Origins and Ideology of Hamas (video, 3:33)

Compiled by Ryder Zufi

Hamas emerged in the 1980s as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood or Brethren as part of a change in strategy: Rather than try to repair Muslim society, then target Israel, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and his supporters decided they first needed to eliminate Israel and cleanse the Middle East of Jews. Hamas has remained committed to that eliminationist philosophy and to its opposition to a secular Palestinian state and a two-state solution. Hamas’ core antisemitism combines beliefs from the Quran with European-style hatred.