Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of a Hamas co-founder, expressed his shock and dismay at college protesters whom he sees as “misguided” and “misinformed” about the issues. He believes that these protesters are advocating on behalf of something they do not fully understand and are actually making the situation worse. Yousef, who defected to Israel in 1997 and worked as an undercover agent for a decade before moving to the United States, has criticized Hamas and its actions, calling it a religious movement waging a holy war under the guise of a political party.
Yousef is concerned about the response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, where some have argued that the group’s violent actions were justified in defense of the treatment of the Palestinian people. However, Yousef rejects these claims, stating that Hamas has been using violence as the only method towards achieving their political and religious agendas. He points out that Israel left the Gaza Strip almost 20 years ago, and Hamas has governed with an iron fist during that time. He highlights that the blockade on Gaza was due to Hamas refusing to recognize Israel’s right to exist and not due to race or nationalism.
Yousef emphasizes that there is nothing good or righteous about Hamas as they have adopted killing, destruction, and violence as their only methods. He questions what is good about a group that kills people indiscriminately, including Palestinians, Arabs, Jews, and Americans. Yousef believes that Hamas has been using violence as a strategy from the beginning of their movement and has now crowned it with genocide. He warns against sending the wrong messages to terrorists and advocates for standing firmly against terrorist groups like Hamas.
Yousef spoke alongside Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, who also expressed concerns about protesters “weaponizing” the First Amendment to call for the genocide or mass murder of the Jewish community. Diker believes that lawmakers and government officials, including President Biden, should enforce civil rights laws and hold higher education institutions accountable for codes of conduct. He warns that Jewish students and supporters of the Jewish and democratic state may be in great physical danger on campuses if action is not taken.
Overall, Yousef and Diker are both critical of Hamas and its actions, as well as the response from certain protesters and lawmakers. They stress the importance of standing firmly against terrorism, enforcing laws to protect communities, and holding individuals and institutions accountable for their actions. They believe that sending the wrong messages to terrorist groups like Hamas will only complicate the situation further and advocate for a clear and strong stance against such violence.
