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Propaganda of Victimhood: How Hamas Manipulates Global Sympathy
A Palestinian Hamas terrorist shakes hands with a child as they stand guard as people gather on the day of the handover of Israeli hostages, as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
Hamas has mastered the art of shaping Western public opinion to carry out its war against Israel.
A prime example is the BBC’s recent documentary from Gaza, narrated by the son of a Hamas commander, which was recently pulled from the BBC’s platforms and has prompted an investigation by UK counterterrorism police amid allegations that the corporation made indirect payments to the proscribed terrorist organization in breach of UK law.
Hamas Lectures on Morality — Seriously?
Last week brought yet another example of Hamas’ PR campaign strategy. Major news outlets — including NPR, BBC, and The Guardian — uncritically quoted Hamas press releases regarding the halt of humanitarian aid. They presented these statements as if they came from a legitimate government genuinely concerned for civilian lives, rather than from a genocidal terrorist group that has used civilians as human shields for years.
Consider Hamas’ statement by Osama Hamdan, Hamas’s senior official:
Netanyahu’s decision to stop humanitarian aid is cheap blackmail, a war crime, and a blatant coup against the agreement. The mediators and the international community must move to pressure the occupation and stop its punitive and immoral measures against more than two million people in the Gaza Strip.
Then there’s The Guardian, amplifying Hamas’ call for the world to pressure Israel to open the crossings for “life-saving humanitarian aid.”
The headlines from the Reuters World News daily podcast:
– Israel blocks aid into Gaza as ceasefire standoff escalates
– Andrew Cuomo running for New York City mayor after resigning governor post https://t.co/O5qwn6uX3N pic.twitter.com/KMhN00xB4p— Reuters (@Reuters) March 3, 2025
Pause for a moment.
Hamas — an organization that has kept hostages in inhumane conditions for over 500 days — is accusing Israel of “cheap blackmail.” Hamas, responsible for torturing and executing both Israelis and Palestinians, and whose October 7 atrocities have been described as worse than the Nazis’, now claims Israel is engaging in “immoral measures.”
Hamas — a designated terrorist organization by the US, EU, and numerous other nations — is calling on the “international community” to intervene on its behalf.
Still unsure about Hamas’ broader goals? Here’s a passage straight from ISIS’s Dabiq magazine, which clarifies the ideology shared by Islamist groups:
Just as your disbelief is the primary reason we hate you, your disbelief is the primary reason we fight you… We have been commanded to fight the disbelievers until they submit to the authority of Islam, either by becoming Muslims or by paying jizyah—and living in humiliation under the rule of the Muslims.
Famine with the Feasts?
Hamas’ latest attempt to manipulate global sympathy has emerged amidst the announcement by Israel to suspend humanitarian aid to Gaza until all the hostages are released. The storyline in most media reports is predictable: Gaza is on the brink of famine, and if Israel halts aid, starvation will be imminent.
What’s missing from the coverage?
The fact that claims of mass starvation — debunked by researchers — predated Israel’s decision to condition aid on hostage releases. Also missing is the fact that Israeli officials report that recent humanitarian aid deliveries have been enough to sustain Gaza’s population for months.
Journalists are, of course, free to question Israeli sources. But ignoring this information entirely? That’s not journalism.
Meanwhile, images from recent Ramadan celebrations in Gaza stand in stark contrast to media claims of imminent famine.
Photographs of long tables laden with food — including fresh vegetables — circulated widely, even as reports framed Gaza as teetering on the edge of starvation. Somehow, on the same day, media outlets managed to push two contradictory yet equally pro-Hamas narratives: that famine is looming due to Israeli aid restrictions, and that Gazans are gathering for Ramadan feasts despite the destruction around them.
Despite the headlines, there was never actually a famine in Gaza. Aid is stockpiled, markets are full, and bakeries are open. The real crisis? Hamas steals, controls, and profits from the aid.
