri, the first Chairman of the PLO, rather it was created by the KGB, who then carefully selected the 422 members of the PLO council, who would approved it.

Interestingly, Article 24 of that same covenant clearly stated, “This Organization (PLO) does not exercise any regional sovereignty over the West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, on the Gaza Strip, or the Himmah Area. Its activities will be on the national popular level in the liberational, organizational, political and financial fields.”

Notice that the territories mentioned upon which it “does not exercise any regional sovereignty” are the very same it now claims for the Palestinian State.  The original version was revised in 1968, and article 24 removed. Jordan relinquished its claim to the West Bank in the wake of their defeat and loss of Jerusalem in 1967. Egypt only relinquished its claim to Gaza in 1978, as part of the Camp David Accords, and the peace deal with Israel. 

In 1977 in an interview with the Dutch newspaper, Trouw (Truth), Zuheir Mohsen, leader of the Syrian controlled faction of the PLO, and one time Head of the Military Department of the PLO, stated the following...

“The Palestinian people does not exist … there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians, and Lebanese. Between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese there are no differences. We are all part of one people, the Arab nation. Just for political reasons we carefully underwrite our Palestinian identity. Because it is of national interest for the Arabs to advocate the existence of Palestinians to balance Zionism. Yes, the existence of a separate Palestinian identity exists only for tactical reasons. Once we have acquired all our rights in all of Palestine, we must not delay for a moment the reunification of Jordan and Palestine".

Thus, a nation was born, as was the Palestinian dream of liberation, self determination, and the end of the Zionists. But the PLO was never about state building, or the welfare of ordinary Palestinians. It was all about the destruction of Israel and the killing of Jews. Terrorism became the PLO's weapon of choice, with hijackings, bombings, and assassinations dominating its tactics.

Following another couple of wars, two intifadas, and countless IDF operations to neutralise the terrorist threat, in 1991, the Madrid Conference lay the groundwork for a major peace initiative and the Oslo Accords, where, at least in theory, peace, prosperity, civil society, mutual recognition and the “two state solution” were added to the wish list.

But then, why let the truth get in the way of a good story?

Fast Forward 20 Years or So

It’s now the turn of radical Islamist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), with significant backing from Iran. They have coopted the “struggle”, transforming it into a vehicle for their own extremist goals. Once again, rather than seeking peace and prosperity for the Palestinians (if that was ever a goal), they’ve turned Gaza and Southern Lebanon, not forgetting the West bank, where they hold great influence; into a staging ground for the eradication of Israel and genocide of the Jews, through even more brutal and senseless terror, oppression, exploitation and endless holy war.

A Cause Derailed by Radical Islam

When Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005, there was hope that the territory would develop into a model for Palestinian self-governance, a step toward statehood if you like. Instead, Hamas seized control, well, in the interests of accuracy, was elected by the majority of Gazans. But let’s just say, electoral success went to their heads. Now they were in power, they could show their true nature, killing their political opponents, at least those who didn’t manage to escape the slaughter, and establishing an oppressive Islamic regime over those who had voted for them. "Be careful what you wish for, I suppose.

The Palestinian people were promised liberation. What they got was something else entirely. Hamas does not serve the Palestinian people. It exploits them. It uses them as human shields, hides its weapons in civilian infrastructure, and siphons off billions in aid meant for ordinary Gazans, to fund its military/terror machine. It could have been something totally different, something wonderful. Gaza could have acted as a "proof of concept", as to what a future Palestinian state might look like.

Instead, the people of Gaza have been oppressed, brutalized, exploited and sacrificed, as Hamas pursued its perverted, genocidal agenda.

The story is much the same in Lebanon. Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has turned Lebanon into a failed state. Once a beacon of culture and commerce, Lebanon now serves as a base for Hezbollah’s proxy war with Israel, where ordinary Lebanese pay the price, and suffer the consequences of Iranian occupation via Hezbollah, which today controls half the seats in the Lebanese parliament.

Iran’s hand in this is undeniable. The Islamic regime funds, arms, and controls Hezbollah and Hamas, not to mention the Houthis in Lebanon, and various militias in Iraq and Syria, using them as tools to expand its influence and sow chaos in the region.

