The following is a collection of research and translations from the MEMRI Palestinian Project this past year. Producing such content is very costly, and your help allows us to continue our vital work of supporting counterterrorism efforts in the U.S. and throughout the West. We are very grateful to those of our valued readers who have already donated this year, and ask those who have not yet done so to please consider making a tax-deductible donation now.
Palestinian Islamic scholar Abu Anas Al-Hasri said in an address posted to the Al-Aqsa Call YouTube channel on July 21, 2022 that infidels must be treated with degradation and contempt, and that U.S. President Joe Biden's recent visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories was in order to "Claim Christianity's Rights" to Jerusalem. He said that President Biden came to wage war against Islam, "to steal the money of our nation," to fan the flames of sectarian conflicts in the region, and to tighten the friendship between Arab rulers and Israel. He also prayed that any hand that shook Biden's hand be paralyzed, and that any tongue that welcomed Biden to the region be cut off.
In an address that was posted on the Aqsa Call YouTube channel, Palestinian Islamic scholar Mohammed Afeef Shadid said that U.S. President Joe Biden is not welcome in the Palestinian territories. Shadid said that Biden has defiled the land with his "hatred, treachery, and arrogance," and he said that the U.S. is still "wobbling" from the "blows inflicted" by America's enemies in Russia. In addition, Shadid said: "May Allah wage war on whoever meets with you... Oh Allah, show us the day when the fists of the mujahideen smash the doors of Rome, the Vatican, Washington, Moscow, and Beijing."
In a November 5, 2022 show on Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas-Gaza), Gaza-based Hamas terrorist Musab Al-Hashlamoun called on Palestinians in the West Bank to carry out attacks against Israelis. He said that they should use YouTube and social media to learn how to use weapons effectively so that they can kill as many Israeli "occupiers" as possible before being "martyred". He also said that the people of Hebron should use the M-16 rifles in their possession to carry out such attacks, adding: "You have this weapon in your hands. Allah is going to ask you about it. Don't miss out." Al-Hashlamoun is originally from Hebron and has been involved in several terrorist attacks. Notably, shortly after being released from an Israeli prison as part of a 2004 prisoner exchange deal, he was involved in an attack in Beer Sheva, Israel that left 16 civilians, including one child, dead. Al-Hashlamoun was again apprehended and imprisoned, but was again released and deported to Gaza in 2011 as part of the Shalit prisoner exchange.
On April 30, 2022, Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, gave his first speech in almost a year. Standing before a picture of Israeli security forces at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Sinwar said that this image of the "desecration" of Al-Aqsa must never be allowed to repeat itself, and that "thousands" of synagogues and Jewish temples throughout the world will be desecrated if it does. He then claimed that Israel wants to turn the Palestinian-Israeli conflict into a regional religious war, declaring that Hamas accepts "the challenge" and will spare no efforts when it comes to defending its holy places. Warning that a religious war will "change the shape of Planet Earth" and scorch the earth, he said that when Hamas is forced to "defend" the Al-Aqsa Mosque, it will begin by firing a salvo of 1,111 rockets into Israel, in honor of former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, who died on November 11, 2004. He said that this salvo will be called the "Abu Ammar" salvo, in commemoration of Arafat.
Fatah Revolutionary Council member Muhammad Al-Lahham said that Fatah is burning like an ember and can "bring out the fire" at any time, despite speculation that Fatah would become weaker after the Oslo Accords. Al-Lahham spoke at a ceremony honoring Fatah terrorist Muhammad Zawahreh, who is serving a life sentence in Israel, which took place on June 29, 2022 and was broadcast on Awda TV (Palestinian Authority). He praised Zawahreh, as well as several other terrorists, including terrorists from recent attacks in Israel. Al-Lahham added that Fatah will continue fighting until it drives the "occupation" out of Palestine. For more information on Muhammad Al-Lahham, see MEMRI TV clips Nos. 9562 and 6840.
Fatah Central Committee member Azzam Al-Ahmad said in a May 24, 2022 interview on Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) that the U.S. does not respect the law, but that it is nonetheless a superpower, and the Palestinians must give it a "headache" and become a household issue like Vietnam and South Africa were. In addition, he criticized the Arab regimes, saying that they follow American orders, and he warned that they will collapse if they abandon the Palestinians and their cause. For more about Azzam Al-Ahmad, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 8991, 8295, 7337, 6650, and 2195.
In a Friday sermon that was posted to the Al-Aqsa Call YouTube channel on June 26, 2022, Palestinian Islamic scholar Sheikh Yousef Abu Islam criticized Gay Pride Month and said that Allah has commanded that homosexuals should be thrown head first off the highest rooftops and then stoned. Abu Islam added that if Muslims do not stand up against the "abomination" of homosexuality, Allah will send the Angel Gabriel to "punish" them like Sodom.
Esmahan Abd Al-Aal, the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's Women's Framework, said in a June 6, 2022 show on Palestine Today (Gaza) that female terrorists and the mothers of "martyrs" are role models and "icons" of struggle, resistance, and tenacity in the fight for rights and land. She gave several examples of "glamorous" female "role models", including Palestinian terrorists Dalal Mughrabi, Leila Khaled, and Hanadi Jaradat.
Alaa Gadouha, an actor from Gaza, posted on his Facebook page on May 23 a short skit, which incited Palestinians to murder Israelis during the Flag March, which is planned for Sunday, May 29. Alleging that the Israelis plan to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a character in the skit called on Palestinians to slit the throats of the "settlers" with their knives, chop their heads with the axes, and shoot them with their AK-47 on automatic mode. As another option, he called on them to run the Israelis with their cars, in order to "defend" the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) official Muhammad Shalah said in an April 24, 2022 show on Al-Quds Al-Youm TV (Islamic Jihad – Gaza) that Palestine is unquestionably Palestinian land, and that the Jews have no historical claim to it. He also said that Allah brought the Jews to Palestine for the Palestinians to "finish them off. In addition, he said that the PIJ is part of the Iran-backed "resistance axis" and that while Iran supplied the Palestinians with rockets and weapons, the Arabs only gave them school supplies. Muhammad Shalah is the brother of the former leader of the Islamic Jihad, Ramadan Abdullah Shalah who died in 2020.
On October 16, 2022, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh visited the families of Palestinian terrorists from the Jenin refugee camp who were recently killed in clashes with Israeli forces. Addressing the crowd, he said that the Israeli "occupation" does not want peace and that it uses Palestinian blood to "fund" its current election campaign. He said that Palestinian blood is not cheap, but that Palestinian lives are a small price to pay for the Palestinian homeland. He also invoked the Biblical story of Samson, the Israelite hero who set fire to the Philistines' wheat fields, and said: "Samson is gone, but Palestine's wheat [and] our land [are] still here." In addition, he promised to remain loyal to the Palestinian martyrs and to Yasser Arafat's promise to liberate Palestine "whether [the Israelis] like it or not". The event at which Shtayye spoke was aired on Palestine TV and had also been attended by Jenin Governor Akram Al-Rajoub, by masked Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades fighters, and by Fathi Hazem, the father of Raad Hazem, a Palestinian terrorist who killed three people in a terror shooting in Tel Aviv, Israel (for more about Fathi Hazem, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 9489.
On August 16, 2022, Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) aired a press conference held by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. When asked by a reporter if he intends to apologize before Israel and Germany for the 1972 Munich massacre, which was carried out by Palestinian terrorists and resulted in the deaths of 11 Israeli Olympic athletes, President Abbas answered that Israel has committed 50 "massacres" and 50 "holocausts" against the Palestinian people and continues to kill them every day. He said that Israel now admits "these massacres and makes documentaries about them," and that he would rather move towards peace, security, stability, and shared trust between Germany and the Palestinians than talk about "other things". Abbas also said: "If you want to dig in the past, go ahead."
