Hamas and the terrorist threat: The Goldstone Report vs. the factual findings

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Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
Hamas and the terrorist threat The Goldstone
Report vs. the factual findings
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• The structure of the study
• The general description of the ITIC Report
• Historical background
• The use of civilians as human shields
• Hamas combat doctrine
• The military use of public institutions
• Hamas urban battle tactics
• Hamas security services as military-terrorist
  forces
• Statistics of Palestinian casualties

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General description

• Objective To examine how the Goldstone Report
  relates to Hamas and the terrorist threat from
  the Gaza Strip. The study does not deal with the
  military aspects of the Report.
• Methodology The study compares the findings of
  the Goldstone Report with the factual findings on
  the ground as reflected by reliable information.

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• Authors An ITIC team headed by Dr. Reuven
  Erlich (Col. Ret.) with the support of the
  Israeli defense establishment.

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• Methodology of the Goldstone Report
• The objective of the Reports methodology was
  to accuse Israel of war crimes against
  Palestinian civilians.
• The main flaws of the Report are imbalance,
  overt bias in favor of the Hamas narrative, and
  anti-Israel prejudice.
• The Report is tainted by a total lack of
  symmetry in gathering information, relying on
  biased reports supplied by Hamas.

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• Sources
• Intelligence information
• Interrogation of terrorists
• Israeli Air Force video clips
• Aerial photographs
• Seized documents
• Open source videos and information
• Photographs taken by IDF ground forces
• Statements from IDF officers

The full study can be accessed in English on the
ITIC website, terrorism-info.org.il.
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Part One Historical background
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• The Goldstone Report presents a biased analysis
  of the historical background in order to
  undermine the legitimacy of Operation Cast Lead.
  Its main flaws are
• Flaw No. 1 The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is
  presented from a pro-Palestinian and Hamas
  perspective, while the terrorist threat facing
  Israel is minimized.

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• Flaw No. 2 The Goldstone Report ignores Hamas
  terrorist nature. It does not relate to Hamas
• Radical nature.
• Ideology.
• Terrorist strategy.
• Terrorist record.
• Brutality toward its opponents.

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Hamas ideology
Brainwashing kindergarten children with jihad
ideology.
The Hamas Charter, an anti-Semitic document
calling for the destruction of the State of
Israel.
Click for video
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• Flaw No. 3 The Report ignores the firm links
  between Hamas political and military-terrorist
  wings.
• The ITIC study proves that Hamas military,
  political and administrative wings are part of
  one comprehensive organizational system.

Interview with Ahmed al-Jaabari, head of Hamas
military-terrorist wing, in which he admits that
Hamas funds the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
Click for video
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Mahmoud al-Zahar and Sayid Siyam, two Hamas
leaders, at a shooting range with Izz al-Din
al-Qassam Brigades operatives.

• Click for video

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• Flaw No. 4 The Goldstone Report minimizes the
  terrorist threat from the Gaza Strip. The Report
  focuses on rocket fire during the six months
  before Operation Cast Lead, ignoring terrorist
  activities from the Gaza Strip since 2001.
• Flaw No. 5 The Goldstone Report ignores Hamas
  intensive military buildup.
• Flaw No. 6 The Goldstone Report ignores the
  massive amounts of Iranian and Syrian military
  support (the smuggling of weapons, technical
  knowhow, training, financial aid, political and
  propaganda support).

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• Flaw No. 7 The Goldstone Report adopts Hamas
  perspective regarding the events leading to
  Operation Cast Lead. It ignores or minimizes the
  following
• The worsening of the rocket threat throughout
  2008 (more rockets and with extended ranges
  fired).
• Hamas systematic violations of the lull in the
  fighting.
• Hamas unilateral end of the lull (December 18,
  2008) accompanied by a massive rocket attack.

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Conclusions
The Report is totally unbalanced in its analysis
of the historical background, with the aim of
undermining Israels legitimacy in undertaking
Operation Cast Lead.