Have You Ever Wondered About Hamas’ Logic?

Hamas governs the Gaza Strip, overseeing a population of approximately 2 million people. Have you ever wondered what its logic is? Why does it attack Israel when it knows the response will be harsh—very harsh? When it knows it will lose fighters, civilians, infrastructure, and weapons painstakingly built and stockpiled over time? When it understands that the city itself risks total destruction?

Doesn’t logic and common sense dictate that one should avoid direct confrontation with a superior enemy, one that is certain to win and deliver a crushing blow? What is the point of engaging in a battle that can only bring counterproductive misery?

Why, then, are enormous sums of money funneled into building tunnels leading to Jewish towns across the 1950 ceasefire line with Egypt, deep beneath Gaza’s soil? Why are millions of dollars allocated to manufacturing rockets and destructive missiles targeting Israel, while billions in aid that have flowed into Gaza could have been used to build schools, hospitals, infrastructure, universities, and research centers—turning impoverished Gaza into the “Singapore of the Middle East”?

Yes, these are logical and valid questions—if viewed through a Western lens. But through a Middle Eastern lens, shaped by Arabic thought and Islamic ideology, these questions are irrelevant. They only expose Western cultural ignorance.

1. Understanding the Muslim Brotherhood’s Value System

Hamas and the people who elected it—and who likely would have re-elected it had the May 22 2023 elections taken place—operate under a completely different set of values than those of the Western world.

For Westerners, freedom is the ultimate value. For Islamists, the highest value is submission to Allah.

In the West, individual human rights and personal freedom are paramount. But for Hamas and other Islamist movements, the individual is merely a pawn within much larger entities—his clan, extended family (Hamoula), or religious community. This difference in values explains why Westerners are horrified by so-called “honor crimes”—where a father or brother murders a daughter or sister for having premarital relations, believing she has dishonored the family.

To Western sensibilities, these crimes are atrocities. But within traditional Islamist thinking, such acts are seen as honorable, a necessary means of erasing the family’s disgrace. In this worldview, a woman who asserts her independence is seen as rebelling against her familial and societal obligations.

For secular Westerners, the purpose of life is happiness, personal fulfillment, and prosperity. For the ultra-Orthodox Islamist, life’s purpose is absolute obedience to Allah’s commandments. Women have no financial or personal autonomy, and anyone who fails to fast during Ramadan faces severe punishment.

Hamas’ Political and Religious Ideology

Hamas promotes an Islamist worldview that divides the world into two spheres:

• Dar al-Islam (“House of Islam”) – territories under Islamic rule.
• Dar al-Harb (“House of War”) – all non-Muslim lands, which must ultimately be conquered and brought under Islamic control.

Hamas considers itself obligated to engage in Dawah, the mission of spreading Islam.

At its core, Hamas is fully committed to Israel’s annihilation—throwing the Jews, whom it refers to as “descendants of apes and pigs,” into the sea. The Muslim Brotherhood sees this as a divine mandate, as Palestine is considered Waqf (sacred Islamic land) that must remain in Muslim hands.

2. The Theological Dilemma: If Allah Supports Muslims, Why Do They Lose against the Jews?

This ideology leads to a pressing theological question: If Allah is truly on the side of the Muslims, why have the Arabs lost every war against Israel? Why are Gaza and other Arab lands in ruins? If Allah is merciful, where is His help?

This is a deep theological dilemma. The answer provided by Islamist clerics is simple: Muslims are losing because they have not been devout enough. Their suffering is a test of faith, requiring them to redouble their efforts in submission and resistance. Patience (Sabr) is key, and victory will come—if not today, then for their children or grandchildren or to a later generation. The faithful Muslim trusts that Allah’s promise will be fulfilled, no matter how long it takes.

A well-known Hadith (Islamic tradition) predicts that, at the end of time, Muslims will fight the Jews. The Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, but the rocks and trees will call out:

“O Muslim, O servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me—come and kill him.”

The Martyr (Shaheed) Who Dies for the Glory of Allah

Until this divine event occurs, Muslims are expected to demonstrate their faith through struggle. This is why Hamas remains unyielding in its ideology, committing all its resources and energy to resistance. The more they sacrifice, the sooner Allah’s victory will come.

In Islamic tradition, a Shaheed (martyr) who dies for Allah is highly honored. Upon death, all his sins are immediately forgiven, he avoids the torments of Hell, and he is granted direct entry into Paradise, where 72 virgins await him. But there is something most Westerners don’t know: the martyr’s death also grants automatic forgiveness for 50 of his relatives—parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

This explains why Palestinian mothers, while publicly mourning their “martyr” sons, are often privately proud of their sacrifice. The grief is real, but it is outweighed by the spiritual benefits their son has secured for the family.

The Western mind cannot comprehend this concept, as it lacks the intellectual and cultural framework to do so.

3. Hamas’ Ultimate Mission: Resistance (Sumud)

For Hamas, resistance is its entire reason for existence. This is why financial incentives or economic prosperity will never convince them to stop.

Imagine trying to persuade an ultra-Orthodox Jew to give up observing the Sabbath in exchange for a luxury vacation. The offer would be meaningless to him—just as Western proposals for peace and economic development are meaningless to Hamas.

For the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, dignity is paramount. No matter how great the destruction, as long as they manage to fire the last rocket before a ceasefire or hold up a victory sign with their remaining fingers, they consider themselves victorious. They will endure immense suffering as long as they prove their resilience—because Allah wills it.

4. “They Never Miss an Opportunity to Miss an Opportunity”

Israeli leaders often say that Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

What a foolish and ignorant statement, from a Middle Eastern perspective. Only a Westerner would think this way.

The real truth is that Westerners never miss an opportunity to showcase their arrogance and ignorance of Arab culture.

Arabs know exactly what they want, and they will never compromise. No matter the cost, they firmly believe that Allah will reward them a thousandfold. Pragmatism is not honorable in their culture. In fact, the concept of compromise does not even exist in Arabic.

To them, the best proof that the land does not belong to the Jews is that the Jews are willing to share it—because one does not share what is truly theirs. Ever.

Now, do you understand why Hamas will never stop, no matter the cost? To Westerners, it looks like they are “paying a heavy price.” But to Hamas, they are simply fulfilling their religious duty to Allah—and they are confident they will be greatly rewarded in the next world, the World to come, the one that is real, a world that Westerners dismiss as mere fantasy.

The Middle East conflict cannot be understood or solved using Western logic. Stop trying to impose Western solutions on a Middle Eastern problem. To understand this conflict, you must think in Arabic—not in English or Hebrew.

Listen to those who truly understand the Arab-Muslim world!