Canada-based senior PFLP official Khaled Barakat, who is also the leader of the Samidoun organization, said in a June 3, 2022 speech at the International League of People's Struggle (ILPS) Assembly in Ottawa that Canada must abolish its terrorist list. He said that he would not deny his support for the Palestinian and Lebanese "resistance" to please Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, exclaiming: "F*ck Trudeau!" Barakat expressed his support for "resistance groups" in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, and the Philippines, including the PFLP, Hamas, Hizbullah, and the Philippine Communist Party. In addition, he said that the Palestinian identity is based on armed struggle, and that armed struggle and missiles are the only way to achieve Palestinian rights. Barakat's speech was streamed live on the ILPS Facebook page. For more about Khaled Barakat and Samidoun, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9471, 9291, 7276, and 6100.
In an interview that was posted on October 4, 2021 on the Gathering4youth YouTube channel, released Hamas terrorist Ahlam Tamimi praised "martyrdom" and the "martyrdom-seekers" of Hamas. Tamimi, who played a key role in the 2001 Sbarro pizzeria bombing in downtown Jerusalem, thanked Allah for destining her to be a member of the 'Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades and to take part in a Jihadi operation that killed 15 "Zionists" and wounded 122. Tamimi described her terrorist operations as a "crown on my head." She described her drive from Ramallah to Jerusalem with 'Izz Al-Din Al-Masri, the Sbarro suicide bomber, and she spoke highly of the "lessons" that can be learned from being in close proximity with a "martyrdom-seeker." Tamimi explained that only those who have attained such a high spiritual level that they have severed any connection with this material world can become Hamas "martyrdom-seekers." Discussing the land of Palestine, Tamimi also said that the land emanates a "relaxing, pleasant scent, as if it was coming from Paradise" that comes from the martyrs buried in the land. Tamimi is currently wanted by the U.S. government for her role in the Sbarro pizzeria bombing, in which two of the 15 victims were U.S. nationals. For more about Ahlam Tamimi, see MEMRI TV Clips No. 7132, No. 3539, No. 3157, and No. 5951.
PA presidential advisor Mahmoud Al-Habbash defended Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's statement, according to which Israel has committed "50 holocausts" against Palestinians in an address that was aired on Palestine TV on August 17, 2022. He said that all the leaders of the [Israeli] occupation joined together in attacking Abbas, because he is defending his people and he wants to remind the world of the massacres against them. Al-Habbash added that the Israelis "want us to forget history, while they want the world to remember a history which is mostly forged, exaggerated, fabricated, with no basis in reality." He further said that saying these things cannot be considered "antisemitism" because the Palestinians are the "genuine Semites," as reflected in their names and cities. For more information on Abbas's statements in a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, see MEMRI TV clip no 9761.
Bassam Al-Agha of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's "Al-Quds" Trade Union in Syria said in an August 21, 2022 show on Palestine Today TV (Gaza) that The Protocols of the Elders of Zion should be part of Arab school curricula and that Arab students should learn about the "goals and the danger of the Jews and about "how the Jews think". He also cited Quranic verses about Jews' hostility to the Muslims and to humanity, and he criticized the West for considering this to be hate speech."
In a show that was posted to the Quds News Network YouTube channel on August 20, 2021, Palestinian TV host Dina Al-Assi praised Japanese-born terrorist Kozo Okamoto, who participated in the 1972 Lod Airport Massacre in Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 24 people and the injury of 78. Al-Assi also thanked Japan for its support of the Palestinian people.
On August 17, 2022, a video of an address by Palestinian Islamic scholar Dr. Muhammad Afeef Shadid at the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque in the West Bank town of Tulkarm was uploaded to the Al-Aqsa Call YouTube channel. Dr. Shadid said that the Muslims constitute an offensive army, and he cited several Quranic verses about killing non-Muslims and spreading Islam. He said that the Muslims had attacked the Persian and Byzantine empires in order to conquer them and spread Islam, and not because they were plunderers, and he said that Palestine will only be liberated by those who brandish their weapons and kill all the Jews in Israel. In addition, he said that a caliphate will soon rise that will span the entire globe. Dr. Mohammed Shadid is a dentist by profession, and a graduate of the University of Baghdad. For more information about Dr. Shadid, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9690, 9589, 9560, and 9466.
On the backdrop of a controversy sparked by Indian ruling party officials who "insulted" Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, an anti-India rally was held at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Palestinian Islamic scholar Nidhal Siam spoke at the rally and said that the recent India controversy is one of many successive "affronts and hostilities" made by "the infidels" against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad that constitute a war against the Muslims. He compared it to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, to Swedish "kidnapping" of Muslim children, and to other "crimes" made by non-Muslims against the Muslims. Siam then said that the only appropriate reaction is to declare Jihad for the sake of Allah and to discipline the infidels and polytheists, eradicate them, and he called on the armies of Muslim countries throughout the world, and particularly Pakistan, to take action against the Hindus in defense of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. In addition, the crowd chanted: "Hindus, you filthy Hindus, Muhammad is the master of all people, Allah Akbar!" The video of the rally was uploaded to the Al-Aqsa Call YouTube channel on June 10, 2022.
Palestinian political analyst Ahmad Abd Al-Rahman said in an April 7, 2022 show on Al-Quds Al-Youm TV (Gaza – Islamic Jihad) that the Holocaust and the image of Jews as poor and downtrodden were lies used by the Zionists to blackmail the world into bringing the Jews to the "so-called Promised Land." He praised Al-Quds Al-Youm TV and other "resistance media" outlets for exposing these lies.
Majed Al-Fityani, the Secretary of Fatah's Revolutionary Council, said in a May 29, 2022 interview on Awda TV (Palestinian Authority) that the Palestinians will be the only ones to have sovereignty in Palestine, and that they will go after the Israelis and wrest this right from them. He elaborated that the Palestinians have a right to Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, and that the Palestinian flag is the only flag that will fly over this land. In addition, he said that the Israelis have no "homes or roots" in the land and that they have turned into a "seedless plant" in it.
Palestinian academic Riyad Abu Ras said in a May 16, 2022 show on Al-Quds Al-Youm TV (Islamic Jihad – Gaza) that the Jews can either "go back to Europe" or be killed and buried in Palestine. He said that the British sent the Jews to Palestine because they had been a "nuisance" in Europe and in order to create "a dagger in the Arab and Islamic nation's back." He elaborated that the Jews had been a criminal "bunch of murderers and schemers" in Europe, and he said that Israel must be "dismantled."
Palestinian international law expert Samir Zaher said in a May 25, 2022 show on Palestine TV that Israel steals the organs of Palestinians from their corpses and that the "Zionist Rabbinate" permits using the skin from the backs of Palestinian corpses in order to treat soldiers who were burned in attacks. In addition, he said that Israel is considered to be the "biggest supermarket for human organs" and that it gives organs to any "Zionist" that needs them. Zaher stated that this is considered a "grave war crime."
Gaza Islamic scholar Wael Al-Zard said in a September 14, 2022 show on Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas-Gaza) that when the Jews pay Palestinian laborers in Israel, they are actually giving back to them money that was "rightfully" theirs. He elaborated that the "filthy" Jews are not doing the Palestinian laborers any favors, and that they have been sucking the blood of Palestinians' resources for over 70 years. Al-Zard explained that the Palestinians would have been "many times richer" than the Jews, had the latter left the country. For more about Wael Al-Zard, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9508, 5406, 5101, and 4217.
