Congregation Beth Shalom

by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz

Hamas would-be suicide bombers

In reaction to the elimination of a leading Islamist in Gaza on Thursday afternoon, a top PA terrorist, Ismail Redwan, threatened “revenge” in the name of Hamas. On PA television, he declared that “all options are open to Hamas, including suicide bombings and attacks on Zionist interests everywhere.” Redwan added that the PA militias “will end the occupation.”

In a separate statement, the Hamas regime urged “the mujahideen (jihad fighters) and the rest of the Palestinian people to confront the Israeli occupation army and the Israeli settlers in every Palestinian city, village and refugee camp.” Hamas, it should be noted, considers all Jewish cities, towns and villages anywhere in Israel to be “settlements”.

The Hamas threat to strike targets abroad, like the rest of the organization’s current tactics, is reminiscent of Hizbullah. That Lebanese terrorist organization also threatened to strike Israeli and Jewish assets worldwide in the wake of the assassination of Hizbullah’s strategist and Iran-directed handler Imad Mughniyeh. He was killed when his car exploded in Damascus in February 2008. Hamas terrorists have been receiving support and training from Iran, for which Hizbullah acts as a proxy army in Lebanon.

Al-Qaeda Joins the Call

Earlier this week, security analysts from the Israel- and US-based Institute for Terrorism Research and Response (ITRR) warned that Hamas, Hizbullah and Al-Qaeda may collaborate or carry out “sympathetic attacks” on Israeli or Jewish targets worldwide.

On Friday, the al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) terrorist organization called on Muslims worldwide “to strike Israeli interests… everywhere and immediately.” , Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi, head of the ISI, also called for “mujahideen… to strike the US enemy, which fully backs [Israeli] aggression against Gaza.”

In addition, ITRR warned that acts of terrorism may target Egyptian assets, due to Egypt’s failure to open Sinai to Gazan refugees.

“Lone-Wolf” Terrorist Threat

ITRR analysts said there is a clear likelihood that “lone-wolf” terrorists – individuals acting on their own or in ad-hoc cells – will strike Israeli or Jewish targets around the world in response to current events in the Middle East.

One such incident already took place in Odense, Denmark, on Wednesday, when at least one attacker opened fire on a group of Israelis at a mall. Two Israelis were injured lightly and police eventually apprehended a Lebanese Arab on suspicion of involvement in the shooting.

Hamas, Fatah Call for ‘Day of Rage’

In a statement issued in the PA press, Hamas called for Arabs in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem to take part in a “Day of Rage” on Friday. The Islamist organization called for demonstrations and “massive marches following Friday prayers.”

Friday prayers generally draw the largest numbers of Muslims to the mosque for communal prayers. PA imams (Muslim clerics) often take advantage of the presence of large crowds and the television broadcast of sermons in certain mosques to incite hatred and violence directed against Israel and the West.

Spokesmen for the Fatah-controlled half of the Palestinian Authority echoed the Hamas call for a “Day of Rage”.

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