It sees Hezbollah as the Jewel in its crown, a central player in the “Axis of Resistance”, as well as a crucial asset and deterrent preventing Israel from attacking its nuclear facilities. For these fanatics, the Palestinian cause, which could and should have been about peace, coexistence and prosperity, is simply a tool to be exploited, and very much a victim of Iran’s broader agenda to dominate the Middle East, lead the Muslim world, and take on the Great Satan, the USA.

The International Community’s Complicity

One of the most troubling aspects of this story is the role of the international community. Instead of calling out Hamas and Hezbollah for what they are, ruthless terrorist organizations bent on the destruction of Israel and the suppression of Palestinians, the world legitimizes them. The United Nations, which should be a neutral arbiter, has become a tainted stage for moral equivocation, delegitimization and demonization, not of the terrorists, but of Israel.

Instead of recognizing the misery and suffering these groups impose upon ordinary Palestinians and Lebanese, in addition to their genocidal intent regarding Israel, the UN turns a blind eye or worse.

The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is a prime example. Originally intended as a temporary solution to provide aid to Palestinian refugees, it has become a permanent fixture that perpetuates refugee status and dependency. It has entrenched a victim mentality and has done little to integrate or uplift Palestinians.

Worse still, UNRWA has been infested with Hamas operatives. Pretty much all its facilities in Gaza have been used for terrorist activities. Some UNRWA staff even participated in the massacre of October 7th. Moreover, in a most cynical and frankly, morally bankrupt move, the UN is attempting to gain immunity from prosecution for these UNWRA employees who took an active part in mass slaughter. Instead of aiding Palestinians, UNRWA has become an integral part of the machinery of terror that guarantees continued suffering for ordinary Palestinians.

In Lebanon the UN force, UNIFIL, was tasked with monitoring and keeping the peace in Southern Lebanon, making sure the terms of the ceasefire agreement and UN resolutions following the Second Lebanon War in 2006 were adhered to. In reality however, for the past twenty years, the multinational force has stood aside, allowing Hezbollah to build its military/terror presence and capabilities south of the Litani river.

It has allowed Hezbollah to place missiles, drones and other weapons in almost every home and civilian building in Southern Lebanon. It has watched the terror group build a vast network of terror tunnels right under its very nose, even adjacent to its own UNIFIL bases. It has “observed” as Hezbollah fired, by now, more than 11,000 rockets and drones into northern Israel, killing men, women and children, while driving more than 60,000 Israelis from their homes.

Yet UNIFIL now has the audacity to claim to be “standing up to Israeli aggression and defending Lebanese civilians” as Israel takes decisive action to end the Hezbollah threat and return safety and security to its people. Perhaps best to change the acronym to UNIFAIL, as they have failed so fantastically in their mission. 

The Dangerous Seduction of Radical Islam

This pattern is not limited to institutions. In cities across Europe and the US, young and perhaps well-intentioned activists take to the streets, convinced they are standing up for human rights. A perverse alliance has been established between the progressive movement and radical Islam. Could there be stranger bedfellows? Their ideologies are diametrically opposed in every aspect but one, their hatred of Israel and contempt for Jews.

In 2006, at UC Berkeley, influential philosopher and authority in gender studies, Judith Butler made a quite incredible, and altogether ridiculous claim regarding Hamas and Hezbollah. When asked whether Hamas and Hezbollah posed a threat to Israel’s existence, this was her response...

“Yes, understanding Hamas, Hezbollah as social movements that are progressive, that are on the Left, that are part of a global Left, is extremely important. That does not stop us from being critical of certain dimensions of both movements. It doesn’t stop those of us who are interested in non-violent politics from raising the question of whether there are other options besides violence.”

Seriously, could there be a more ridiculous claim? Bottom line, these so called, “well-meaning” progressives have been conned, both by the Islamists and sadly by slew of cynical exploitative activists like Butler or Jeremy Corbyn in the UK, who know exactly what they are doing.

They trumpet lies and propaganda to get their “useful idiots” out on the streets and on campuses, waving Palestinian flags chanting slogans such as, “from the river to the sea,” when some, but by no means all, are wholly unaware that this slogan calls for the eradication of Israel. They are force-fed a narrative where Israel is the sole aggressor and Palestinians are perpetual victims.

The ability of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah to gain the support of progressives and well-meaning liberals and present themselves as resistance movements, is nothing short of masterful. They have little interest in the national aspirations of the Palestinian people. Their primary goal is the destruction of Israel, and they will use “any means necessary” (one more favourite chant of the useful idiots) to achieve it, including the brutal repression of their own people.

