Children on Hamas TV: We Want to Wage Jihad and Blow Up the Jews

On a children's show on the Hamas-owned Al-Aqsa TV channel, young children, dressed in military fatigues, were asked what they want to be when they grow up. One of the children said that he wanted to be an engineer, "so that I can blow up the Jews." Another recited a poem: "I shall liberate [Jerusalem] from the Jews by means of the Al-Qassam Brigades."

Following are excerpts:

Palestinian girl, host of the show: Who taught you this poem, Muhammad?

Palestinian child, Muhammad Ali Zakariya Al-Astal: Mom.

Palestinian girl, host of the show: And who discovered your talent for poetry?

Muhammad Ali Zakariya Al-Astal: Mom.

Palestinian girl, host of the show: Mom… May Allah grant long life to such a mother, Muhammad. Okay, Muhammad, let's hear the poem.

Muhammad Ali Zakariya Al-Astal: Oh Jerusalem, I shall redeem you with my soul and my blood. I shall liberate you from the Jews by means of the Al-Qassam Brigades, of course. I bring glad tidings to our prisoners: Salvation is near.

[…]

Palestinian girl, host of the show: What do you want to be when you grow up, Muhammad?

Muhammad Ali Zakariya Al-Astal: [A member of] the Al-Qassam Brigades.

Palestinian girl, host of the show: Of the Al-Qassam Brigades? Fine. And you, Zakariya, what would you like to be?

Palestinian child, guest on the show, Zakariya: An engineer.

Palestinian girl, host of the show: An engineer? Why do you want to become an engineer?

Palestinian child, Zakariya: So that I can blow up the Jews.

Palestinian girl, host of the show: You want to blow up the Jews? No, we want to blow up the Zionists. You mean the occupation, right? Okay, so that is why you want to become an engineer?

[…]

Wissam, what would you like to say to these two children?

Wissam, child guest host: Keep waging Jihad, and Allah willing, when you grow up, you will wage resistance against the Jews…

Palestinian girl, host of the show: The occupation…

Wissam: …bomb the occupation, and the Al-Aqsa mosque will be liberated.

Palestinian girl, host of the show: Allah willing.

[…]