HAMAS PAYS SPIN DOCTOR $180,000 FOR IMAGE MAKEOVER

LOOKS AS IF THEY FOOLED JIMMY CARTER (SEE BELOW). OR MAYBE NOT. IT THINK HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT HAMAS IS: A MURDEROUS GROUP THAT WANTS TO BATH IN THE BLOOD OF ISRAELI CHILDREN. HE STILL DOESN'T DISAPPROVE OF THEM. PERHAPS THIS EXPLAINS THE NYT ARTICLE (SEE WEDNESDAY'S POST BELOW) ABOUT HAMAS'S "CHILDRENS" T.V. SHOW.

New-Look Hamas Spends £100k on an Image Makeover - Chris McGreal (Guardian-UK)
Hamas is paying a spin doctor $180,000 (£100,000) to persuade Europeans and Americans that it is not a group of religious fanatics who relish suicide bombings and hate Jews. The organization has hired media consultant Nashat Aqtash, who teaches at Birzeit University in Ramallah, to improve its image at home and abroad because it wants recognition and acceptance by the U.S. and EU.

Aqtash has his work cut out. Hamas is responsible for scores of suicide bombings, killing and maiming hundreds of civilians (many of them children). Hamas's founding charter calls for the destruction of Israel and it wants to impose an Islamic state on all Palestinian territory.

Aqtash, who does not know where Hamas got the money to pay him, says he has told the leadership it has to change its rhetoric. He advises against celebrating suicide bombings and has told Hamas leaders not to talk about destroying Israel.

HMM. CHANGE THE "RHETORIC" AND DON'T "TALK" ABOUT DESTROYING ISRAEL. OF COURSE THEY SHOULD CONTINUE TO ACT ON THOSE GOALS. JUST STOP BEING HONEST ABOUT THEM.

MAYBE THEY SHOULD WEAR BRIGHTER COLORS? PEOPLE SEEM TO LIKE TEAL. I WOULD ALSO ADVISE THEM TO COME UP WITH A CUTE MASCOT. HOW ABOUT "PALI, THE SUICIDE BOMBER PITA?" THEY'D MAKE A FORTUNE WITH T-SHIRT SALES. I HOPE THEY DON'T BLOW ALL OF THEIR BUDGET SPONSORING SHOWS ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO.