Why Have American Taxpayers Supported Hamas Trainers?

April 11, 2014 4:04 pm 16 comments

Youth training at the Al-Futuwa program. Photo: Paldf.net.

Should American taxpayers be funding an organization that has provided activist training to an illegal terrorist group?

This is not an abstract question. It has happened.

In a recent report, NGO Monitor revealed that the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a non-profit funded largely by the U.S. Congress (i.e. American taxpayers), gave approximately $232,000 to the Holy Land Trust (HLT) between 2006 and 2012.  A search of NED’s website confirms that it has given multiple grants to the organization.

HLT is a Bethlehem-based “peacemaking” organization whose leader, Sami Awad, has stated publicly that his organization has given training in non-violence to Hamas and other militant groups in Palestinian society.

He did it in a speech he gave at the National Leadership Conference for the Vinyard Church in Galveston, Texas in 2009. “[W]e’ve actually done training in non-violence for Hamas leaders and other militant groups as well,” he told the audience.

At the Christ at the Checkpoint Conference held in Bethlehem in 2012, Colin Chapman, an expert on Islam praised Awad for his willingness to speak with Islamists and to form genuine “face-to-face” relationships with them.

“Sami Awad has, for several years, been working with people in Hamas exploring with them a genuinely Islamic basis for non-violence, peacemaking and reconciliation,” Chapman said.

While some people might praise Awad for speaking words of peace to Hamas, there is little, if any evidence that his words have had much of an impact on the organization, which was designated a “foreign terrorist organization” in 1997. It still remains committed to Israel’s destruction and has engaged in numerous attacks against Israel.

Clearly, Awad’s activism has a strong ecumenical component. In the 2009 speech to Vineyard Church leaders he said, “Any community that asks us, we’re there to serve.” Still, Hamas is a bit much.

A line has to be drawn somewhere.

Hamas is on the other side of that line.

It’s pretty irresponsible and naïve for Awad to teach the language of peacemaking to totalitarian fascist organizations such as Hamas. Such training can easily be repurposed by Hamas leaders so as to make its messaging more effective to Westerners. Awad himself seems to understand this. In 2008 he told Michael Lerner, “Hamas is not denouncing nonviolence. There are Hamas people who see nonviolence as a useful tool.”

Why would Hamas see nonviolence as a useful tool?

Simple.

It’s not just acts of terror that makes groups like Hamas effective, but the story they tell to justify and frame this violence. And Awad’s Holy Land Trust, has given Hamas and other militant groups expertise in framing their acts of terror for Western audiences.

As I have written elsewhere, “Awad’s group, the Holy Land Trust, has taught Hamas and other militant groups that seek Israel’s destruction how to speak the language of peace activists in the West and appeal to the conscience of human rights activists in the U.S. and Europe.”

In addition to being irresponsible, it may also be illegal. Federal law prohibits providing terrorist organizations with material support, which according to the statute includes “training” and “expert advice.” That seems to describe what HLT has, by Awad’s admission, provided to Hamas and other militant groups.

Why has the National Endowment for Democracy given money provided by American Taxpayers to the Holy Land Trust, an organization whose leader has admitted to and been praised for interacting with – and giving training to – Hamas?

Just what type of oversight has the National Endowment for Democracy exercised over the Holy Land Trust?

And what type of oversight has Congress exercised over the NED?

What is going on here?

Dexter Van Zile is Christian Media Analyst for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA).

16 Comments

  • “Blessed are the peace makers” One reason they are blessed is because they have to deal with people who refuse to see the other. Jesus spoke to those who considered him their enemy.Pointing a finger with righteous indignation at an act or actor whose moral dimensions seem blindingly straight forward from a distance away always feels good. It allows me to tell myself that I am calling out injustice, an evil: doing as I imagine Jesus would have done. As the disciples must surely have known, it feels good to be part of a movement – especially a movement in which the opposition seems sinister and even demonic – and to define ourselves by this work. Both sides in Israel and Palestine have good people who want peace. But more significantly, your way of thinking is dangerous because it drains us of hope and suffocates our capacity to stand alongside both friends and enemies as they work toward peace. Only a movement like Holy Land Trust that refuses to see others as enemies is a movement that can remain filled with hope and bring hope to the world. As Israelis and Palestinians have show us, in both good times and bad, they will ultimately be the ones who determine how and when peace comes. Until then, it is our role to support both and to support reconciliation whenever and however we can. Happy Easter. Christ is risen – He is risen indeed.

    • Len,

      If you’re the Len Rogers I think you are, it would be nice if you informed the readers here that you are involved with Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding.

      We met at Christ at the Checkpoint in 2012.

      One of the things that bothers me is that Christians oftentimes invoke Christian personalism as if it is some utopian lubricant that can fix everything, lickety-split. This is a trap that Christians have a tendency to fall into. The belief that somehow, we have the personal power to influence the people in the grip of a hateful ideology is a self-aggrandizing idolatrous belief that is more often than not, proven wrong.

      The debate we could have is one that is similar to the one that took place between Reinhold Niebuhr and his brother Richard. I prefer Christian realism to the irresponsible utopian pacifism that you seem to espouse. The world we live in is tragic, and the human condition is not as malleable as you or Sami would have us believe.

