Forbes.com, the online edition of Forbes magazine, describes itself as being "among the most trusted resources for the world's business and investment leaders." But the magazine's June 17th online commentary, written by radical, anti-Israel professor Ian Lustick, was based in an alternate reality, so counterfactual and bizarre as to raise serious questions about the general editorial judgement at Forbes.
In his column, entitled "Israel Could Benefit From Hamas," Lustick redraws the nature of Israel's battle with Hamas from an existential one threatening the Jewish state to a religious battle against Islam. He turns truth on its head, whitewashing the terrorist Hamas regime as a peace-seeking organization which a jihadist Israel seeks to destroy.
Lustick dismisses as Israeli "propaganda" the characterization of Hamas as a terrorist organization akin to Al Qaida, despite its designation as such by most of the Western world, including the U.S., Canada, Japan, the U.K., Australia, and the European Union. Although Hamas and Al Qaida similarly exemplify the definition of "terrorist" by targeting civilians in order to terrorize nations, Lustick apparently does not view terrorist attacks in the same light when their civilian victims are inside Israel. Explaining why he differentiates Hamas from Al Qaida, a group whose "terrorist" designation he evidently accepts, Lustick writes:
Hamas is not Al Qaida. Hamas has never carried out violent attacks outside of historical Palestine.
Lustick goes on to describe Hamas as an organization seeking peaceful, competitive coexistence with the Jewish state:
In a variety of Sunni Arab countries the Muslim Brothers and affiliated groups (Hamas is in this category) have agreed to compete peacefully in the social, cultural and ideological spheres while foregoing direct military or political attacks on the secular governments. In effect Hamas has offered Israel the equivalent – a generation long "hudna" (armistice) during which a Muslim Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza would exist alongside of a Jewish State in Israel. (Emphasis added)
Of course, this is false. Contrary to Lustick's idealized version of events, there was never any genuine offer by Hamas to "exist alongside a Jewish state in Israel" for "a generation."
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http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_print=1&x_context=2&x_outlet=232&x_article=1886