On September 21, 2022 Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas-Gaza) held a ceremony in honor of the inauguration of a 'Shehab' Drone Square in Gaza City, celebrating the locally-made "Shehab" drone, presenting it as part of the Palestinian "revolution." Senior Hamas official Iyad Abu Funun spoke at the ceremony, praising the Brigades for their drone production and promising that what is yet to come will be "even mightier." for more information about Hamas's drones, see MEMRI TV clips Nos. 9185, 8895, and 8838. For more information about Iyad Abu Funun, who is also an Islamic scholar and a host on Hamas's Al-Aqsa TV channel, see MEMRI TV clips 4708, 4489, 5115, 5152, 5307, 6541, 6837, 7809, and 8130.
#9523 - Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Released Video Showcasing Its 'Jenin' Drone
On April 28, 2022, Palestine Today TV (Gaza/Lebanon) aired a video showcasing the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's "Jenin" drone, which is capable of carrying and dropping grenades. The video showed masked fighters working on a Jenin drone, and a simulation of a drone dropping a grenade next to an Israeli military patrol.
In an August 29, 2022 interview on Awda TV (Palestinian Authority), Fatah Central Committee member Samir Al-Rifai defended the recent remarks by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Germany (see MEMRI TV Clip No. 9761) accusing Israel of having committed 50 "holocausts" against the Palestinian people. Al-Rifai said that the "expulsion" of the Palestinian people from their land in 1948 was in fact that greatest crime of the 20th century, and he asserted that the Zionists are focusing on the Holocaust even though the Palestinians suffered an even "worse" fate than the Jews did in WWII.
On August 10, 2022, Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) aired a report featuring the family of Khaled Mansour, a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) commander who was killed in the recent confrontation in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the PIJ. Mansour's family sat together, and several of his sons wore camouflage fatigues and brandished loaded Kalashnikov and M-16-style rifles. One of Mansour's sons said that while he is sad that he has been separated from his father, he is happy and proud that his father became a martyr. Another one of his sons said that he and his brothers will follow in their father's footsteps. Mansour's brother, Professor Muhammad Mansour, said that children brandishing weapons is "pure self-defense," and he criticized the unjust views of Jewish and Christian "infidels."
"Umm Ibrahim," the mother of Palestinian terrorist Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi, who was killed by Israeli security forces earlier that day told Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) on August 9, 2022 that Palestinians will never grow tired of Jihad. She said that the Jews, who are the "worst liars and hypocrites in history," think that they killed Ibrahim, but he is alive with Allah. Umm Ibrahim said: "We will never grow tired of Jihad." She added that Ibrahim was "martyred," but there are a "hundred thousand Ibrahims," who will "continue his path of Jihad." Umm Ibrahim said that the Al-Aqsa Mosque will return to the Palestinians.
Following three days of conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip, PIJ leader Ziyad Nakhalah said in an August 7, 2022 press conference in Tehran that was aired on the PIJ's Palestine Today TV network that the Israeli "enemy" has conceded to the PIJ's demand to release two PIJ leaders, and that the ceasefire proves that Israel has not achieved anything in this round of fighting. He said that if the prisoners are not released, the ceasefire will be considered void and the PIJ will resume fighting. In addition, Nakhalah praised Qatar's Al-Jazeera Network and thanked it for its coverage of the "war", adding: "I salute you". He also thanked Iran's Arabic-language Al-Alam TV.
During a live Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) coverage of the recent escalation between Gaza and Israel on August 7, 2022, the channel's correspondent insisted that a rocket that had misfired and hit in a local neighborhood had actually been fired towards the sea. The correspondent then asked the cameraman to turn the camera away from the densely populated area in which the rocket had landed.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leader Ziyad Nakhalah said in an August 5, 2022 interview on Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) that the "Zionist entity" will be annihilated and that the Palestinians must continue fighting and being patient. He said that there are no "red lines" in the current conflict between Israel and the PIJ, which he described as a war for survival. Nakhalah was speaking from Tehran, Iran.
On April 24, 2022, a video was uploaded to the Al-Aqsa Call YouTube channel of Palestinian Islamic scholar Abu Taqi Al-Din Al-Dari delivering a Ramadhan lesson at the Al-Aqsa Mosque about the military industry of a future Islamic state. He said that under an Islamic state, Muslims will create their own smart missiles, missile ships, and bomber planes, because missiles produced in the West can be disrupted because of the "encryption" that they have. Explaining that the Islamic nation has scientists and can hire Russian scientists, he said: "Nuclear weapons? We need something stronger." He predicted that the Islamic state would have a powerful military industry that will be under the responsibility of the "Emir of Jihad", and that any factory built in the Islamic state – even a biscuit factory – would be able to be turned into a military factory at any moment.
Mahmoud Al-Habbash, a senior advisor to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, said in a Friday, April 15, 2022 sermon in Ramallah that aired on Palestine TV that Jerusalem and Palestine have belonged to the Palestinian people since before the Natufians, the Canaanites, and the Jebusites. He also said that just like the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians, the Tatars, and the Crusaders, the Israeli "occupation" will disappear, and Jerusalem will remain unchanged. In addition, he said that the Israelis have no connection whatsoever to the land of Palestine and that unlike the Muslims, they have no religious or racial connection to Abraham.
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Gazan Islamic scholar Abd Al-Hamid Dabbous said in an April 10, 2022 show on Al-Quds Al-Youm TV (Palestine – Islamic Jihad) that Jihad is the "pinnacle of Islam" and makes Islam "glamorous, strong, and lovable." He said that Jihad is the means by which Muslims defend their lands and spread Islam to the entire world. Explaining that Muslims do not want to terrorize people but rather to convert them to Islam, Dabbous said that if non-Muslims do not accept Islam and refuse to pay the jizya poll tax "in humiliation," then the Muslims will fight them until they attain martyrdom or victory. The show also featured footage of fighters from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades in military exercises, praying, and launching rockets, as well as footage from an Israeli military funeral and Israeli infantry training.
On April 8, 2022, a video surfaced on Palestinian internet sources of the family members of Raad Hazem, the Palestinian terrorist who killed three Israelis and injured several others when he opened fire in a bar in Tel Aviv, Israel, speaking before a crowd in the Palestinian city of Jenin. Fathi Hazem, the terrorist's father, said that he is pleased with his son and that he prays that Allah will also be pleased him, adding: "Make us among the victorious troops who are first to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque." Fathi Hazem is a released security prisoner and has served as a senior officer in the Palestinian Authority's security services. Mahmoud Al-Saadi, the terrorist's uncle, said that Raad was "modest and polite" and praised him for directing his rage and courage against the enemy, and not against his fellow Muslims. He also said that in the Jenin refugee camp, people are "done talking" and are "taking action." Jamal Huwail, Fatah's Secretary in Jenin, led the crowd in a chant: "With our souls and our blood, we will redeem you, oh martyr!" Huwail also said that Raad brought happiness into the hearts of Arabs and Muslims (for more information about Jamal Huwail, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9470, 9451, and 6005). Raad Hazem, who escaped the scene of the attack, was killed several hours later in a mosque in Jaffa, south of Tel Aviv, in a shootout with Israeli security forces.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a January 2, 2022 interview on Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) that Hamas is not engaged in a proxy war with Israel on behalf of Iran. Rather, he said that Hamas is independent and makes its own decisions, and that Iran supports Hamas for religious reasons and because it helps weaken their shared enemy, Israel. Haniyeh said that the issue of Palestine should be kept out of any of the sectarian conflicts that have plagued the region, and he emphasized that Hamas' relationship with Iran has been stable for 30 years and since the days of Khaled Mashal's leadership of Hamas. He also said that he does not manage Hamas' relationship with Iran, but that it is managed from abroad by Hamas' international leadership.