Don’t fall for the media’s narrative—see the proof for yourself. pic.twitter.com/j3dgy3xYAg
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) March 4, 2025
Many outlets quoted Fatima Barbakh, a woman from Khan Younis, lamenting that she could only afford the essentials this year and couldn’t buy Ramadan decorations.
The New York Times similarly reported from Gaza: “Many goods—like frozen chicken and cooking gas—are now in shops and street markets, although others, like chocolate, are still scarce.”
While these accounts naturally evoke sympathy for those enduring war, they hardly depict a population on the brink of starvation.
Price Spikes — What Would a Responsible Government Do?
It’s true that following Israel’s announcement, food prices in Gaza have surged. The real question is: what would a responsible government do in such a crisis?
A government that genuinely prioritizes its people’s well-being might do any of the following:
- Secure aid by releasing hostages.
- Stockpile food.
- Regulate prices to prevent exploitation.
Hamas has done none of these. Instead, reports indicate its operatives loot aid shipments and use Gazans’ suffering as leverage for international concessions.
Geneva Conventions and the Reality in Gaza
The Fourth Geneva Convention (Article 55) requires an occupying power to ensure basic provisions for civilians. But Gaza is not a conventional warzone, and the Geneva Conventions were not written with groups like Hamas in mind.
Historically, civilian and military populations were distinct. That distinction collapses in Gaza, where Hamas deliberately blurs the lines. Civilians do not hide hostages. Civilians do not take selfies with the bodies of murdered men, women, and children. Civilians do not cheer as terrorists parade kidnapped children through the streets.
Even the Nazis wore uniforms. Hamas embeds itself within civilian areas precisely to make these distinctions impossible.
Are there Gazans who don’t support Hamas? Certainly. But all available data suggests they are the minority. The prevailing reality is that civilians are indistinguishable from those who celebrate terror, carry weapons, and shelter hostages in their homes. And the media’s willful blindness to this fact isn’t journalism — it’s complicity.
The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
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Colorado Attack Suspect Charged with Assault, Use of Explosives
FILE PHOTO: Boulder attack suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman poses for a jail booking photograph after his arrest in Boulder, Colorado, U.S. June 2, 2025. Photo: Boulder Police Department/Handout via REUTERS
A suspect in an attack on a pro-Israeli rally in Colorado that injured eight people was being held on Monday on an array of charges, including assault and the use of explosives, in lieu of a $10-million bail, according to Boulder County records.
The posted list of felony charges against suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, in the attack on Sunday also includes charges of murder in the first degree, although police in the city of Boulder have said on social media that no victims died in the attack. Authorities could not be reached immediately to clarify.
Witnesses reported the suspect used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd. He was heard to yell “Free Palestine” during the attack, according to the FBI, in what the agency called a “targeted terror attack.”
Four women and four men between 52 and 88 years of age were transported to hospitals after the attack, Boulder Police said.
The attack took place on the Pearl Street Mall, a popular pedestrian shopping district near the University of Colorado, during an event organized by Run for Their Lives, an organization devoted to drawing attention to the hostages seized in the aftermath of Hamas’ 2023 attack on Israel.
Rabbi Yisroel Wilhelm, the Chabad director at the University of Colorado, Boulder, told CBS Colorado that the 88-year-old victim was a Holocaust refugee who fled Europe.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Soliman had entered the country in August 2022 on a tourist visa that expired in February 2023. He filed for asylum in September 2022. “The suspect, Mohamed Soliman, is illegally in our country,” the spokesperson said.
The FBI raided and searched Soliman’s home in El Paso County, Colorado, the agency said on social media. “As this is an ongoing investigation, no additional information is available at this time.”
The attack in Boulder was the latest act of violence aimed at Jewish Americans linked to outrage over Israel’s escalating military offensive in Gaza. It followed the fatal shooting of two Israel Embassy aides that took place outside Washington’s Capital Jewish Museum last month.
Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, said after the shooting there was a question of how far security perimeters outside Jewish institutions should extend.
Boulder Police said they would hold a press conference later on Monday to discuss details of the Colorado attack.
