Recently in Islamic Jihad Category

This is the usual propaganda that Iran's official new agencies pump out by the pound, but it is worth noting yet again for the incurably politically correct that no land concession or "settlements" moratorium on the part of Israel will bring peace. This is because the jihadists who are set against Israel will never give up until Israel is utterly destroyed. All Israel can do is be stronger and smarter than they are (the latter isn't hard), and hang tough.

"Islamic Jihad Urges Muslim Confrontation with Israeli Aggressions," from Iran's Fars News Agency, May 19:

TEHRAN (FNA)- Representative of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement to Tehran Nasser Abusharif strongly condemned the recent Israeli air raid on Syria, and called on all Islamic states to confront the Zionist regime's aggressive moves to prevent similar events in future.

Speaking to FNA on Sunday, Abusharif said the recent Israeli airstrike on Syria was "a blatant violation of an independent state."

"We in the Islamic Jihad Movement condemn the attack and, of course, this opposition should not be limited to criticism and condemnation in words. Rather, we want confrontation with this occupying enemy because we blame a major part of the regional problems on this occupying regime and the western plots which are hatched and exercised in support of this regime."

"Arab and Islamic nations could counter this Zionist enemy through unity and solidarity and prevent it from repeating its aggressions against Muslim territories," the Palestinian figure stated.

"It is the time for the Islamic Ummah (community) to confront this cancerous tumor and wipe it out from the region."

Earlier this month, Syria said the Israeli regime had carried out an airstrike targeting a research center in a suburb of Damascus after heavy losses were inflicted on al-Qaeda-affiliated groups by the Syrian army. According to Syrian media reports, Israeli rockets struck the Jamraya research center.

The Israeli aggression was Tel Aviv's second strike on Syria in three days and the third in the last five months.

The Jamraya facility was also targeted in an Israeli airstrike in January.

This demonstrates how disastrously foolish it was for Israel to have succumbed to Obama's pressure and apologized for defending itself. Now some of the money that Israel will pay to the "victims" will go to the jihad against Israel.

"Mavi Marmara victim to donate compensation to Hamas, Islamic Jihad," from the Hürriyet Daily News, April 3 (thanks to Joshua):

One of the victims of the Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara aid flotilla has announced that he will donate the compensation to Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Israel apologized to Turkey for the Mavi Marmara raid in which nine Turkish nationals died and agreed to pay compensation to the families of the victims.

Activist Mehmet Tunç said he would donate the compensation to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Palestine himself, adding that he would not touch even “one Turkish Lira” of it at a press conference today.

Tunç had been a volunteer on the Mavi Marmara ship traveling to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. He told reporters that nine of his friends had been martyred by the Israeli forces in a raid he called “against international law.”

Abdullah Demirel, Tunç’s lawyer, said the Israeli government had apologized for the first time in its history and that it was a “huge development.” Demirel also said they had been informed by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on the compensation issue.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu hosted the families of the Mavi Marmara victims late April 2. The ministers informed the families at a dinner about the recent reconciliation process between Turkey and Israel, which was started by an Israeli apology for the losses in the Mavi Marmara incident. The lawyers of the families were also present at the meeting.

The families have not yet made their final decision as to whether accept the compensation that will eventually be offered by Israel and withdraw from cases against Israeli soldiers, according to sources.

Arınç said yesterday that the families had said that “any words about compensation would sadden them. The core of the issue is the apology and lifting of the embargo [on the Gaza Strip]. The government’s work on compensation would be right for them as well.”

The lifting of the embargo would mean the free flow of arms to the jihadists in Gaza.

Don't be concerned. If the Israelis make some more concessions, all will be well. "‘Iranians in Gaza, guiding rocket development,’" by Aaron Kalman for the Times of Israel, February 26:

Iranian rocket specialists are in the Gaza Strip, helping terrorist organizations develop their arsenal of projectiles, Palestinian security officials said Tuesday, hours after a rocket was fired at Israel for the first time in months.

Representatives of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were helping Hamas, which rules the Strip, and the Islamic Jihad organization develop long-range rockets, the Hebrew news site Walla reported, citing the unnamed Palestinian officials. Israeli officials confirmed there was an Iranian presence in Gaza, adding it wasn’t the first time Iranian officials had entered the Strip, the report said.

The report could not be confirmed independently.

On Thursday morning, an upgraded Fajr missile, with a range of 70 kilometers (over 40 miles), landed south of Ashkelon, breaking a truce between Israel and the terror groups in the Strip which had held since the end of Operation Pillar of Defense in November. In response to the rocket fire Tuesday, Israel temporarily curtailed operations at two Gaza border crossings.

Fatah’s military wing claimed responsibility for the attack, but Israeli reports said it was likely that Hamas — which controls Gaza — was also involved at some level.

In November, a senior Hamas official predicted that Iran would increase its military and economic aid to Gazan groups because of the victory his group claimed in Pillar of Defense, the eight-day confrontation with Israel.

“They give it to us in the name of Allah, without conditions, and I am a witness to this,” Mahmoud al-Zahar told reporters in Gaza at the time, adding, “It is our right to take money and weapons from Iran.”

"Islamic Jihad," eh? So I guess they are dedicated to getting in their exercise despite their busy schedules, right? How on earth did such a peaceful, happy group get involved in kidnapping?

"Islamic Jihad kidnapping plot inside Israel foiled," from Israel Hayom, February 3:

The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Border Police thwarted an attempt last month by an Islamic Jihad terrorist cell to kidnap an Israeli civilian or soldier for use as a bargaining chip in a future prisoner exchange.

Members of the cell were detained early on Jan. 1 near the Eyal checkpoint, east of Kfar Saba. Rope, tape, head scarves, a knife and a fake pistol were found in their vehicle.

The case was placed under a gag order, which was lifted on Sunday.

Members of the cell included two Palestinians from Jenin and an Israeli Arab from Qalansuwa.

Upon questioning, the cell members confessed to attempting several abductions at bus and train stations in the coastal and central regions of Israel over the span of two days. These attempts were foiled by the refusal of civilians and soldiers to enter their vehicle. They then planned to kidnap revelers returning from New Year's Eve celebrations, but they failed in this as well. They spent the night in their vehicle near the Eyal checkpoint and were detained early on New Year's Day. They had intended to continue their kidnapping attempts that day.

The cell members planned to transport their hostage to Jenin, where they would conduct negotiations with Israeli authorities. They intended to use the Israeli Arab's ID card to pass into Judea and Samaria from Israel.

The investigation of the plot led to the arrest of eight additional suspects in the Jenin area. An Israeli Arab from Umm al-Fahm was also arrested for hosting members of the cell at his home the night before their arrest.

On Sunday, the two detained Israeli Arabs in the case were indicted in the Central District Court in Lod for attempted kidnapping, among other charges....

Gaza billboard: "Thanks and gratitude to Iran"

While maintaining its close relationship with Hamas. "Iran Stengthens [sic] Ties to Palestinian Islamic Jihad," by Abeer Ayyoub for Al-Monitor, January 21:

Since the Islamic revolution in 1979, Iran has been the main supporter of the Palestinian cause, and in particular of its two largest Islamic factions: Hamas and Islamic Jihad. As part of the alliance, Syria was also a major supporter of the two groups and, until recently, played host to the leadership of both groups.

Iran was a strong supporter of the Hamas government in Gaza and its military wing, until Hamas moved its leadership from Syria, split with Bashar al-Assad’s regime and became a vocal critic of the Syrian crackdown.

Hamas had waited more than a year until it made the difficult decision to leave Syria and sacrifice Iranian support. As an offshoot of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood — which has been riding high since the Arab Spring — Hamas now has alternatives to Iran, and is moving out of isolation and towards international acceptance.

However, by contrast, Islamic Jihad — constrained by a lack of allies — has opted to stay officially neutral on the Syrian crisis. Despite Ramadan Shallah, the leader of Islamic Jihad, leaving Syria last year, the movement still insists that its ties with Syria have not been negatively affected and that Shallah’s departure was purely for security reasons.

Senior Islamic Jihad official Khader Habeeb told Al-Monitor that his faction’s relations with foreign powers are based on the support those powers can provide to the Palestinian resistance, and not on external matters. “Iran has adopted the Palestinian resistance since its Islamic revolution. It has been a loyal backer. Consequently, Iranian assistance for the Syrian regime has nothing to do with our relations with Iran, even when our views are different,” Habeeb said.

