The Poison Tree

[Valin]

Washington Free Beacon:

Column: Islamic State and Hamas are branches of single Islamist threat

Matthew Continetti

October 24, 2014

 

Last month, addressing the U.N. General Assembly, Benjamin Netanyahu made a connection between the Islamic State and Hamas. These terrorist entities, Netanyahu said, have a lot in common. Separated by geography, they nonetheless share ideology and tactics and goals: Islamism, terrorism, the destruction of Israel, and the establishment of a global caliphate.

 

And yet, Netanyahu observed, the very nations now campaigning against the Islamic State treated Hamas like a legitimate combatant during last summer’s Israel-Gaza war. “They evidently don’t understand,” he said, “that ISIS and Hamas are branches of the same poisonous tree.”

 

The State Department dismissed Netanyahu’s metaphor. “Obviously, we’ve designated both as terrorist organizations,” said spokesman Jen Psaki. “But ISIL poses a different threat to Western interests and to the United States.”

 

Psaki was wrong, of course. She’s always wrong. And, after the events of the last 48 hours, there ought not to be any doubt as to just how wrong she was........(Snip)

 

 

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What I don't understand (one of the many many many things I don't understand) is, why so many people apparently don't understand this. Hezbollah, Abu Sayyaf, IS, Hamas, Ansar Dine...all for practical purposes the same. The same roots Hassan al-Banna, Sayyid Qutb, pretty much the same goals....see Tailiban Afghanistan or IS in Raqqa....not really any difference.

 

None are so blind as they who will not see.