On November 19, 2022, Awda TV (Palestinian Authority) aired a ceremony held by Al-Quds Open University in the West Bank city of Ramallah commemorating the 18th anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death. At the ceremony, an emcee praised Fatah and all its related Palestinian factions throughout history, and he said: "Oh brigades of Abu Ammar [i.e. Yasser Arafat]! Tell them with bullets, not words, that Jerusalem is Arab alone!" Hussein Hamayel, a Fatah spokesman who also serves as the director of the Ramallah and Al-Bireh branch of Al-Quds Open University, also spoke at the ceremony, and he praised the Palestinian "martyrs" and prisoners.
Palestinian-American activist Nerdeen Kiswani of the Within Our Lifetime organization said in a November 5, 2022 show on Press TV (Iran) hosted by former British MP Chris Williamson that resistance is the only "political process" that has been effective for the Palestinian people. She said that active resistance by groups considered by Israel and the U.S. to be terrorist groups is the only way to fully "liberate" Palestine, and she praised the recently-formed "Lion's Den" and "Jenin Brigade" terror groups for taking matters into their own hands.
Later in the show, Kiswani said that the Palestinians should not describe their struggle solely in terms of human rights because they are "fighters" rather than "passive victims." She added that this is "something beautiful" that should be celebrated by people in the West. For more about Nerdeen Kiswani, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9738, 9534, 9471, 9014, 8932, 8113, 7628, 6311, 6100, and 5560.
Fatah's political relations chief Sirhan Yousef said in a November 6, 2022 show on Al-Alam TV (Iran) that Fatah's military wing, Hamas' military wing, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the newly-formed Lion's Den group are united in their resolve to continue their "mighty" military activity against Israel. He praised the mothers of Palestinian "martyrs," and he said that ever since 1965, Fatah has maintained that the only way to liberate Palestine is through armed struggle, such as stabbings, car-ramming attacks, and intifadas. He stressed that any Israeli in Palestine is considered an enemy, that Fatah does not recognize the State of Israel, and that the agreements Fatah has made allowing Israel to exist within the 1967 borders are only a step in the struggle, which will continue until Palestine is completely liberated. For more information about Sirhan Yousef, see MEMRI TV clip no 9519.
On November 11, 2022 a video was uploaded to the Fateh TV YouTube channel of the closing ceremony of a Fatah training camp held at the Ein Al-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon, Lebanon. The training camp was named in honor of "the martyr and leader" Yasser Arafat. One of the fighters' commanders said that the fighters are ready to defend refugee camps in the "diaspora" and to liberate Palestine and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The video also showed the cadets pledging to be loyal to Fatah and not to reveal any of its secrets.
On November 3, 2022, Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas – Gaza) aired footage from simultaneous events honoring the mothers of Palestinian "martyrs" in the West Bank and Gaza. Amina Zahran, the mother of slain Hamas terrorists Ahmad Zahran and Zahran Zahran, the latter of whom had been involved in the 1994 kidnapping and murder of Israeli soldier Nachshon Wachsman, said at one of events near Ramallah: "We do not fear death... We want martyrdom." In addition, the mother of slain terrorist Khaled Jawabra, said that she has 17 children and 65 grandchildren, and that she would happily and wholeheartedly sacrifice them for the sake of Palestine and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. She added: "Our homeland and our holy places are dearer to us than our children." Another speaker said that the families of the "martyrs" laugh and smile at their funerals because of the rewards the martyrs receive from Allah. For more about the veneration of mothers of Palestinian terrorists, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9742, 9655, 9509, 8895, 7606, 7527, 7021, 5128, 3801, 2018, 1066, 980, 379, 297, and 271.
Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Al-Zahhar said in an October 31, 2022 interview on Palestine Today TV (Palestinian Islamic Jihad) that Hamas in Gaza should support terror attacks in the West Bank with "words, money, and weapons," and he said that "periodic wars" should be waged against Israel in the West Bank, but not in Gaza. He said that if the Israelis are defeated in the West Bank like they were in Gaza, then thousands of them will flee. In addition, he spoke about a book he had written about hatred of Jews in America and Europe, and he said that the Europeans managed to simultaneously get rid of the Jews and harm Islam by expelling the Jews from their countries. He also claimed that the Jews came to Palestine because it was an "investment venture."
Hamas MP Marwan Abu Ras, the chairman of the Interior and Security Committee in the Gaza Parliament, said, in a speech at a graduation ceremony at a basic training course run by Gaza's ministry of Interior and National Security, that the recently-formed "Lion''s Den" and "Jenin Brigade" terrorist groups have "revived hope" among Palestinians. He said that the attacks by these groups are like "martyrdom operations of the past,", and he said that Palestine must be "irrigated with the blood" of the Palestinians. He added: "This holy land must wear [our] pure blood as perfume." In addition, Abu Ras predicted that these groups will soon begin operating in Hebron. The speech was posted on October 26, 2022, to the YouTube account of Hamas' Ministry of the Interior and National Security.
During an October 21, 2022 show on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon), show host Imad Marmal and the studio audience stood up and applauded "martyred" Palestinian terrorist Uday Tamimi, who was killed on October 19 after he opened fire on Israeli forces, killing one Israeli soldier and wounding a civilian security guard. Footage of Tamimi firing at Israeli soldiers and being shot down was displayed, and Marmal said: "Nothing overshadows the heroic acts of the resistance fighters in occupied Palestine... [Tamimi] was martyred in a legendary manner." For more about Uday Tamimi, see MEMRI TV Special Report No. 10273.
Muhammad Al-Lahham of the Fatah Revolutionary Council praised local Jenin terrorists who carried out deadly attacks against Israelis in Tel Aviv and Bnei Brak on a September 28, 2022 show that aired on Palestine TV. He said that the souls of the Palestinian "martyrs" must be avenged by Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. He continued to say that the Israeli military will not be able to isolate Jenin or Gaza, rather Fatah will operate inside Israel proper as "it has done in the past." Al-Lahham further said that Dalal Mughrabi, the perpetrator of the 1978 Coastal Road Massacre, in which 39 Israelis were killed, was not the only one to impose a curfew in Tel Aviv, because there were "numerous other martyrs" who did so in West Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and elsewhere in Israel proper. For more about Muhammad Al-Lahham, see MEMRI TV clips nos. 9674, 9562, and 6840.
Samir Zaquot, who is head of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, said in an October 6, 2022 show on Al-Quds Al-Youm TV (Islamic Jihad – Gaza) that the "heroic martyr" Yasser Arafat used to finance and help Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) "under the table," despite Israeli plans to "wipe off" the organization. He further praised PA security service members who prepared and carried out attacks against Israel. Zaqout said that the "blessed and holy land" cannot accept the "depraved" Israeli "foreigners" and that Israel has the most homosexuality organizations and institutions of "economic destruction." He continued to say that the "American empire" is the "biggest criminal empire to appear in history" and that former U.S. President Trump boasted that Americans do not respect moral values, and therefore voted for him, even though he ran casinos and brothels.
Abbas Zaki, of the Fatah Central Committee, praised 19-year-old Muhannad Al-Halabi, who stabbed two Israelis to death in Jerusalem in 2015 in an October 4, 2022 public address. He said that if 18-year-old Palestinians strike fear into Israel, then how much more may Palestinians expect if they are organized and united. Zaki continued to say that this was not "terrorism," rather the occupation is the "highest form of terrorism." Abbas Zaki spoke at a ceremony marking the 54th anniversary of the Palestinian Arab Front, which was aired on Palestine TV.