Habeeb considers the crisis in Syria a purely internal issue that has nothing to do with the Palestinians. “Definitely we are sorry for both Palestinians and Syrians being killed every day in Syria, but we are already aware of the fact we are mere guests in Syria and have no right to interfere,” he explained.

With Hamas-Iran relations destabilized over Syria, a door has opened for Islamic Jihad to boost its ties with Iran, although its officials won’t openly admit this.

Adnan Abu Amer, political analyst and lecturer at Al-Ummah University is Gaza, said that Iran's ties to Islamic Jihad have strengthened since Hamas took a step back from Tehran.

“Islamic Jihad is the top backed Palestinian faction by Iran. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Islamic Jihad will stand out from the rest, as there are many other factors that count, such as popularity and national support,” Abu Amer clarified.

Growing Iranian support for Islamic Jihad was made evident in the November mini-war with Israel, with the movement demonstrating its long-range rocket and cyber-warfare capabilities.

Habeeb, however, stressed that Iranian support for Islamic Jihad is only limited to the armed wing, and has nothing to do with strains between Hamas and Iran. “Hamas-Iran relations are still okay and our good relations with Iran do not come at the expense of their ties,” Habeeb said. “Iran was pleased with the victory the Palestinian resistance achieved. This is why it’s likely to increase its support for us, for what we have lost during the war and because we need to rebuild our infrastructure.”

Islamic Jihad also maintains strong links with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, despite Hezbollah’s open support for the Syrian regime. “Hezbollah is a strong, armed faction and we are still coordinating with them concerning resistance against the Israeli occupation. That’s what matters to us. Any external conflict is not our issue,” Habeeb said.

Taher al-Nono, spokesman for the Hamas government in Gaza, stressed that the two Islamist factions were not competing over Iranian support. “It’s totally up to Iran to support any of the Palestinian factions with the way it considers,” al-Nono said.

Despite both Hamas and Islamic Jihad sharing a similar opinion of the Syrian crisis, they have each acted according to their own circumstances.

“Hamas has Qatar and Egypt as alternatives, which made its decision easier, while Islamic Jihad has no other geographical alternatives, so it had to stay in Syria and not comment,” Abu Amer told Al-Monitor.

Hamas’ quiet departure from Syria was the most it could do under Iranian pressure, Abu Amer said. He said that Iran preferred that Hamas stay in Syria and take an impartial stance.

Nevertheless, all indicators suggest that Iran is still keen in maintaining relations with Hamas, as a popular resistance movement and a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is now spreading throughout the Arab Spring states....

As Elder of Ziyon says: ”This means that terror groups who urge the ethnic cleansing of Jews in the Middle East will be accepted as part of the international community at the UN. (The UN does not distinguish between the PLO and the ‘State of Palestine.’).” This means UN sanctioning of Islamic antisemitism and the genocidal aspirations that Hamas has so often enunciated as the contemporary fulfillment and embodiment of those antisemitic teachings. It also gives the lie to the fiction, so prevalent in Washington, that the PLO and Fatah are the "moderates" who oppose the Hamas and Islamic Jihad "extremists."

"PLO Executive Committee Member Expects Hamas, Islamic Jihad to Join With PLO," by Zach Pontz for Algemeiner, January 20:

A member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, Dr. Ahmed Majdalani, told Al-Quds newspaper that he expects Hamas and Islamic Jihad to join with the PLO after National Council elections later this month, though the government will still headed by President Mahmoud Abbas.

The PA is subsidiary to the PLO, whose members are not elected by the people.

Anonymous pro-Israel blogger Elder of Ziyon notes that ”This means that terror groups who urge the ethnic cleansing of Jews in the Middle East will be accepted as part of the international community at the UN. (The UN does not distinguish between the PLO and the ‘State of Palestine.’).”

Majdalani also said that negotiations between Fatah and Hamas in Cairo are resulting in a mechanism for new elections not only in the territories but also for Palestinian Arabs who live abroad.

On Thursday Hamas and Fatah agreed to implement, by the end of this month, previous reconciliation agreements signed between the two parties.

