Dr. Mahmoud al-Zahar, one of the founders of Hamas and a long-time senior spokesman, has served within the organization as its so-called “expert on Jewish affairs.”
According to a newly published study, a book he authored in 2020 distills the core elements of his antisemitic worldview—offering a clear window into the ideological foundations embraced by Hamas’ senior leadership.
The findings were released Sunday by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) after an extensive review of books, speeches, and internal guidance documents recovered during the war in Gaza and attributed to Hamas and its leaders.
Notably, one seized internal Hamas document instructs the group’s spokesmen to avoid explicit anti-Jewish language in public messaging—an apparent tactical effort to sanitize the group’s image abroad.