Ziyad Nakhalah, Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said in an October 10, 2022 interview with Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) that agreeing to a ceasefire after only 55 hours of fighting in the recent August conflict with Israel was "one of the biggest mistakes of my life." He said that PIJ should have continued to fight and to prove its strength to the "Zionist enemy." Nakhalah added that in the future, PIJ will continue fighting until the "Zionist enterprise" is no longer standing and the Zionists leave Palestine. Nakhalah said that PIJ is working on spreading the resistance into Israel proper. In response to a question by the interviewer, Nakhalah said that PIJ coordinates with the Houthis in Yemen and that they will play a "major role" in supporting the Palestinian resistance, even "in fighting."
In an address delivered at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem that was posted to the Al-Aqsa Call YouTube channel on October 1, 2022, Palestinian Islamic scholar Abu Mahdi Baydoun said that the Palestinian Authority's new Child Protection Law is similar to a law in "infidel" Sweden under which Muslim children are abducted from their families and cut off from Islam. He called on his audience to reject the new law and to let the "collaborators" and "lackeys" of the "infidel West" know that they will "trample [it] underfoot". For more about Abu Mahdi Baydoun, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 7500.
Palestinian Islamic scholar Sheikh Yousef Makharzah, who is affiliated with Hizb ut-Tahrir, said in a sermon that was aired on Al-Waqiyah TV (Hizb ut-Tahrir) on September 28, 2022, that wives who rebel against their husbands should be "disciplined" by being beaten in a "deterring" fashion. He gave the example of a woman who leaves her home in a forbidden fashion without notifying her husband, explaining that her husband must first lecture her about what she did wrong, and then sleep separately from her if she does not listen, but that if this is not effective, he should beat her. He bemoaned the fact that Muslims have been "borrowing" from Western culture, and he criticized America for claiming to champion women's rights and human rights even though it deliberately annihilated millions of Native Americans. In addition, in a reference to the recent civil unrest in Iran after an Iranian woman died after being beaten by Iran's morality police for improperly wearing her headscarf, he criticized the U.S. for "punishing" Iran for killing a woman who went out in public "naked." Moreover, Sheikh Makharzah warned that if men do not beat their wives, they may end up being beaten by their wives.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) political bureau member Dr. Walid Al-Qutati said in a September 26, 2022 show on Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) that PIJ's plan is to wage armed resistance throughout the West Bank, in Jerusalem, and inside Israel's 1948 borders. He said that PIJ does not recognize any Israeli cities or settlements, emphasizing that the entire territory is "one Palestinian land". When asked if there are PIJ sleeper cells inside Israel, he did not answer.
Fatah secretary in Jenin Ata Abu Rumeileh said in a September 11, 2022 show on Awda TV (Palestinian Authority) that Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, has a "green light" to react to any "aggression" against the Palestinian people. He said that the only thing Palestinians must do is to "move towards resistance." Abu Rumeileh stated that all of Palestine is "on fire," both the territories within the 1948 borders and the 1967 borders. He added: "The occupation does not want peace." For more about Ata Abu Rumeileh, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9815, 9473, 9108, and 7022.
On September 6, 2022, during the funeral of Mohammad Sabaaneh, a Palestinian militant killed by Israeli forces in Jenin, Fatah's secretary in Jenin Ata Abu Rumeileh said that "the occupation will bleed everywhere in Palestine." He also said that Palestine spans from the northern Israeli town of Rosh HaNikrah to the southernmost Israeli city of Eilat. In addition, he said that the only language that can be used with the Israeli "occupation" is the language of resistance and guns. The funeral was aired on Palestine TV. For more about Ata Abu Rumeileh, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9473, 9108, and 7022.
Palestinian Authority Mufti of Jerusalem Muhammad Hussein said in an August 10, 2022 show on Palestine TV that the Israelites frequently "indulge" in transgressions and distort the truth. He gave the example of the Jews' "claims" regarding Jerusalem and its holy places, and he accused them of having "attacked" the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. In addition, he said that the Jews slayed Allah's prophets and persecuted Jesus.
In an August 14, 2022 interview on BBC Arabic (U.K.), Dr. Mousa Abu Marzook, the Head of Hamas's International Relations Bureau, spoke about why Hamas did not participate in the recent Gaza conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). He said that the decision whether to participate in the conflict or not is not determined according to public demand, and he defended Hamas against claims that it said it has nothing to do with the conflict or that it has abandoned the concept of "Unity of the Battlefields". He explained that not every Israeli assassination is grounds for going to war. He also explained that the "Unity of the Battlefields" concept did not obligate Hamas to fight alongside the PIJ in the conflict, and that it only reflects the idea that Israel "will not succeed" in separating Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, and the Palestinian-Israelis living inside Israel.
Jalal Abu Shihad, a South Lebanon Fatah official, said in a July 23, 2022 interview on Awda TV (Palestinian Authority) that Fatah's "greatness" stems from its "martyrs" and from "resistance fighters" who carry out attacks in Israel. He also said that military activity and political activity go hand-in-hand, explaining: "Military activity sows, and political activity reaps."
In an English-language video address recorded at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem for a Hizb ut-Tahrir conference recently held in Britain, Palestinian Islamic scholar Issam Amira called upon Muslim youth to use their "links" to the Muslim "armies" to establish a caliphate in the Muslim world. He also called on them to come liberate Palestine and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and he praised British anti-Israel activists. In addition, he said: "You will shortly play with the colonial West the way they have played with your ummah. You will avenge every act of aggression against this blessed ummah."
The conference for which Amira's address was recorded took place in London and Birmingham on July 16-17, 2022 and was titled "From Al-Hind [India] to Al-Quds [Jerusalem]". Amira's address was posted to the Hizb Britain YouTube channel on July 18, 2022. For more about Issam Amira, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9253, 9045, 8492, 7244, 6789, 6114, 5626, 5175, 5041, 5001, 4991, 4901, and 4890.
PIJ military wing Al-Quds Brigades shared a video showcasing its rocket arsenal on its Telegram account on August 7, 2022. The video purported to show a barrage of rockets launched against Tel Aviv. The caption accompanying the video claims this was done as part of the framework of "Operation Unity of the Battlefields" in retaliation for the killing of a PIJ military wing commander Khaled Mansour and "his martyred brothers."
On August 6, 2022, @elhasani_yousef posted on Twitter a video of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) commander Taysir Al-Jabari, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza the previous day, speaking to PIJ fighters. Al-Jabari said that the PIJ and its Al-Quds Brigades, its military wing, are the "fighting front" of the resistance in Palestine, and that they oppose the "axis" that normalizes relations with Israel. He said that this requires Jihad and patience, and he told the fighters that in Paradise, they will forget all the troubles and hardships of this life. He said: "Everything you do should aways be for the sake of Allah... We must do all in our power for the afterlife, and Jihad is the loftiest feat of all."
On August 6, 2022, the London-based Iranian TV channel Iran International posted to its YouTube channel a report about Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leader Ziyad Nakhalah's visit to Tehran during the recent conflict between PIJ in Gaza and Israel. According to the report, IRGC Qods Force Commander General Esmail Qaani has confirmed that attacks against Israel are being carried out under Iranian guidance, and IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami has pledged that Iran will exhaust all means in supporting the Palestinian resistance.
#9712 - At West Bank Fatah Summer Camp, Teenagers Train In Military Tactics
On July 25, 2022, a video was posted to the ODAI ALGOOL ALMGWAR channel on YouTube of teenagers at a summer camp held by Fatah in the West Bank, training in military tactics and performing military drills. The participants trained in urban combat, using what appears to be rifles, and they wore combat vests, BDUs, and yellow Fatah headbands.