The Denver office of the FBI, which is handling the case, did not immediately respond to emails or phone calls seeking clarification on the homicide charges or other details in the case.
Officials from the Boulder County Jail, Boulder Police and Boulder County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to inquiries.
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Iran Poised to Dismiss US Nuclear Proposal, Iranian Diplomat Says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS
Iran is poised to reject a US proposal to end a decades-old nuclear dispute, an Iranian diplomat said on Monday, dismissing it as a “non-starter” that fails to address Tehran’s interests or soften Washington’s stance on uranium enrichment.
“Iran is drafting a negative response to the US proposal, which could be interpreted as a rejection of the US offer,” the senior diplomat, who is close to Iran’s negotiating team, told Reuters.
The US proposal for a new nuclear deal was presented to Iran on Saturday by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, who was on a short visit to Tehran and has been mediating talks between Tehran and Washington.
After five rounds of discussions between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, several obstacles remain.
Among them are Iran’s rejection of a US demand that it commit to scrapping uranium enrichment and its refusal to ship abroad its entire existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium – possible raw material for nuclear bombs.
Tehran says it wants to master nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and has long denied accusations by Western powers that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
“In this proposal, the US stance on enrichment on Iranian soil remains unchanged, and there is no clear explanation regarding the lifting of sanctions,” said the diplomat, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Araqchi said Tehran would formally respond to the proposal soon.
Tehran demands the immediate removal of all US-imposed curbs that impair its oil-based economy. But the US says nuclear-related sanctions should be removed in phases.
Dozens of institutions vital to Iran’s economy, including its central bank and national oil company, have been blacklisted since 2018 for, according to Washington, “supporting terrorism or weapons proliferation.”
Trump’s revival of “maximum pressure” against Tehran since his return to the White House in January has included tightening sanctions and threatening to bomb Iran if the negotiations yield no deal.
During his first term in 2018, Trump ditched Tehran’s 2015 nuclear pact with six powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy. Iran responded by escalating enrichment far beyond the pact’s limits.
Under the deal, Iran had until 2018 curbed its sensitive nuclear work in return for relief from US, EU and U.N. economic sanctions.
The diplomat said the assessment of “Iran’s nuclear negotiations committee,” under the supervision of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was that the US proposal was “completely one-sided” and could not serve Tehran’s interests.
Therefore, the diplomat said, Tehran considers this proposal a “non-starter” and believes it unilaterally attempts to impose a “bad deal” on Iran through excessive demands.
NUCLEAR STANDOFF RAISES MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS
The stakes are high for both sides. Trump wants to curtail Tehran’s potential to produce a nuclear weapon that could trigger a regional nuclear arms race and perhaps threaten Israel. Iran’s clerical establishment, for its part, wants to be rid of the devastating sanctions.
Iran says it is ready to accept some limits on enrichment, but needs watertight guarantees that Washington would not renege on a future nuclear accord.
Two Iranian officials told Reuters last week that Iran could pause uranium enrichment if the US released frozen Iranian funds and recognized Tehran’s right to refine uranium for civilian use under a “political deal” that could lead to a broader nuclear accord.
Iran’s arch-foe Israel sees Iran’s nuclear program as an existential threat and says it would never allow Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons.
Araqchi, in a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo, said: “I do not think Israel will commit such a mistake as to attack Iran.”
Tehran’s regional influence has meanwhile been diminished by military setbacks suffered by its forces and those of its allies in the Shi’ite-dominated “Axis of Resistance,” which include Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iraqi militias.
In April, Saudi Arabia’s defence minister delivered a blunt message to Iranian officials to take Trump’s offer of a new deal seriously as a way to avoid the risk of war with Israel.
The post Iran Poised to Dismiss US Nuclear Proposal, Iranian Diplomat Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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The Islamist Crescent: A New Syrian Danger
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/Pool
The dramatic fall of the Assad regime in Syria has undeniably reshaped the Middle East, yet the emerging power dynamics, particularly the alignment between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, warrant profound scrutiny from those committed to American and Israeli security. While superficially presented as a united front against Iranian influence, this new Sunni axis carries a dangerous undercurrent of Islamism and regional ambition that could ultimately undermine, rather than serve, the long-term interests of Washington and Jerusalem.
For too long, Syria under Bashar al-Assad served as a critical conduit for Iran’s destabilizing agenda, facilitating arms transfers to Hezbollah and projecting Tehran’s power across the Levant. The removal of this linchpin is, on the surface, a strategic victory. However, the nature of the new Syrian government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa — a figure Israeli officials continue to view with deep suspicion due to his past as a former Al-Qaeda-linked commander — raises immediate red flags. This is not merely a change of guard; it is a shift that introduces a new set of complex challenges, particularly given Turkey’s historical support for the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization deemed a terror group by Saudi Arabia and many other regional states.
Israel’s strategic calculus in Syria has always been clear: to degrade Iran’s military presence, prevent Hezbollah from acquiring advanced weaponry, and maintain operational freedom in Syrian airspace. Crucially, Israel has historically thought it best to have a decentralized, weak, and fragmented Syria, with reports that it has actively worked against the resurgence of a robust central authority. This preference stems from a pragmatic understanding that a strong, unified Syria, especially one under the tutelage of an ambitious regional power like Turkey, could pose much more of a threat than the Assad regime ever did. Indeed, Israeli defense officials privately express concern at Turkey’s assertive moves, accusing Ankara of attempting to transform post-war Syria into a Turkish protectorate under Islamist tutelage. This concern is not unfounded; Turkey’s ambitious, arguably expansionist, objectives — and its perceived undue dominance in Arab lands — are viewed by Israel as warily as Iran’s previous influence.
The notion that an “Ottoman Crescent” is now replacing the “Shiite Crescent” should not be celebrated as a net positive. While it may diminish Iranian power, it introduces a new form of regional hegemony, one driven by an ideology that has historically been antithetical to Western values and stability. The European Union’s recent imposition of sanctions on Turkish-backed Syrian army commanders for human rights abuses, including arbitrary killings and torture, further underscores the problematic nature of some elements within this new Syrian landscape. The fact that al-Sharaa has allowed such individuals to operate with impunity and even promoted them to high-ranking positions should give Washington pause.
From an American perspective, while the Trump administration has pragmatically engaged with the new Syrian government, lifting sanctions and urging normalization with Israel, this engagement must be tempered with extreme caution. The core American interests in the Middle East — counterterrorism, containment of Iran, and regional stability — are not served by empowering Islamist-leaning factions or by enabling a regional power, like Turkey, whose actions have sometimes undermined the broader fight against ISIS. Washington must demand that Damascus demonstrate a genuine commitment to taking over the counter-ISIS mission and managing detention facilities, and unequivocally insist that Turkey cease actions that risk an ISIS resurgence.
The argument that Saudi Arabia and Turkey, despite their own complex internal dynamics, are simply pragmatic actors countering Iran overlooks the ideological underpinnings that concern many conservatives. Turkey’s ruling party, rooted in political Islam, and its historical ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, present a fundamental challenge to the vision of a stable, secular, and pro-Western Middle East. While Saudi Arabia has designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, its alignment with Turkey in Syria, and its own internal human rights record, means that this “new front” is far from a clean solution.
The Saudi-Turkey alignment in Syria is a double-edged sword. While it may indeed serve to counter Iran’s immediate regional ambitions, it simultaneously risks empowering actors whose long-term objectives and ideological leanings are deeply problematic for American, Israeli, and Western interests. Washington and Jerusalem must approach this new dynamic with extreme vigilance, prioritizing the containment of all forms of radicalism — whether Shiite or Sunni — and ensuring that any strategic gains against Iran do not inadvertently pave the way for a new, equally dangerous, Islamist crescent to rise in the heart of the Levant.
Amine Ayoub, a fellow at the Middle East Forum, is a policy analyst and writer based in Morocco. Follow him on X: @amineayoubx
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