Ruth Cohen-Dar, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to Slovenia emphasised in an interview with Radio Ognjišče that Israel was pushed into war with Hamas by the terrorist organisation itself: “Hamas is a brutal, murderous organisation based on anti-Semitism, whose goal is not only the destruction of Israel, but also a broader attack on the West.”
“After two years, Israel is at war, a war we did not invite nor choose, but one that was forced upon us by Hamas,” said Ruth Cohen-Dar, who emphasised that this is a terrorist organisation recognised as such by many countries, including the European Union.
She explained that it is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood movement around the world, “a brutal, murderous organisation that is not only directed against Israel.” She emphasised that people mistakenly believe that their goal is the liberation of Palestine and the Palestinians. “It is based on hatred of Jews, anti-Semitic hatred,” she stressed, recalling that everything was documented and recorded on the 7th of October, 2023. “If you listen carefully, you can hear them say: ‘We have come to slaughter the Jews.'” She went on to point out that the 7th of October is a deeply traumatic event for Israeli society: “When someone says they’re going to kill you, they do it. Hamas has made it clear that it will continue to attack again and again until it destroys Israel.”
She went on to emphasise once again that this is a terrorist organisation and that protesters chanting “from the river to the sea” support Hamas. “And supporting Hamas means supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, which at some protests also calls for the destruction of the West, starting with Israel, but not ending there,” she noted.
She was critical of the moves by countries that have so far recognised Palestine as a state – including Slovenia: “I’m not surprised, but I am very disappointed. Recognising the Palestinian state does not help the Palestinians, but rewards Hamas for their atrocities.” In her opinion, stabilising the situation is currently crucial, as Hamas rules in Gaza, and the Palestinian Authority, which has not held elections for 19 years, rules in the West Bank.
She rejected the accusations of the Slovenian government, which has imposed an arms embargo and economic sanctions on Israel: “Such measures reward Hamas, they do not help the Palestinians.” She added that Israel allows humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, but Hamas often abuses it: “At first, it stole it and sold it to people at extortionate prices.”
Cohen-Dar also highlighted the media war against Israel: “These are organised, financially supported campaigns that create a false reality. Negative emotions spread faster, which is also exploited by state actors.”
Regarding the future, she emphasised that Israel’s first goal is to rescue the approximately 50 hostages who are still in Gaza, estimating that about 22 of them are still alive. “The most important thing is for Hamas to cease operating as the authority in Gaza, as it threatens not only Israel but also the Palestinians who live there.”
A. H.
