{"id":2177517,"date":"2024-02-15T18:18:01","date_gmt":"2024-02-15T23:18:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/un-official-hamas-not-a-terrorist-organization-its-a-political-movement\/"},"modified":"2024-02-15T18:18:59","modified_gmt":"2024-02-15T23:18:59","slug":"un-official-hamas-not-a-terrorist-organization-its-a-political-movement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/un-official-hamas-not-a-terrorist-organization-its-a-political-movement\/","title":{"rendered":"UN Official: Hamas is a &#8216;Political Movement,&#8217; Not a Terrorist Organization"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fun-official-hamas-not-a-terrorist-organization-its-a-political-movement%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2177517&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Martin Griffiths: Hamas is a \u200bPolitical Movement, Not a Terrorist Group<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">In a recent interview, Martin Griffiths, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, made a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-votes-to-oust-rep-greene-from-two-committees\/\" title=\"House votes to oust Rep. Greene from two committees\">controversial statement<\/a>, insisting that Hamas should be seen as a &#8220;political movement&#8221; rather than a terrorist group.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">When asked about Israel&#8217;s\u200d plans to eliminate Hamas and exclude them from future negotiations regarding Gaza, Griffiths acknowledged \u200bthe difficulty of such a \u2064task. Drawing from \u2062his experience working with various terrorist and insurgent groups, he emphasized the importance of a \u2063negotiated solution that addresses\u2063 the aspirations of these groups. He \u2062also highlighted \u200cthe limited success of military victories against well-established groups.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unsurprisingly, Griffiths&#8217; remarks \u200bsparked \u200coutrage from Israel, with the state&#8217;s official \u200bTwitter account condemning the UN&#8217;s stance on Hamas. They criticized the UN for\u2063 considering Hamas a political organization despite their involvement in acts of violence against civilians.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UNReliefChief?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@UNReliefChief<\/a>,\u2063 Hamas\u200b is not a terrorist organization.<\/p>\n<p>They are a political organization, who from time to time murders, rapes and kidnaps civilians to let off steam.<\/p>\n<p>What an \u200cabomination the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@UN<\/a> has become. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/E6cEFjgMmd\">pic.twitter.com\/E6cEFjgMmd<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Israel \u05d9\u05e9\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1 (@Israel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Israel\/status\/1758050724649247047?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eylon Levy, an\u200d Israeli government spokesman, also criticized Griffiths, accusing him of using his position to protect Hamas instead of demanding their surrender.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Martin Griffiths, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UNReliefChief?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@UNReliefChief<\/a>, denies\u200c Hamas \u200dis a\u2062 terrorist organization. No wonder he is abusing his power to save Hamas&#8217; skin after the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nancy-pelosi-appears-to-flip-flop-on-afghanistan-again\/\" title=\"Nancy Pelosi Appears To Flip-Flop On Afghanistan, Again\">deadliest terror attack<\/a> since 9\/11 instead of demanding its surrender. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0FIA3fmtDU\">pic.twitter.com\/0FIA3fmtDU<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Eylon \u200cLevy (@EylonALevy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EylonALevy\/status\/1758034722481938694?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February\u200d 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">In response to the backlash, Griffiths attempted to clarify his position through a tweet. He acknowledged that Hamas is not \u200cofficially designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations Security Council\u2062 but condemned their acts of terror as horrific and reprehensible.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Just to clarify: Hamas is not on the list \u200cof groups designated as terrorist organizations by the United Nations Security \u200cCouncil.<\/p>\n<p>This doesn&#8217;t make their acts of terror on 7 October any\u200d less horrific and reprehensible, as I&#8217;ve\u2063 been saying all along.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014\u200c Martin Griffiths (@UNReliefChief) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UNReliefChief\/status\/1758177347969106311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Israel&#8217;s\u200d response to Griffiths&#8217; tweet was scathing, accusing him of being a Hamas apologist and\u2063 disrespecting the victims of Hamas&#8217; actions.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Just to clarify: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UNReliefChief?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@UNReliefChief<\/a> you\u2019re a \u2062Hamas apologist\u200b and your statements are an insult to every single victim of October 7th.<\/p>\n<p>Pathetic. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/blfZgLHyzl\">https:\/\/t.co\/blfZgLHyzl<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Israel \u05d9\u05e9\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1 (@Israel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Israel\/status\/1758184040169971911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 15, \u200d2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Despite \u2063the controversy, Griffiths did not provide a detailed explanation for why he \u200breferred to Hamas as a &#8220;political movement.