Hamas founder's son speaks out against terror group and its '7th century mentality'

The eldest son of Hamas co-founder Hassan Yousef joined "Hannity" from New York on Thursday, speaking out against his father's terrorist organization and their continued attacks on the Israeli people.

Mosab Hassan Yousef said Hamas, while the governing force for the Palestinians, is not a political party but a religious movement waging a holy war."

"If Hamas was a political party, then we [could] apply pressure on them, bring them to the negotiating table where they can compromise. But Hamas as a religious organization, nobody can satisfy their religious ambition because it's a condition in their charter," he said.

Yousef, who was born in Ramallah, West Bank, originally was seen as the heir-apparent to his father, but has said a stint in an Israeli prison changed his mind on his future. 

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He later became an informant for Shin Bet – the Israeli equivalent of the CIA – converted to Christianity, and in 2010 a San Diego immigration judge approved his United States asylum request.

On "Hannity," host Sean Hannity asked Yousef why his father's organization has such hatred for Israel and for Jews.

Yousef noted there is similar antisemitism being shown in the United States and around the world, but added that there are religious and political dimensions to Hamas' hatred.

"We're talking about Hamas – [which has] a 7th Century mentality, where Israel is very advanced [into the] 21st century. So the gap is very huge. Hamas represents chaos. This is where they thrive. Israel represents order; democracy – Hence those are the two opposite extremes that have been clashing," he said.

Yousef later said he is not the only top name on Hamas target list, and that pro-Hamas protesters "live in denial" about the terror group. 

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"They don't know what Palestine is. And what I say, you know, today as an American, I invite all these people to educate themselves first. And we cannot lose sight because Hamas started this war. What we need to do, we need to remove Hamas from power," he said.

Yousef further added the group would not "hesitate" to kill him if they were able to get to him.

He went on to add that Israel and its allies must make it clear to Hamas and its ideological partners like Hezbollah that if they attempt to eradicate other democracies or the global ideal, that "we will stand united and we will find them together instead of being divided like this."

When asked what Hamas' version of radical Islam is – whether or not it is similar to ISIS' mission to convert-or-kill so-called infidels to Islam – Yousef said it takes some of its mission from the late Egyptian Islamic imam Hassan al-Banna, who is credited as the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood.

"Then there is tribalism, which is 7th century mentality, where a tribe used to fight a tribe for 100 years until they get annihilated, or they annihilate the tribe… It's the Arabian mentality that they view Israel as a tribe," he said. 

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"They want to keep trying until they annihilate Israel or get annihilated in the process."

Yousef's father was recently reportedly captured by Israeli forces in Betunia, West Bank, as part of large-scale anti-Hamas raids in Judea and Samaria last month, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Another Hamas co-founder, Ahmed Yassin, was assassinated by Israel in 2004, one year after he sat for a rare interview with FOX News correspondent Jennifer Griffin.

Hamas itself is an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyya – or "Islamic Resistance Movement." The term "Hamasa" also means "zeal" in Arabic.

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