In a July 15, 2022 episode of "Pioneers of Tomorrow," a children's show aired on Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV in Gaza, a man dressed in a puppet costume spoke about Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque with children. A little girl said that the Jews must not be allowed to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque. A young boy also said that if the Muslims adhere to shari'a law, Palestine will surely be liberated. The man said that the Muslims must also wage Jihad, and the boy responded that Jihad for the sake of Allah is the "pinnacle of Islam". In addition, the man said that the "criminal Jews" have a plot, explaining: "They are digging tunnels under the Al-Aqsa Mosque in order to... I forgot, what do they want to build?... They want to replace the Dome of the Rock with the Tem... the Tem... What is it called?" In response, the boy said that the Jews want to build the "false Solomon's Temple", but that this will never happen as long as the Palestinians defend Jerusalem. The boy then declared that the Palestinians will fight to their last drop of blood, and the man agreed and praised the martyrs, the wounded, the prisoners, and the exiles who have sacrificed for the defense of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. For more information on the "Pioneers of Tomorrow," see MEMRI TV clips Nos. 4286, 4265, 4065, 2468, 2991, 2028, 2000, 1814, 1766, 1693, 1679, 1639, 1532, 1510, 1497, 1442, and 1446.
Former Palestinian cabinet member Hassan Asfour said in a July 14, 2022 interview on Alghad TV (Egypt) that unlike previous American presidents who considered the Palestinians to be politically significant and who at least had Middle East peace plans that the Palestinians could reject, U.S. President Joe Biden is so weak that he visited the Palestinian territories empty-handed. He elaborated that Biden is not strong enough to provide direct aid to the Palestinians, to remove the terrorist group designation from the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), or to even meet with the family of Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a U.S. citizen who was recently killed during a firefight between Israeli forces and Palestinian terrorists. Comparing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the Holocaust, Asfour also criticized Biden for visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem but not meeting with the families of Palestinian casualties. For more about Hassan Asfour, MEMRI TV Clip No. 3595.
Fatah Central Committee member Tawfiq Al-Tirawi said in a July 3, 2022 show on Palestinian Authority TV that the Arab countries do not care about the Palestinian cause anymore because to "so-called" Arab Spring had actually been an American and Zionist plot to sow unrest in the Arab countries and distract them from the Palestinian issue. For more about Tawfiq Al-Tirawi, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 5275, 4611, 4483, 4435, 4127, 2440, 2273, and 2189.
Palestinian Islamic scholar Mohammed Saleem Ali said in a Friday, July 1, 2022 sermon at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem that the Palestinian people will not allow a single homosexual to openly declare "his abomination," and that they will not allow a single homosexual on the land of Jerusalem and Palestine. He also said that the Palestinian people reject any institution that promotes homosexuality, perversion, promiscuity, or anything else that contradicts Islamic law, including co-ed universities. Ali discussed the recent killings of female students in the Arab world, saying that this is a result of the "immorality" of mixing the male and female students in universities. Mohammed Saleem Ali's sermon was streamed live on the Live Broadcast Al-Aqsa YouTube channel.
Jamil Ziyada, a commentator on Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas-Gaza), said in a June 23, 2022 show that the Palestinians cannot coexist with the Jews and that the only way to get rid of Israel is by fighting, and not by negotiations. He said that even Palestinian children play games in which they pretend to wage a war against the Jews with toy guns and bombs, and he said that the Palestinians "take pride" in this "culture". Ziyada added: "It is all about fighting, more fighting, and then some more fighting."
On June 24, 2022, Awda TV (Palestinian Authority) broadcasted a Fatah rally held in Jenin in honor of terrorists killed by the IDF. At the rally, young men and children brandished rifles and pledged: "Jihad is our path! And death for the sake of Allah is our loftiest aspiration!" Fatah's Jenin spokesman Nasri Hamamreh praised Jenin as the breeding ground of "heroes" and the "birthplace of martyrs." Another speaker praised Palestinian terrorists Raad Hazem and Diaa Hamarsheh, who recently carried out terrorist attacks in the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Bnei Brak. It should be noted that Raad Hazem's father, Fathi Hazem, who has served time in Israeli prisons for terrorist activity, also attended the rally.
On June 22, 2022, a video was posted to the website of Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon) of a military drill carried out by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, in the Gaza strip. The drill involved the launching of rockets and mortars into the Mediterranean Sea at day and at night, and the video showed masked fighters, a war room, and the rockets being prepared for launch.
In a May 29, 2022 video posted on the website of Al-Waqiyah TV (Hizb ut-Tahrir), Palestinian Islamic scholar Yousef Makharzah criticized the visit of Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu to Israel and the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. He said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is "courting" the Jews, pointing out that when Egyptian President Anwar Sadat visited Israel and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Muslims "went berserk" and Allah eventually sent a hero to slaughter him for his treason. Makharzah added that normalization with Israel is treason. For more about Yousef Makharzah, see MEMRI TV Clips No. 7849, No. 8500, No. 8557, No. 8877, No. 9207, No. 9356, No. 9411, No. 9435, No. 9524, and No. 9600.
Palestinian Islamic scholar Yousef Makharzah said in a video that was posted on May 30, 2022 on the website of the Hizb ut-Tahrir-run Al-Waqiyah TV, that monkeypox is a punishment from Allah for homosexuality. He explained that it is a disease that affects monkeys and their "homosexual lookalikes", and that it is "caused by homosexuality", adding: "Since you behave like animals and beasts, Allah wanted to afflict you with the maladies of animals and beasts."
On May 27, 2022, Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) aired a documentary about Hamas's military buildup in Gaza prior to the May 2021 "Sword of Jerusalem war" with Israel. Muhammad Al-Sinwar, a member of Hamas's General Staff whose face was not shown in the interview, recalled how on May 10, 2021 Hamas's Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades launched rockets at Jerusalem during the Jerusalem Day Flag March. He said that the May 2021 conflict will serve as a "practical precedent" for the battle in which all the forces and nations will unity to purify Jerusalem and liberate Palestine. In addition, a commander in Hamas's artillery units identified as Saad said that Hamas military wing commander Muhammad Deif had been in direct contact with the artillery commanders and had given the order to prepare a salvo against Jerusalem. The documentary also included footage of Hamas rockets being loaded into launchers and of military drones in action. It is noteworthy that the documentary aired on a Friday two days prior to Jerusalem Day 2022, during which the annual Flag March is slated to take place.
On May 19, 2022, Jamal Al-Huwail, a member of Fatah's Revolutionary Council from Jenin, spoke on a show on Mayadeen TV (Lebanon). He praised Raad Hazem and Diaa Hamarshah, the Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades members who perpetrated recent deadly terror attacks in Israel, for planning, funding, and carrying out their attacks on their own and with their own money. He praised all those who wage "resistance" and called on members of Fatah's Shabiba youth movement to "rise up from everywhere" to "defend" Jerusalem from the upcoming Israeli Flag March in Jerusalem, which is planned to take place on May 29, 2022. He said: "Be fedayeen, do not be politicians! Join forces with the masses, and you will always be victorious!" For more about Jamal Al-Huwail and his praise of terrorists, see MEMRI TV Clips No. 9451, No. 9470, No. 9489, and No. 9548.
Palestinian Islamic scholar Mohammad Afeef Shadid said in a video that was posted to the Al-Aqsa Call YouTube channel on May 15, 2022 that the Jews' "criminal ruler", what may be a reference to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, should understand that the "end of the Jews is near." He also claimed that this "rotten criminal" has said "Jerusalem is ours, Palestine is ours" and the "despicable lowlife" Arabs only responded by saying they abide by the charters of the League of Nations, the United Nations, and the UNSC. Shadid added: "We want to hear the response of heroes, not of lowlifes." For more information about Mohammad Afeef Shadid, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9560 and 9466.
