The Muslim Brotherhood advocates for "resistance" against Israel and more support to Hamas until "Islamic land is liberated from the usurping Zionists" in an Arabic language statement released May 8.
The reference to "usurping Zionists," a form of anti-Semitic incitement, is clearly omitted from the Brotherhood's English language statement. The statement was released to congratulate Hamas after electing Ismail Haniyeh to lead the terrorist group's political wing.
Since Hamas is at the forefront of attacking Israel, a translation by the Investigative Project on Terrorism shows that the Brotherhood believes "it is requisite on every free honorable person to support them and provide the means of legitimate resistance to them; until our holy places, and our Arab and Islamic land is liberated from the usurping Zionists (emphasis added)."
This discrepancy is another example demonstrating Muslim Brotherhood doublespeak – communicating freely to their core supporters in Arabic, while watering down language in English to deceive Western audiences.
Both the English and Arabic language statements include a Brotherhood call for "legitimate resistance" – a term Islamists often use to vaguely reference violence and terrorism aimed at destroying the Jewish state.
In praising Haniyeh, the Muslim Brotherhood places the Hamas chief among a long line of Brotherhood leaders.
It encourages Haniyeh "to follow the path of the righteous Salaf (The Prophet Muhammad and his companions). The lives of our great leaders, (Brotherhood founder Hassan) Al-Banna, (ideological luminary Sayyid) Qutb, (Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed) Yassin and (co-founder Abdel Aziz) Rantissi should inspire him with wisdom and sacrifice."
Hamas recently planned to rescind its status as a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in an attempt to alleviate tensions with Egypt. Nevertheless, the terrorist organization refuses to formally sever ties with the Brotherhood.
Hamas refuses to revoke its 1988 charter, which openly advocates for Israel's demise and "confronting the usurpation of Palestine by the Jews through jihad" – resembling anti-Semitic language also used by the Muslim Brotherhood.
It continues to call for Israel's destruction through "armed resistance" in a recently released political document intended to re-brand the terrorist organization as a more moderate group.
"Resistance to the occupation, by all means and methods, is a legitimate right guaranteed by divine laws and international norms and laws, at the heart of which is armed resistance ... Hamas refuses to infringe upon Resistance and its weapons, and emphasizes the right of our people to develop the means of Resistance and its mechanisms," said an IPT translation of the document obtained by Al-Quds news.