Hannity, Steyn misrepresent Obama's comments on Hamas
Please upgrade your flash player. The video for this item requires a newer version of Flash Player. If you are unable to install flash you can download a QuickTime version of the video.
SUMMARY: Sean Hannity and syndicated columnist Mark Steyn both misrepresented President Obama's comments on Hamas in his speech at Cairo University.
During the June 5 edition of his Fox News program, Sean Hannity asked syndicated columnist Mark Steyn, "Did you notice, in the speech that [President Obama] gave in Cairo -- now for those that don't know, Hamas, a terrorist organization that has in their charter, you know, a pledge for the destruction of Israel -- that he says Hamas can play a role in the future of the Palestinian people. Did you catch that?" Steyn began his response by stating, "Yes, it's very interesting. That whole speech essentially subscribed largely to the Arab view of the Israeli state." In fact, during his June 4 address at Cairo University, Obama stated that to "play a role in fulfilling Palestinian aspirations," Hamas must "put an end to violence" and "recognize Israel's right to exist."
From Obama's June 4 speech:
OBAMA: Now is the time for Palestinians to focus on what they can build. The Palestinian Authority must develop its capacity to govern, with institutions that serve the needs of its people. Hamas does have support among some Palestinians, but they also have to recognize they have responsibilities. To play a role in fulfilling Palestinian aspirations, to unify the Palestinian people, Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, recognize Israel's right to exist.
From the June 5 edition of Fox News' Hannity:
HANNITY: Did you notice, in the speech that he gave in Cairo -- now for those that don't know, Hamas, a terrorist organization that has in their charter, you know, a pledge for the destruction of Israel -- that he says Hamas can play a role in the future of the Palestinian people. Did you catch that?
STEYN: Yes, it's very interesting. That whole speech essentially subscribed largely to the Arab view of the Israeli state that, in effect -- if you noticed, he began by talking about the Holocaust and then talked about the Palestinian people -- and essentially, he lent credence to the idea, which is widely held by Hamas and by [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad and all kinds of other people that effectively the state of Israel is the sort of European colonial imposition on the Muslim world in return for -- to compensate for the Holocaust in Europe.
That is not the case. And he gave an awful lot of hostages to rhetorical fortune in suggesting that.
I did see that over the weekend, the pro west parties in Lebannon won big time in their elections there. This might be a good sign that some countries, with our new leadership, are coming back around.
Lebanese democracy
LA times on the subject
Until the Lebanese people move from their sectarian system to a more liberal democracy, the "new" boss will be the same as the "old" boss. As you alluded, maybe they are headed in the right direction.
Meanwhile, it's hardly news that Sheer "Hot Air" Insannity misquotes President Obama to bolster a weak talking point. That's Insannity's stock-in-trade.
He probable goes to bed thinking of and dreaming about the President and if he can't come up with something (a smear or two) he goes back to Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers and Obama's "radical associations" while ignoring his own.
This guy is a hot air balloon with job security.