#9586 - Hamas Military Wing Simulates "Liberation" Of Israeli Settlements Bordering The Gaza Strip
On May 23, 2022, a Hamas propaganda video showcasing a training operation carried out by Hamas's military wing, the Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, was uploaded to the Gaza Now News Twitter account. The video shows Hamas fighters using vehicles, explosives, machine guns, and small unit tactics to storm a simulated fortified position. According to the Twitter description, the Hamas fighters in the video were training to "liberate" the "settlements" surrounding the Gaza Strip. Gaza Now has over 4.4 million followers on Facebook and over half a million followers on Instagram, and it was the most followed media outlet in Gaza during the May 2021 Gaza conflict. For more recent videos showcasing Hamas's military wing, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9574 and 9556.
Palestinian activist Basel Mansour said at a May 20, 2022 rally aired on Palestine TV that Palestinian prisoners from all factions should be freed on a "one for one" basis by kidnapping Israeli soldiers. He added that the Palestinians will only regain their rights through force.
On May 19, 2022, Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) aired a report on Gaza militants' preparation for a future conflict with Israel. The report showed militants rebuilding strategic combat tunnels in Gaza, and Abu Ataya, the spokesman of Al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, said that the "resistance" is ready to confront any Israeli aggression. The reporter said that the resistance strives to double its rocket production and that some of the rockets are already aimed and ready to be launched. In addition, he said that "sources" in the Palestinian joint operations room have said that the resistance is ready for a new war like the May 2021 Gaza conflict and that what it had prepared for the next war will surprise Israel.
On May 20, 2022, a video showcasing Hamas's Izz Al-Din Al Qassam elite unit's military training was uploaded to the Twitter account of Hamas's military wing's spokesman Abu Ubeida, under the handle @Abyd_22. In the video, Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam members are seen during military training, in which the unit simulates attacks on IDF bases, naval commandos on the coast, and armored vehicles. The video follows another video uploaded to the same account on May 13, in which Hamas fighters are seen preparing to launch rockets in underground tunnels, see MEMRI TV clip no 9556.
Palestinian Islamic scholar Mraweh Nassar, the Secretary-General of the Jerusalem Committee of the International Union of Muslims Scholars, said in a May 16, 2022 show on Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas-Gaza) that the Muslims must cut off the head of the "Zionist snake" if they want to solve their problems. He said that Allah has promised in the Quran that the Israeli occupation will end and that the Jews will "never rise again," he added: "These people will be eliminated." In addition, Nassar quoted a hadith about the Muslims fighting the Jews on Judgment Day, in which the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, which will in turn tell the Muslims to come kill the Jews hiding behind them. He added that the world "will not remain silent" much longer in the face of the Zionists. For more about Mraweh Nassar, see MEMRI TV clips 9459, 8951, 8854, 8697, 8426, and 8246.
On May 18, 2022, Palestine Today TV (Palestinian Islamic Jihad) aired a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) rally held in Beit Hanoun, in the Gaza Strip. At the rally, PIJ showcased a Kornet anti-tank missile launcher, a giant statue of an armed PIJ fighter was erected. The broadcast also screened video footage of what PIJ claimed was a Kornet attack against an Israeli vehicle on May 10, 2021. In addition, a masked PIJ member said that PIJ's military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, is ready to fight in Gaza, Jenin, and everywhere in Palestine, including where the "stupid enemy" does not expect it. In addition, he threatened that PIJ will use its "Jenin" drone (see MEMRI TV Clip No. 9523). For more about the use of Kornet missiles by Palestinian factions in Gaza and how they were supplied to them by Hizbullah and Qasem Soleimani, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9054, 8896, 8896, 8892, 8832, 8307, 6869, and 4478.
On May 15, 2022, Palestine TV aired a Nakba Day rally that was held in Ramallah. Muhammad Alian, the Chairman of the National Committee for Defending the Right of Return, said at the rally that Yasser Arafat, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, and the other leaders of Palestinian factions who were killed by Israel, will not be forgotten, and that it is inconceivable that the Palestinians will not return to their land. A young girl holding a ring of keys symbolizing the Palestinian return said that she is from Palestine "in its entirety" and that she has come to convey the message that Palestinians are returning.
Muhammad Al-Lahham, a member of Fatah's Revolutionary Council, said in a May 15, 2022 show on Alghad TV (Egypt) that Fatah's conflict with Israel is about the very existence of Israel, and not about borders. He said that after being banished from 70 countries, the Jews had come to Palestine in order to "erase the truth" even though the Arab nation had never done them any harm. He said: "It is either us or them in this land." For more about Muhammad Al-Lahham, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 6840.
In a May 7, 2022 rally in support of Hamas' Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar that aired on Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas-Gaza), Hamas MP Mushir Al-Masri saluted the perpetrators of the recent deadly terrorist attack in the Israeli cities of Elad, Tel Aviv, and Hadera. He said that the Palestinians will uproot the Zionist "thorns" with their axes, cleavers, knives, guns, and nails, adding that the Palestinians' sword will not be sheathed until Israel's leaders are beheaded. Al-Masri declated: "We love martyrdom." It is noteworthy that Hamas' Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar recently encouraged Palestinians to carry out attacks against Israelis with guns, cleavers, and axes (see MEMRI TV 9527).
The Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, published a video showing Hamas fighters carrying rockets and preparing for battle in underground tunnels. The video ended with a caption in Hebrew and Arabic that reads: "Your destiny is death if you enter Gaza." The video was posted on the Abyd_22 account on Twitter.
At the May 12, 2022 funeral procession in Ramallah for Shireen Abu Akleh, an Al-Jazeera journalist who was killed on May 11, 2022 during a firefight between Israeli forces and Palestinian terrorists, masked and armed Palestinian militants carried M-16-style rifles and fired them in the air. Some of the militants' equipment appears to have originally belonged to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Footage of the funeral procession was broadcast on Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar).
Palestinian Political commentator Waleed Muhammad Ali said in a May 5, 2022 show on Palestine Today TV (Palestinian Islamic Jihad) that the United States has an arrogant colonialist mentality, which is causing it to dig its own grave. He explained that the American "defeats" in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan demonstrate that America never considers the capability of the "weak" and risk gambling on losing causes. Ali further said that America is not a "civilized" nation and that it was founded on "skulls and on killing."
Dr. Nasser Al-Qaram, the head of the Shari'a Court of Appeals in Nablus, said in a Friday, May 6, 2022 sermon in the West Bank town of Al-Bireh that the Israeli occupation's actions in the Al-Aqsa compound and Jerusalem are heralding a "religious war" and reveal "the hatred and hostility of the sons of Zion towards the Islamic nation." In addition, he accused the Jews of toppling the Ottoman Empire because Sultan Abdul Hamid refused to sell the land of Palestine to the Jews, and he asserted that no Palestinian would be willing to give up a grain of Palestinian soil. Dr. Al-Qaram's sermon aired on Palestine TV. For more about Dr. Al-Qaram, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 9369.
In an April 17, 2022 interview on Al-Masirah TV (Houthis-Yemen), Sirhan Yousef, the head of Fatah's foreign relations in Lebanon, called on the Arab countries to arm the Palestinians and to open their borders and allow the Palestinians to attack Israel from their territory like they do from Gaza and southern Lebanon, so that the Palestinians can win victories and end the Israeli occupation.