The most recent reconciliation agreement, signed in Doha, Qatar, envisages the establishment of a unity government headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Doesn't Mohamed Abou Samra know that Islamic jihad is really just about getting in your exercise? And how did he come to be such an egregious misunderstander of Islam that he thinks that Sharia, which everyone knows is benign and completely compatible with Western principles of freedom, says that Jews deserve to be killed? Who will relieve this misunderstander of Islam of his misunderstandings? Ahmed Rehab, call your office!

"Islamic Jihad vows to fight the Jews if they return to Egypt," from Al-Masry Al-Youm, January 3:

The Islamic Jihad movement has called on the Freedom and Justice Party’s Essam al-Erian to resign from his role as advisor to the president and apologize to the Egyptian people for his statement asking Egyptian Jews to leave Israel and reclaim their properties back at home.

Erian had triggered controversy over his remarks this week when he said this would pave the way for the Palestinians to regain their occupied land.

He also blamed President Nasser for deporting the Jews after the establishment of Israel.

“We shall fight them vigorously if they return, especially the Egyptian-Israeli Jews,” said Mohamed Abou Samra, the leading figure in the Islamic Jihad movement. “Islamic Sharia says they deserve to be killed.”

“Erian is violating religion to be a national hero for the Jews at the expense of the Islamists,” he added. “And the Brotherhood’s denouncement of his remarks was too mild.”

“They will destroy the economy and foment sedition,” he said. “Their return will be over our dead bodies.”

“We will continue fighting the Jews until the liberation of Palestine or Doomsday,” he said.

Whichever comes first.

Yes, he used the word "savage." Will he be roundly denounced as a racist Islamophobe? Will Mona Eltahawy spray-paint the offices of Palestinian Islamic Jihad?

"Palestinian Islamic Jihad Leader Promises 'Savage Round' of Fighting," by John Rossomando for IPT News, November 29 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

A leader of the third-largest Palestinian faction told the Egyptian newspaper El-Balad Thursday that the truce with Israel will be brief and that Palestinians are braced for a "more savage and bloody round" of fighting with Israel.

"We are preparing for a new, more savage round," Dr. Mohammed Al-Hindi, a leading Palestinian Islamic Jihad figure told the newspaper. "We are in a short truce (hudna), the Israeli enemy is preparing for further rounds of war in Gaza."...

Ramadan Shallah, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad top dog, was once a professor at the University of South Florida, brought there by Sami al-Arian, the once and future poster boy for Islamic victimhood who was in reality an Islamic Jihad operative himself.

"AP Interview: Leader of Gaza's Islamic Jihad says Iran has praised group for fight with Israel," from Associated Press, November 26:

CAIRO – A Palestinian militant leader says Iran's president has called him to praise the performance of his group, the Islamic Jihad, in the recent fighting against Israel.

Ramadan Shallah told The Associated Press that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad offered congratulations on Sunday in phone calls to him and to Hamas' prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh.

Shallah says Iran supported Palestinians "military and financially" during the eight-day fighting....

Islamic Jihad exudes class. "Online Indiscretion Leads to Islamic Jihad Texting Threats to Israeli Soldiers During Operation Pillar of Defense," by Zach Pontz for the Algemeiner, November 25:

During Operation Pillar of Defense threatening text messages were sent to the cell phones of IDF reservists and soldiers and the army now knows why: A soldier from their unit posted the sensitive information to the internet.

According to an article on Israel Channel 2′s website, during the operation Islamic Jihad published to its website that the terrorist organization was able to send thousands of SMS messages threatening Israeli civilians, reservists and military officials.

During Operation Pillar of Defense the IDF adjusted online personnel procedures to include “no posting of any information about the operation, including the locations of forces, names, units – with an emphasis on social networking.” It also warned not to “open messages with attached files or links from unfamiliar addresses and do not answer calls from an unrecognized number.” It said “especially during the operation, the enemy is investing considerable effort in search of information about the IDF on the web…”

Of course it isn't. Only ever-blinkered Western analysts think it is. "Islamic Jihad: Gaza ceasefire not end of battle," from Xinhua, November 22:

GAZA, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- The armed wing of Islamic Jihad movement said Thursday that the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip does not mean an end to the conflict.

"The battle with the enemy has not ended," declared a masked gunman from al-Quds brigades.

