CAMERA Prompts i24 Corrections on Hamas Charter

CAMERA’s Israel office last week prompted correction to two separate i24 News article which incorrectly depicted a new policy documented issued by Hamas in May 2017 as a “new charter” or as revisions to its founding charter.
 
An Agence France Presse article appearing on i24 New’s site Nov. 1 (“Fatah and Hamas: a decade of strained relations) had originally incorrectly reported: “In May 2017, Hamas makes a major revision to its founding charter, easing its stance on Israel after having long called for its destruction.”
 
In May, Hamas issued a new policy document, but did not revise its founding charter. i24 News’ Nov. 1 hyperlink to the phrase “a major revision it [Hamas’] founding charter” is a April 3, 2017 i24 News article which incorrectly refers to the policy document as a “new charter” in both the headline and accompanying text (“New Hamas charter to define ‘enemy’ as Zionists, not Jews“).
 
 
 
Yet, Hamas’ own Mahmoud al-Zahar made clear that the new document does not in any way replace the founding charter of 1988. As Reuters reported:

One of Hamas’s most senior officials said on Wednesday a document published by the Islamist Palestinian group last week was not a substitute for its founding charter, which advocates Israel’s destruction.

Thus, Hamas’ charter, calling for the destruction of Israel, is still very much in effect.
 
Moreover, the May 2017 policy document itself explicitly reaffirms Hamas’ commitment to the liberation of Palestine, “from the river to the sea,” meaning the destruction of Israel. It states:

Hamas believes that no part of the land of Palestine shall be compromised or conceded, irrespective of the causes, the circumstances and the pressures and no matter how long the occupation lasts. Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea. However, without compromising its rejection of the Zionist entity and without relinquishing any Palestinian rights, Hamas considers the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital along the lines of the 4th of June 1967, with the return of the refugees and the displaced to their homes from which they were expelled, to be a formula of national consensus.

As Hamas deputy chief Salah al-Arouri told his Iranian patrons in Tehran in recent days: “We’re not in the stage of recognition; rather we are now in the stage of preparing to eliminate the Zionist entity.” 
 
In response to communication from CAMERA, i24 News editors commendably corrected both articles. Both the headline and the text of the April 3 article have been amended, and they now refer to a new “policy document” instead of a new charter.
 
 
 
In addition, editors commendably appended the following note to the bottom of the article alerting readers to the changes:
 

In addition, editors improved the Nov. 1 article, removing the incorrect claim that Hamas “makes a major revision to its founding charter.” Furthermore, the following note is now appended to that article:

 

 
Other media outlets which have previously corrected erroneous references to a “new” or “revised” Hamas charter include CNN and Newsweek.
 
For additional i24 News corrections prompted by CAMERA, please see here.

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