Hamas Re-Working Its Image to Pressing US to Remove Terror Label

Hamas is trying to re-work its image as a terrorist organization to convince the United States and the European Union remove it from the list of sponsors of terrorism. The campaign comes at the same time that pressure is growing on the EU to add Hizbullah to the list of terrorist organizations.

The Egypt Independent reported that Hamas official Ahmed Youssef said contacts have been made with Qatar, Egypt and Turkey to make the case for Hamas.

However,  he said Hamas will not comply with the demand of the Quartet (United States, European Union, Russia and the United Nations) to recognize Israel.

He also said that missile attacks on Israel were not aimed at civilians but were targeting military bases.

“The armed struggle is guaranteed by international law [the right] to resist occupation ... but Western countries are biased in favor of Israel,” he maintained.

“It is not reasonable for the Western countries to support Islamist regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, and continue to boycott Hamas, which came out of the womb of these Islamist movements, and keep it on the list of terrorism,” Youssef added.