"Our choice in fighting and getting weapons to defend our people is going on," he told at a press conference in Gaza City.

The ceasefire announced Wednesday night ended a week of cross- border violence between Israel and Palestinian armed groups led by Islamic Hamas movement, which controls Gaza.

The gunman noted that his group lost 10 fighters in the Israeli aerial offensive and fired 620 rockets and missiles towards Israeli cities.

Hamas took the credit for firing more rockets, including several that reached the outskirts of Jerusalem and some Israeli cities....

Act of war. More on this story. "Palestinian Islamic Jihad Leaders Admit Missiles Came from Iran," from MEMRI, November 16:

Following are excerpts from TV reports featuring leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which aired on various channels between November 15-20, 2012.

Al-Jazeera TV, November 20, 2012:

Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ramadhan Abdallah Shalah: With regard to the Iranian position – even if we have disagreements with Iran regarding the situation in Syria, I don’t think that we, as the Palestinian resistance, have disagreements with Iran regarding what is happening in Palestine, or regarding the Zionist aggression against the Gaza Strip. With regard to Palestine, we are in complete agreement with Iran. Iran has given us all the aid and all the support. The weapons that are fighting the Israeli aggression and arrogance in Palestine come mainly from Iran, as the entire world knows. This is no secret. These are either Iranian weapons or weapons financed by Iran.

[...]

Al-Alam TV, November 19, 2012:

Palestinian Islamic Jihad Deputy Secretary-General Ziyad Nakhala: We are on the brink of a great victory, Allah willing. This is a new stage in the conflict with the Zionist enterprise.

Show host: Do you believe that the missiles have changed the equation?

Ziyad Nakhala: Absolutely. This wonderful weapon has proven its significant role in battle. The missiles have changed the balance of power, and have proven to Israel that we can shell their cities like they shell ours, and that we can shell their military camps like they shell our children.

Show host: Are you firing the Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 missiles? Do you have these missiles?

Ziyad Nakhala: Absolutely. These missiles have restored the honor of the Palestinian people. We received these missiles from our allies and brothers in the Islamic Republic. They have generally given us these missiles, exerting great effort. These missiles have changed the equation in this conflict.

[...]

Mayadeen TV, November 15, 2012:

Show host: Are the Fajr-5 missiles produced locally or brought from outside Palestinian lands?

Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Sheikh Khaled Al-Batsh: These missiles are 100% Iranian made, and are part of the legitimate aid that the Islamic Republic provides to the Palestinian people. This is well known and was announced in the media.

Yet the mainstream media ignores this. This isn't desperation -- it's showing that they know how to play the game, as the mainstream media has rigged the rules for them.

"Brazen faking of images reveals Hamas’ desperation," by Paul Alster for Fox News, November 20 (thanks to David):

Haifa, Israel – There is only one thing worse than the image of a child killed by military conflict, and that is the image of a child killed by military conflict having deliberately been placed in the line of fire.

War is, by definition, a very nasty business, and invariably it is the innocents on all sides who bear a significant cost in lives lost, people maimed and communities traumatized.

But solid evidence now reveals how Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza have been deliberately placing their civilian population in mortal danger, choreographing a number of seemingly gory scenes, as well as releasing images from other conflicts, such as Iraq and Syria, and passing them off as dead Gazan civilians killed by Israeli missiles.

In an attempt to persuade the world that Israel is committing war crimes and to distract attention away from the illegal and immoral use of their own population as human shields, Hamas has resorted to staging a number of fake deaths and scenes of severely injured people right in front of international TV crews.

The BBC recently broadcast a news report showing a man being carried off by four others, seemingly the victim of an Israeli missile strike, only for him to reappear in the same clip a few seconds later wandering around completely unharmed. The same organization’s Jon Donnison yesterday re-tweeted a picture of the dead body of a young girl on a stretcher in Gaza with the headline "Heartbreaking," only for it to transpire that the girl had sadly been killed three weeks earlier in Syria.

Such is the sometimes chaotic nature of the situation on the ground in Gaza that mistakes can be made, but according to Paul Hirschson, spokesman for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hamas has crossed a red line even in the Arab world by promoting the use of images of dead people – children in particular – against the tradition of their religion and the expected respect for the dead.