Oppressing Their Own

Hamas imposed a strict Islamist regime in Gaza, persecuting women, LGBTQ individuals, and religious minorities. Women’s rights have been eroded, with women being subjected to oppressive dress codes, often unable to travel alone or participate fully in public life. LGBTQ individuals are hunted down, tortured and often murdered.

Hamas delight in dragging their bodies through the streets, behind Hamas operatives on motorbikes, just in case Gazans forget who’s in charge and the consequences of dissent. Religious minorities are harassed and driven out. Gaza under Hamas is not a “free Palestine”. It’s a brutal repressive theocracy.

The international community’s refusal to hold Hamas accountable for these atrocities speaks to a broader problem, the racism of low expectations and infantilization of the Palestinian people. The world continues to treat Palestinians as though they are incapable of making their own choices or taking responsibility for their actions and their situation. as though Hamas’s oppression is simply the product of Israeli aggression.

But this is a scandalous and dangerous lie. The people of Gaza are oppressed not by Israel, but by Hamas and its radical Islamist agenda. Yet the world looks away, refusing to confront this uncomfortable and somewhat inconvenient truth.

The Naïve Fantasy of Negotiation

One of the most dangerous ideas promoted by the international community is that Hamas and Hezbollah can be negotiated with. Constant calls for a ceasefire, for talks, for diplomacy, all rest on the assumption that despite all evidence to the contrary, these groups are interested in compromise and peace. That is clearly not the case. Hamas has made it clear that its goal is the destruction of Israel, not coexistence, and it's pretty much the same for Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

Recently deceased leader of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah, famously stated in an open letter in 1985,

“We recognize no treaty with it, no cease fire, and no peace agreements, whether separate or consolidated. We vigorously condemn all plans for negotiation with Israel, and regard all negotiators as enemies, for the reason that such negotiation is nothing but the recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist occupation of Palestine.”

The idea that peace can be brokered with these groups, whose very existence is predicated on the annihilation of Israel and of the Jews, is naïve at best and at worst, reckless, irresponsible and downright dangerous. Was it deemed realistic to negotiate with ISIS, or Al Qaeda?

If the international community truly cared about the Palestinian people, it would demand that Hamas release all hostages, lay down its arms, and allow Gaza to rebuild. It would demand that Hezbollah remove its “fighters” from southern Lebanon and disarm altogether. Failure to make these demands only empowers Hamas, Hezbollah, and their patron Iran. It emboldens their evil and destructive campaigns, and encourages others.

Israel withdrew from both Gaza and Lebanon. In return it has received nothing but more rockets and terror, culminating in the greatest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. Does the world honestly expect Israel, to simply absorb the violence, “suck it up”, and condemn its citizens to perpetual terror and existential threat without response?

The Double Standards and Israel’s Fight for Survival

At the heart of this crisis lies a staggering double standard. The international community has been quick to condemn Israel for defending itself while paying lip service or staying silent on the atrocities committed by Hamas and Hezbollah, not just since October 7th, but for decades.

Israel’s military efforts to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Gaza and Lebanon are met with demands for restraint, while the thousands of rockets fired into Israel are shrugged off or ignored altogether. How is it that for almost a year, the world chose to ignore thousands of rockets and drones fired at Israel from Lebanon? But when Israel finally acted to end the rocket fire and neutralise the threat, only them did the world choose to call for an immediate ceasefire.

The international community has not only lost its moral compass, it seems to have thrown it away altogether. The abhorrent moral equivocation of terrorist action with the defence of its citizens by a democratic sovereign nation, has dangerous consequences. It emboldens terrorists and makes the world a far more dangerous place. Ironically, it weakens the Palestinian cause and ensures the continuation of the conflict.

If the world wants peace in the Middle East, it must start by holding Hamas and Hezbollah accountable. It must stop infantilizing the Palestinians, and it must reject treating Israel’s right to self-defence as a crime.

Radical Islam has hijacked the Palestinian cause, and the international community is complicit. It’s time to stop the charade. The path to peace lies not through appeasement nor naïve diplomacy, but through acknowledging reality, and taking action to neutralise the true enemies of the the Palestinians, and of civilisation.

Israel is at the vanguard of that battle. The international community would be well advised to let Israel win!