Ya'alon: Iran seeking to renew aid to Hamas

Defense minister condemns international community's failure to condemn Hamas, and Turkey for supporting it.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, September 8, 2014 (photo credit: ARIEL HERMONI / DEFENSE MINISTRY)
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, September 8, 2014
(photo credit: ARIEL HERMONI / DEFENSE MINISTRY)
Iran is attempting to renew aid to Hamas in Gaza, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon told an annual conference held by the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism on Monday evening.
Hamas has "proven itself against the Zionist enemy" in Iranian eyes, while Qatar and Turkey are support it as well, Ya'alon said, noting that Turkey is a NATO member.
"The overseas headquarters of Hamas is situated in Istanbul. Salah Arouri sits there. Where is the world on this matter? When they talk about a war on terrorism, it starts with the question of whether this type of phenomenon is accepted, where there is open state support for terrorism," Ya'alon said.
The defense minister said that while Israel has to deal with terrorists who use Palestinian civilians as human shields, and works in accordance with legal advice and the principles of international law, the UN is busy setting up committees of investigation and checking "our level of morality." "Instead of coming together as an international system, for a global struggle, we are attacked, to the point that Hamas uses the international system against us. Is this how you manage a war on terrorism? Is this how the free world joins the war against terror? Instead of the international community condemning Hamas and those who assist it." From a security standpoint, one of Israel's challenges is dealing not only with non-state terror organizations, but also sub-organizations, such as those appearing in Syria, Ya'alon said.
"This requires investment in intelligence, precision fire, and targets. The difficulty is in deterring these organizations. We are capable of doing this, but it requires investment in intelligence, command and control, precision firepower, and active defense [air defenses]. This reality does not make it easy for the defense budget," Ya'alon said.
Ya'alon opened his remarks by noting that terrorism has no borders, adding that the free world understands this today.
"Maybe ISIS will wake up the free world and make it act against terrorism wherever it is. The international system has not organized itself correctly to deal with the phenomenon. The free world is too forgiving of terror organizations, terror entities, and states that activate terrorism.