Iran is Funding Hamas’s Violent ‘Protests’ at the Border, Media M.I.A.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is behind the recent Hamas-orchestrated violent demonstrations—dubbed the “March of Return”—at the Israel-Gaza border, according to Israeli authorities. Yet many major U.S. news outlets have failed to report Tehran’s role.

Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, the Shin Bet, stated:

““From the information we have, it appears Hamas is encouraging and sending protesters to the border fence in order to carry out violent acts and damage security infrastructure. In addition, it was found that Iran is providing funding to Hamas in order for it to carry out these violent activities along the Gaza Strip’s border fence.”

As CAMERA has detailed (see, for example “Palestinian Nazi Flags and Hamas Talking Points,” JNS, April 26, 2018) Hamas and other U.S.-designated terrorist groups have been organizing the demonstrations, interspersing armed operatives among civilians being used as human shields. Most of those killed in the demonstrations by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been linked to terror organizations.

Hamas is one of many terror groups funded by the Islamic Republic, which the U.S. State Department has listed as the leading state sponsor of terrorism. The group has long supported Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and others participating in the “March of Return.” Like Hamas, Iran’s ruling theocrats have called for Israel’s destruction and genocide of the Jewish people.

Iranian-backed groups have also recently offered 100,00 U.S. dollars to blow up the recently opened U.S. embassy in Jerusalem (“Iranian Group Offer $100,000 Reward for Bombing U.S. Jerusalem Embassy,” Newsweek, May 15, 2018).

Major U.S. news outlets, including The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, USA Today, and others, have ignored the Shin Bet’s statement about Iran’s role in the “march.” By contrast, The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post each filed reports detailing the comments by Israeli officials.

The press has largely failed to provide unbiased, balanced and accurate coverage of the Hamas-led demonstrations, which have been ongoing since late March 2018. Many journalists have omitted or minimized Hamas’s role and ignored readily available photographic and video evidence showing armed terrorists attempting to infiltrate and bomb Israel’s sovereign border. Both The New York Times and The Washington Post, among others, have continued to refer to “protesters” killed by the IDF long after Hamas itself has acknowledged that many of them were terrorists.

A state-sponsor of terrorism has been identified as supporting what the media has, in Orwellian fashion, termed “non-violent” and “organic protests.” And the press can’t be troubled to report it.