The ironies of “social justice” leftists supporting Hamas, self-proclaimed genocidal jihadists, are indeed endless. “Colonizer!” is one of the leftists’ favorite words to shout at those they’re told to hate, including Israel. The fact that Arab countries are historically the world’s biggest colonizers—and that the main intent of Hamas is global colonization in the form of a caliphate—are merely inconvenient truths.
Then there’s the fact that followers of sharia law have a well-documented history of throwing gays off of rooftops, “honor killing” women who don’t obey the hyper-patriarchal codes and enslaving and persecuting blacks. Indeed, one could argue that the only two things truly shared by some leftists and jihadists is a fondness for dead babies and unthinking conformity.
But perhaps the most humorous cognitive dissonance is that these neo-Marxists are willing to be jailed for supporting billionaires who rule over an impoverished group of people. It’s Jihadi Marxism: Empower the rich, pampered and privileged while their people starve and are used as human shields. Stalin would certainly have approved.
Hamas’s three top leaders alone are worth a stunning $11 billion, enjoying a life of luxury in the sanctuary of Qatar. Hamas runs an “office” in Qatar’s capital, Doha, and leaders Ismail Haniyeh, Mousa Abu Marzook and Khaled Mashal maintain an opulent lifestyle that Western jet-setters would envy.
Qatar provides Hamas with between $120 million and $480 million per year, according to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. “These funds benefit Hamas leaders directly through payroll and kickback schemes and indirectly through social services and government operations that help Hamas maintain political control over Gaza,” according to its October report.
Iran is believed to provide Hamas leaders with a $100 million expense account. Hamas earns an estimated $450 million annually from Gaza’s black market trade. Hamas leadership controls an investment portfolio at close to $1 billion, with assets in Sudan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
Hamas also took in nearly $400 million in the last two years from the United Nations, which does not recognize it as a terrorist organization. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) provided Hamas with $380 million since 2021, according to the FDD. Much of that cash came from the Biden administration, which has provided $1 billion to UNRWA since 2021.
Hamas leader Haniyeh, a father of 13, is worth more than $4 billion. His son Maaz Haniyeh is known as “the father of real estate” in Gaza for his collection of villas and buildings. He lives a playboy lifestyle in Turkey.
Marzook, 72, is estimated to be worth $3 billion. And Mashal, 67, who issued a global threat against Jews after the Oct. 7 atrocities, is worth more than $4 billion.
Lebanese newspaper Al-Majlah reported in 2021 that Mashal and his deputy, Mousa Abu Marzouk, used international aid funds to build a valuable collection of real estate holdings in Egypt, Qatar and the Persian Gulf, while Marzouk controls 10 large companies that deal in finance.
The presence of Hamas leaders in Qatar has long been justified by the emirate as part of its support for turning the terror group into “a responsible governing power,” according to the FDD. But Qatar is also home to one of the most important U.S. military bases in the Middle East.
In the wake of Oct. 7, U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) is sponsoring a bill that would strip Qatar of its status as a key U.S. ally unless it kicks out the Hamas leadership. “As Hamas terrorists continue to wreak havoc on the lives of innocent Israeli civilians, the United States must ensure there is no ally supporting them. Sadly, the State of Qatar is still funding and supporting Hamas as its leadership enjoys political refuge in Doha,” said Ogles.
Qatar is also home to the Al Jazeera news channel, which the FDD alleges “spreads anti-Semitism, anti-Americanism, and incitement to violence throughout the Arab world.”
No doubt Arab funding for academia (already at $8 billion) will soon focus on the creation of a new course: Jihadi Marxism. Of course, self-declared Marxists have a proven track record of resorting to mass repression and genocide. But for so many leftists today, facts, history, truth—they’re all so annoying. Better to just repeat what’s trending and focus on getting the best jihadi selfies.
Originally published by The Jewish Journal.