  • E Pluribus Wombat

    Because the people who have the ear of the government are Jew haters. And no one in government questions them about it.

  • Jonathan Kuttab

    The picture accompanying your article ( weapons training) is deliberately deceptive in that Holy Land Trust, accord into your article is training Hamas in NON violence!!!!!

    • Come off it Jonathan.

      By Sami’s own admission, HLT had a nice sit-down with Hamas and apparently, other unknown “militant groups” in Palestinian society. Hamas, an avowedly anti-democratic group, has a long history of promoting antisemitism and engaging in attacks on Israeli civilians — while hiding behind Palestinian civilians, thus ensuring civilian casualties. And it did these things in the pursuit of an effort to deny the Jewish people their right to a sovereign state of their own.

      You don’t really expect us to believe that HLT has convinced Hamas to stop these attacks and to abandon its goal of achieving Israel’s destruction, do you Jonathan?

      And there’s a larger issue, Jonathan Kuttab. You are part of a movement that has legitimized the Palestinian Authority, which hasn’t been subject to a national election since 2006?

      How can you tell me, a free citizen in the U.S., how I should hold American leaders accountable?

      Jonathan Kuttab insists that as a Christian, I am obligated to support or condone HLT, an organization that has helped Hamas, a totalitarian, antisemitic, anti-American, Islamist group package its message to my fellow citizens.

      I have no such obligation.

  • Jonathan Kuttab

    You like to see the world in black and white and to thoroughly demonize the ” other”. I would love to see anyone, including my evil enemies see the light, renounce violence and seek peaceful means of engaging their opponents.

    • Jonathan,

      Unless you’re a U.S. citizen, much of this debate is none of your business. The fact is, American taxpayers have supported an organization that has taught Hamas, a totalitarian fascist organization how to manipulate public opinion in free societies — including the U.S.

      That is what’s going on.

      As a Palestinian, you might think this is a good thing.

      But as American, I object.

  • “HLT is a Bethlehem-based “peacemaking” organization whose leader, Sami Awad, has stated publicly that his organization has given training in non-violence to Hamas and other militant groups in Palestinian society.”

    Is the author retarded? If anyone can care to explain why training someone in non violence can be anything other than a very good thing for Israel, Hamas and everyone.

    • Please read paragraphs 15 and 16.

      • “It’s not just acts of terror that makes groups like Hamas effective, but the story they tell to justify and frame this violence. And Awad’s Holy Land Trust, has given Hamas and other militant groups expertise in framing their acts of terror for Western audiences.

        As I have written elsewhere, “Awad’s group, the Holy Land Trust, has taught Hamas and other militant groups that seek Israel’s destruction how to speak the language of peace activists in the West and appeal to the conscience of human rights activists in the U.S. and Europe.””

        Oh, OK. So we don’t want to teach them peace because they may learn how to use it for propaganda. Like the ‘flight’ argument Israel uses for the Nakba, or words like ‘pre emptive strike’ for starting wars or ‘targetted assassinations’ for murdering people on foreign soil. Lets not even go near the word ‘security’ or in reality ‘land grab’.

        The reason Hamas want the destruction of Israel is because is because Israel hasn’t been very nice to their hosts for the last 65 years. There’s a Christian group who is trying to help them learn another way and you want to complain about it. Its like when people whine about BDS. Would you rather have suicide bombs? Peace means and dialogue are the way forward. The problem is that following this course, people know that Israel isn’t going to have everything all its own way any more.

        • “The reason Hamas want the destruction of Israel is because is because Israel hasn’t been very nice to their hosts for the last 65 years.”

          Actually, Hamas’s charter denies the existence of the Jews as a people.

          • Dexter, you couldn’t be more disengenuous if you tried.

            Israel’s destruction of Palestine currently stands at 91% leaving 9% for the Palestinians to build a homeland on. If Israel has its way there will be no Palestine.

            From where I’m standing, one side is talking whilst the other side has been doing.

    • richard armbach

      ” Is the author retarded.” The short answer is yes. For a slightly longer one see here…
      http://hurryupharriet.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/dexter-at-the-checkpoint-2/

  • The left hand dos not know mat is doing right one.
    It’s time to wake up.

  • Gordon Arthur

    Islamic Organizations dedicated to terrorism are masters at deception by word and actions. We should not be aiding them in any way.

  • esther noodelman

    More money down the drain,robbing poor Americans of money that might help poor families make it to the end of the month.

    SO OUR US PEACE NEGOTIATORS ARE BUSY GIVING A HAND OUT TO OUR ENEMIES? WE CAN REALLY COUNT ON YOU,AMERICA!

    IS THAT WHY OBAMA HAS TROOUBLE RELEASING POLLARD>>HE DOESN”T WANT TO UPSET OUR ENEMIES?

    DO THE RIGHT,DECENT AND HONORABLE THING>>RELEASE POLLARD & GROSS. TODAY BEFORE THE JEWISH HOLIDAYY OF FREEDOM>.AND INCREASE YOU BUDGET FOR THE POOR BY REMOVING AID TO OUR ENEMIES ANBD RELEASING 2JEWISH PRISONERS WHO ARE SICK.

    RECLAIM THE HONOUR WE ALWAYS BESTOW ON AMERICA THE GOOD!

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