Israel Matzav

'Moderate' Fatah threatens Jews outside of Israel

The 'military wing' of 'moderate' 'Palestinian President' Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen's 'moderate' Fatah movement - the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade - is threatening Jews outside of Israel.

A senior source in Israeli intelligence reports that the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of the Fatah organization chaired by Mahmoud Abbas, has threatened to target Jewish institutions outside of Israel.

The threat was made with the condition of Jews continuing to "invade" the Al Aksa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem during this week's Passover holiday.

These groups are allowed to visit the Temple Mount grounds in small groups, although Jews are not allowed by the Israeli police to pray there, in accordance with the rules issued by the Islamic religious authority known as the WAKF.

The statement stated that "The Zionist conqueror bears full responsibility for this invasion and all Zionist targets are legitimate."

Although the Al Aksa remains on the active list of organizations defined by the United States government as a terrorist organization, the Clinton administration and now the Bush administration have issued a waiver every half year for the past 13 years to allow the Fatah to maintain a Washington office, which is represented by Edward Abington, former U.S. consul in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, numerous Jewish organizations host representatives of the Fatah, such as the Americans for Peace Now, the Israel Policy Forum and the Jewish Voices for Peace. All of these organizations were unavailable for comment, due to the Passover holiday.

Israel's top investigative news website confirms the threat [Link in Hebrew. The Philadelphia Bulletin article is essentially a translation of that part of the investigative website's report. CiJ]. Also according to the investigative website,

The al-Aqsa Brigades also ask the Israeli Arabs (whom they call the "Palestinians in the 1948 territories") to pass the roadblocks and come to al-Aqsa to protect it and to "prevent the fulfillment of the Zionist plans that aim to destroy the mosque.

As I have noted in the past, the 'Palestinians' frequently use imaginary threats to al-Aqsa to rile their people up for battle. The report continues:

In this notice, the military wing's activists were instructed to announce a state of emergency and preparations and to continue to fire missiles at Israel and to carry out "quality terror attacks."

And in the meantime the Brigade of the Martyr Yasser Arafat, the military wing of the Fatah took responsibility (Sunday) for the firing of seven rockets at the settlements of Nahal Oz and Kibbutz Sa'ad [both within the 'green line.' CiJ] An official notice that was published stated that the shelling of the Israeli settlements was part of the military operation "We are sacrificing our souls for you al-Aqsa" as "a reaction to the occupation's crimes that damage the al-Aqsa mosque."

Maybe this is connected to the firebombing of a Jewish community center in Montreal over the holiday?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:13 PM