Holocaust Memorial Day: Hamas’ “Clean Speech” Guide Reveals Propaganda Strategy

Hamas Media Strategy: Avoiding Antisemitism for Public Relations Gain

A newly revealed Hamas media guide offers a disturbing glimpse into how the organization strategically conceals its antisemitic ideology when communicating with Western audiences. The document provides detailed instructions on language choices that maintain the group’s fundamental positions while avoiding terms that might damage its international image.

According to the guide, Hamas operatives and supporters are explicitly warned against using phrases like “the Jews” or references to “the Jewish lobby” – not because these concepts are rejected by the organization, but because such language could “harm the Palestinian discourse” by making it appear overtly racist or extreme to international observers.

The document specifically cautions against invoking classic antisemitic conspiracy theories, including claims about “Jewish control of the media” or citing “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.” Again, these warnings are presented not as a repudiation of antisemitic beliefs, but as tactical recommendations to avoid damaging Hamas’ public relations efforts and prevent bolstering what the guide describes as Israeli “propaganda.”

One particularly revealing section of the guide identifies Jewish historical suffering as an inconvenient obstacle to Hamas’ global messaging campaign. It specifically complains about “the influence of the historical suffering of Jews in Europe,” particularly in Germany, where historical consciousness creates what Hamas describes as “unfair bias toward the Zionist entity.” This framing suggests Hamas views Holocaust memory not as a moral touchstone but as a strategic impediment.

To manage these communications challenges, the guide includes a glossary of “incorrect” terms alongside their approved replacements. For instance, it instructs that “killing Jews” should never be stated publicly, with the preferred phrase being “killing the Zionist occupier” – a distinction presented as purely tactical rather than reflecting any substantive moral difference.

Media analysts note that this approach represents a sophisticated form of message laundering, where genocidal intentions are cloaked in language more palatable to Western audiences. “It is the rhetorical equivalent of laundering bloodstains out of a uniform before stepping in front of a camera,” as one section of the document characterizes it.

The effectiveness of this strategy is evident in how Hamas-linked representatives often gain platforms in Western media outlets while employing sanitized terminology outlined in the guide. Terms like “colonial project,” “resistance,” and appeals to “international law” replace more explicit language about Jewish eradication, allowing the organization to present itself as rights-focused despite its documented terrorist activities.

HonestReporting, a media watchdog organization that revealed the document, has previously documented how Hamas influences global media narratives through various means, including applying pressure on journalists operating in Gaza and shaping coverage through coordinated messaging. The guide appears to confirm that such media manipulation is deliberate organizational policy rather than incidental.

The timing of this revelation, coinciding with Holocaust Memorial Day, underscores concerns about how antisemitism can adapt and disguise itself in contemporary discourse. It serves as a reminder that hatred doesn’t always present itself through obvious symbols like swastikas, but can instead be wrapped in human rights language carefully crafted for Western consumption.

For media organizations and the public, the document raises important questions about source credibility and the need for careful evaluation of statements from groups with established records of terrorism and antisemitism, regardless of how they present their messaging in international forums.