Tensions flare when Hannity repeatedly asks Palestinian guest: 'Is Hamas a terrorist organization?'

July 25, 2014

The Glenn Beck Program

Tensions were high on Thursday’s edition of Hannity, as host Sean Hannity repeatedly pressed a Palestinian guest, Yousef Munayyer, over whether Hamas is a terrorist organization. Munayyer refused to answer the question several times, which prompted Hannity to dismiss the executive director of the Jerusalem Fund.

“You had your chance,” Hannity said to Munayyer. “You didn’t say Hamas is a terrorist organization. Goodbye.”

Watch the segment courtesy of Fox News below:

“This is the best thing that you need to do… [to] anybody who is anti-Israel, just ask them a few questions. The biggest one they will never answer is: Is Hamas a terrorist organization.” Glenn said on radio this morning. “It is a known, recognized terrorist organization. It is an organization that says… in their charter, they desire to kill all the Jews and destroy Israel, wipe it off the map. So it's a really easy answer… [but] they will never answer that question. Never.”

Using the logic of Simon Sinek – the author of Start With Why – Glenn proceeded to demonstrate the fundamental difference between Israel and Hamas. It all comes back to a simple question: Why do you exist?

Below is an edited transcript of the conversation:

GLENN: Now, let me switch back to Palestine, and the Palestinian argument versus the Israeli argument. This is why you will never have peace – because Hamas will never answer their why. You will never get Hamas to say, ‘Why are you sitting here with the Israelis and you want peace?’ ‘Well, we want our kids to stop being bombed.’ Okay, so the way to do that is to live side-by-side with Israel. ‘Do you recognize Israel as a state?’ ‘Well, you don't have to answer that.’

Well, yes, you do, because your charter is your why. Why does Hamas exist? In their charter, they exist to wipe Israel off the face of the map… And nobody wants to talk about that. But that's the most important thing. I don't know if you saw what the Ayatollah Khamenei said in Iran, but Iran said yesterday, ‘The only way we'll bring peace is to wipe out Israel and kill all the Israelis.’ That's their why.

Now, you can go a level deeper on Iran’s why. Their why is because of the Twelfth Imam. They believe they are commanded by God to bring chaos to the world, to return the Twelfth Imam, their savior. He can only return at a time of great bloodshed and great strife and great chaos. So that's what they are doing. Unless you know what the why is from Iran, you will never be able to deal with them.

Same thing with Hamas. And the way you get to it is to ask a few simple questions. ‘Does Israel have a right to exist as a state?’ I don't answer to the United Nations. I don't like the United Nations, but the left does. Israel is the only state ever created by the United Nations.

PAT: Wasn't the only state they tried to create, however, because they also tried to create a Palestine for the Palestinians. But again, they don't answer the why of ‘why did you refuse the state in the first place?’ ‘Because we don't accept that Israel has any right to exist.’ They will not answer that question. They will not go there. And no one ever asks them anymore.

GLENN: Do you have the Hamas charter?

STU: Yeah, it is not exactly calling for destruction of Israel, I will say. It says, ‘Hamas has been looking to implement Allah's promise, whatever time it might take. The prophet prayer and peace be upon him said, ‘The time will not come until Muslims will fight the Jews and kill them. Until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry, oh, Muslim, there is a Jew hiding behind me come and kill him.’

So it’s not the destruction of Israel, as much as killing all the Jews. However, they do end it with: ‘This will not apply to the gharqad,’ – which is a Jewish tree. So there will be Jewish trees remaining in this world, just not Jewish people.

GLENN: That's their charter. That's like our U.S. Constitution. That's like ‘we hold these truths to be self-evident.’ That's what that is. Hamas says we hold these truths to be self-evident: The Jews will hide behind the rocks and the treed and the trees and rocks will cry out and say, ‘Hey, right here. Kill him.’ That's the truth they hold self-evident.

If that's your self-evident truth, ask any American. When we are in a war. And you say, ‘Why, do you believe this? Why are you fighting?’ ‘Because we hold these truths to be self-evident, that hall men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.’ That's why I do what I do for my country because I believe those things. Ask that of a Palestinian supporter. ‘Why do you do these things? Why are you fighting?’ If you're a Hamas member, ‘Because Allah said there's going to come a time where even the trees and rocks will turn over the Jews for us to kill. So we know it's right to kill all the Jews.’

So it's not about free Palestine. It is about killing all the Jews. It is not me saying that. That's them saying that. Hamas, answer the question: What truth do you hold self-evident? That's it.

Now, I don't think all Palestinians believe that. I don't think all Palestinians, all Arabs, I don't think everybody believes that. I'm telling you, that's what Hamas believes. That's why Sean Hannity was right. ‘Is it a terrorist organization?’ ‘I don't need to answer that.’ Yes, you do. Here is their charter… And it is not just their charter. They're quoting from the Koran. So if you are a Palestinian, if you are a Muslim of that ilk that doesn’t believe yes, this is what Allah said, this is what he means, kill all the Jews. They can't say that. They will be killed. They will have betrayed Allah. There will be a fatwa on them.

That's why they will never answer that question. That's why good Muslims have been crying out to us, ‘Please help us stand up because we don't find that self-evident.’

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

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Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

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When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is America’s next generation trading freedom for equity?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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