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The German Foreign Office also \u2064weighed in on the matter, contradicting Griffiths&#8217; statement by highlighting \u200dthat \u200dthe European \u2062Union and many others have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">To make it crystal clear: The EU\u200d has listed Hamas as a terrorist\u2062 organization and so have many others.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GermanyDiplo\/status\/1758183400265908286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are the potential implications of acknowledging the political \u2064aspirations \u2063of groups like Hamas in the pursuit of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-nominated-for-nobel-peace-prize-over-israel-uae-peace-deal\/\" title=\"Trump Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize Over Israel-UAE Peace Deal\">lasting peace<\/a>?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Quote class=&#8221;twitter-tweet&#8221; data-width=&#8221;500&#8243; data-dnt=&#8221;true&#8221;><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">To \u2063clarify, I did\u2064 not say that Hamas is not a terrorist organization. They are not officially designated as such by the UN Security Council, but their acts of terror are \u200bindeed horrific and reprehensible. We must work\u2064 towards a peaceful\u2062 resolution for all parties involved. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/U2y2SW6a3o\">pic.twitter.com\/U2y2SW6a3o<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Martin \u200dGriffiths (@UNReliefChief) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UNReliefChief\/status\/1758116360028604622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">While some argue that \u2064Griffiths&#8217; statement undermines \u200cthe victims of Hamas&#8217; attacks and the legitimacy of Israel&#8217;s security concerns, others believe that understanding Hamas\u2064 as a political movement is crucial for seeking a lasting and peaceful solution \u200cto the Israeli-Palestinian\u200c conflict.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is important to note that \u2064the\u2064 classification of Hamas as a terrorist group is not universally\u2063 agreed upon. The European Union, for example, distinguishes between Hamas as a\u200c political\u200c organization and its armed branch. This distinction reflects the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and \u200dthe different perspectives on how to approach it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Griffiths&#8217; statement invites us to critically examine our understanding of \u2062political movements and terrorism. \u200dIt raises questions about the root causes \u2064of terrorism and whether military force alone can effectively combat it. By acknowledging the political aspirations\u2063 of groups \u200dlike \u2063Hamas, Griffiths \u2063suggests that a comprehensive approach that addresses the underlying \u200cissues of \u2064the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may be more effective in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/world-leaders-issue-condemnations-of-hamas-attack-on-israel\/\" title=\"World leaders condemn Hamas attack on Israel.\">achieving lasting peace<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">While\u200d the debate over\u200b the classification of Hamas continues,\u2063 it is imperative that all parties involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict engage in meaningful dialogue and diplomacy to reach a solution. The international community, including the United Nations, can play a \u200cvital role in facilitating this process and\u200b ensuring that the voices and concerns of all stakeholders are heard and addressed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ultimately,\u2063 the aim \u2064should \u2063be to find a solution that guarantees the security and well-being of both Israelis and Palestinians, while respecting the\u200c principles of human \u200brights and international law. By viewing Hamas\u2064 as \u2063a political movement and engaging with them in \u200bnegotiations, it may be possible to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/md-gov-hogan-urges-biden-lawmakers-to-work-together-on-covid-19-relief-legislation\/\" title=\"Md. Gov. Hogan urges Biden, lawmakers to work together on COVID-19 relief legislation\">find common ground<\/a> and ultimately work towards a peaceful resolution\u200b of\u2064 the conflict.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Martin Griffiths, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, views Hamas as a political movement, not a terrorist group. He questions the feasibility of Israel&#8217;s goal to eradicate Hamas and exclude them from future Gaza negotiations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":2177518,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1783472905.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2177517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1783472905.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2177517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/60"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2177517"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2177517\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2177518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2177517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2177517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2177517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}