Let's Not Kid Ourselves

When people discuss Hamas, they often feel it necessary to point out the social services Hamas provides - schools, medical care, etc, to help "understand" the organization and not see them exclusively as a terrorist group. Hamas, prior to being elected, spent between $40-$70 million a year to supply basic needs to Palestinians in Gaza. They are also known for being strict and uncorrupt (vs the PA, who are a bunch of grifters).

But we should not kid ourselves into thinking the social services provided by Hamas are why Palestinians voted for them. Relatively few Palestinians, numerically speaking, are personally helped by the Hamas charity wing. Fundamentally, the vote for Hamas was two things: a) a rejection of the PA and b) a firmly held belief in Palestine that Israel does not have a right to exist.

We should not kid ourselves into thinking that Hamas' charter, demanding the destruction of Israel by any means necessary, is not a fundamental reason why they won the election.