On April 8, 2022, the Gaza Now Twitter account posted a report about the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in Gaza. The presenter, Mohamed Aborjela, said that Ramadan is even more special in Gaza than it is in other parts of the Muslim world, and he spoke about different foods commonly eaten by Gazans at iftar meals, including qatayef, carob juice, and maqluba. He said: "You find yourself eating a different Palestinian dish every day."
Khaled Al-Azbat, the spokesman of the Palestinian Popular Resistance Movement, said in an April 20, 2022 interview on Al-Quds Al-Youm TV (Islamic Jihad – Gaza) that there are no "so-called civilians" in Israel and that even Israeli women and children are part of the military mobilization." He said: "We consider all of them to be plunderers of Palestine and occupiers." For more information about Khaled Al-Azbat, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 6610.
The mother of a "martyred" Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist named Muhammad Jahjouh said in an April 16, 2022 interview on Al-Quds Al-Youm TV (Islamic Jihad – Gaza) that she always prays for her entire family, including her grandchildren, to be martyred for the sake of Allah. She said that this would make her happy, that she is proud of her "martyred" son, and that she loves this "path." According do an online PIJ report, Jahjouh was killed in January 2009 after killing "two Israeli soldiers."
Gaza Islamic scholar Wael Al-Zard, a member of the Palestine Islamic Scholars Association, said in an April 16, 2022 interview on Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas-Gaza) that people who are familiar with computers can wage "electronic Jihad" against Israel. Calling on people to wreak havoc on Israel by using ransomware and viruses, he said that they should raid Israeli servers and steal information that can benefit the mujahideen, such as the precise locations of Israel's oil stockpiles and planes.
Palestinian Islamic scholar Samih Hajjaj said in an April 3, 2022 show on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah – Lebanon) that the Palestinians are praying for Allah to grant them "aerial weapons" and planes so that they can use them against Israel. He explained that Israel has air superiority, but that its ground forces have to contend with Palestinian mujahideen. In addition, Hajjaj described how the Palestinian resistance first used stones, but now has rockets and armed forces. He also mentioned how Palestinian children are "in a state of [military] mobilization" and play with plastic Kalashnikov rifles and handguns.
Bassam Abu Sharif, who served as an advisor to Yasser Arafat, said in an April 10, 2022 interview on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah – Lebanon) that Jews in Israel should join the Palestinians in their fight to topple the "blood-soaked" Zionist regime. He said that the Jews who immigrated to Israel from Arab countries suffer racism at the hands of Nazi-like Ashkenazi Jews and want to return to their Arab "homeland." He also said that Ashkenazi Jews are "Zelenskyy's people in Ukraine" and that they kill women and children. For more about Bassam Abu Sharif, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 1535, 2465, 7781, and 8696.
Abbas Zaki of the Fatah's Central Committee called on Arab leaders who normalized relations with Israel to step down and allow their people to support Jerusalem in a Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) show that aired on April 14, 2022. He said that all the resistance fighters are welcome in Palestine. Zaki further said that Palestinians follow the path of Yasser Arafat, he asked Allah to grant them martyrdom, and quoted Arafat: "A million of martyrs are marching to Jerusalem." He said that all the Palestinians who bear arms should unit and that Israel is a "paper tiger."
Turkey-based Hamas official and political analyst Talal Nassar said in an April 8, 2022 show on the Turkey-based Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Channel 9 TV that Israel will be annihilated and that the Palestinians will walk over the skulls of the Zionists and tread on the land of Palestine. Praising the "pure martyrs" and the perpetrators of the recent terror attacks in Tel Aviv and Bnei Brak, he said that Palestine belongs entirely to the Palestinians, and there is no possibility that it would belong to the Zionists. For more information about Talal Nassar, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 8689, 8819, 6678, and 6774.
In a March 30, 2022 show on Turkey-based Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood channel Mekameleen TV show host Ahmad Samir discussed the shooting the day before in the Israeli city of Bnei Brak that left five Israelis dead. Samir said that the Palestinian people "make us happy and proud," and showed a picture of Bnei Brak terrorist Diaa Hamarsheh. He exclaimed: "Look how brilliant you are! How brilliant is his picture, his entire presence!" Samir also showed video footage from the Bnei Brak shooting and pictures of the victims' bodies. In addition, Samir claimed that influential Israelis are conducting negotiations to lease nearby Greek islands to which they could evacuate in a future war, which he predicted would be "ferocious."
In a video that was posted on the Sanad News YouTube channel on March 30, 2022, Rim Hamarsheh, the aunt of Palestinian terrorist Diaa Hamarsheh, who on March 29 killed five Israelis in a shooting spree in Bnei Brak, Israel, said that the family is sad that he is gone but happy that he is a martyr. Asking Allah to be "pleased" with Hamarsheh, she praised his confidence during the attack, adding: "Not everyone possesses this kind of courage." For more about Palestinian celebrations of the Bnei Brak shooting, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9463, 9467, and 9470.
Jamal Al-Huwail, a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council from Jenin, said in a March 29, 2022 interview on Al-Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) that Diaa Al-Hamarsheh, the terrorist who carried out the same-day terrorist attack in Bnei Brak that left five Israelis dead, brought light into the hearts of the Palestinians. He said that Al-Hamarsheh and his family restored the glory of Fatah, Hamas, the PFLP, and Islamic Jihad by stating that the "solution to occupation is force." Al-Huwail also said that the "nuclear bomb" facing Israel is the Palestinian people within the borders of the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, he said that Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whom he called "that dwarf," will fall. Al-Huwail also criticized U.S. President Joe Biden for not having spoken to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas except in May 2021. On March 23, Al-Huwail has also praised an ISIS terrorist who stabbed four Israelis to death in Beer Sheba, Israel. For more information, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 9451.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said in a speech at the December 9, 2022 Arab-China Summit in Riyadh, that the State of Palestine will continue to support the One-China Policy. He said that Israel's United Nations membership must be rescinded unless it is held accountable for failing to implement UN Resolutions 181 and 194. Abbas also said that Britain and the United States must apologize to the Palestinians and pay reparations for their part in the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate. He added that Israel must also apologize and pay reparations for the Nakba. Abbas' speech was aired on Alghad TV (Egypt, UAE).
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in a December 7, 2022 interview that aired on Al-Arabiya Network (Saudi Arabia) that he is a proponent of "peaceful resistance." He said that he does not endorse armed resistance "now." Abbas added that in the future, he may change his mind at "any moment."
On November 13, 2022, Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas-Gaza) aired a song titled "Open Fire!" which encourages Palestinians in the West Bank to "open fire" on Israeli civilians and security forces. The song is performed by Hamas terrorists Hamouda Sallah and Musab Al-Hashlamoun, who were both released in the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal. Sallah and Al-Hashlamoun are seen wearing full military gear and are accompanied by masked men wearing uniforms and carrying weapons. The song encourages Palestinians to "be steadfast, plan, ambush, aim, count down, and get close" and to "observe, surprise [the enemy], preempt, and finish them off" in their attacks, and the music video incorporates archival footage shooting attacks against Israeli forces in the West Bank, including the October shootout in which terrorist Uday Tamimi was killed. It also features a simulated shooting attack against an Israeli civilian car.
Rajaa Al-Halabi, the head of the Hamas Women's Movement, said in a December 12, 2022 interview on Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas-Gaza) that a girl who sets out to be a "martyrdom-seeker" has "only one thing on her mind – to meet her Lord by means of her blood and her body parts." She said that any woman in Hamas would be a "martyrdom-seeker" if she had the opportunity. Al-Halabi further said that the teachers in Gaza's kindergarten, the majority of whom belong to Hamas, raise the children to love Jihad from infancy. For more about Rajaa Al-Halabi, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 9252, 8150, and 7800.