Hirschson told FoxNews.com that, “There’s no question that there are civilians being killed and injured on both sides of this conflict, but respect for the dead within the Muslim world is a core principal [sic] and what Hamas is doing is in contradiction to the customs and traditions of the local community.

"As in Judaism, Islam believes in taking the body and burying it at the first opportunity," he said. "Even Al Jazeera is sensitive to this and has blanked out faces as it is an invasion of privacy. This is a cynical abuse of respect and privacy and is not something that is reconcilable with the norms of the community. There are certain moral and ethical codes that we all behave by. In Egypt and Jordan this stuff doesn’t get published. Hamas are going to suffer for it amongst their own.”

Not bloody likely.

Does the apparent manipulation of pictures, the "photoshopping" of images to suggest scenarios that later prove to be false, suggest a desperation then on the part of the Islamists to persuade the outside world of their opinion, regardless of the truth being told or not told?

No, not desperation at all. It shows that they know the Western media and Western Leftists can be manipulated, and indeed are eager to be manipulated. So they are manipulating them. That's all.

Duly noted. Will this act of war be condemned by the United Nations? Don't hold your breath. "Islamic Jihad Official: All Our Weapons are From Iran," from Israel National News, November 19:

Islamic Jihad deputy chief Ziyad Nahala said on Sunday in an interview with Egyptian television that all of the organization's weapons came from Iran.

“I want to note that all our weapons are from Iran. The rockets fired into Israel until now have a range of 70 to 80 kilometers," he said, according to a report on Channel 10 News.

Indeed she could

Islamic Jihad should be afraid: beauty, and love of life in general, are not on their side. They glory in their love of death and destruction. But in any case, apparently the new round of jihad warfare in Gaza has raised the level of paranoia among jihadists, who even in calm times display a high level already: "Sexy girls on Facebook in new warning: Terrorists fear Israeli agents attempting to infiltrate computers," by Aaron Klein in WND, November 18:

TEL AVIV – The Gaza-based Islamic Jihad terror group is apparently concerned Israeli intelligence agents disguised as good-looking girls on Facebook are attempting to infiltrate Palestinian computers.

During intense fighting in Gaza that reportedly has most jihadist leaders in hiding, members of the Islamic Jihad’s so-called military wing, the Al Quds Brigades, found time today to post a lengthy article on their official website warning Palestinian Facebook users of potential Israeli intelligence hackers.

Islamic Jihad has taken responsibility for firing hundreds of rockets from the Gaza Strip aimed at nearby Jewish population centers. It also claimed credit for firing at least one Fajr-5 long range missile toward Tel Aviv.

“How do you know if Mossad became your friend on Facebook,” is the title of the piece, posted today at Saraya.ps, Islamic Jihad’s main website. In Arabic, Saraya al-Quds means the Al Quds Brigades.

“Do you feel proud because your Facebook account boasts 5,000 friends? Well, here are ten steps to expose whether intelligence agents transplanted themselves inside your friends list,” reads the article.

The piece warns of friend invites from Facebook users who are unknown, “especially from a beautiful girl.”

The website warns Palestinian Facebook users to be weary of “pretty girls” whose accounts have small pictures that cannot be enlarged.

“This is evidence,” Islamic Jihad writes, “that the photos were taken from the Internet and that these pictures are not original and are not from the girl who sent you the invitation.”...

It is good that he said it. Not that the international media will pay any attention at all. They aid and abet the "Palestinian" propaganda about Israelis harming civilians. "Statement by PM Netanyahu on Operation Pillar of Defense to Israeli Public," from IMRA, November 14:

Statement by PM Netanyahu (Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today (Wednesday, 14 November 2012), made the following statement:

"Citizens of Israel,

I want to praise the IDF soldiers and commanders, led by Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz , who is commanding the operation as we speak. I want to note the Israel Security Agency, headed by Director Yoram Cohen, for their vital part in the operational accomplishments that we have already achieved. I thank the citizens of Israel for their unwavering support of this operation. I thank the residents of southern Israel who are at the front, and exhibit strength and restraint.

Hamas and the terror organizations decided to escalate their attacks on the citizens of Israel over the last few days. We will not accept a situation in which Israeli citizens are threatened by the terror of rockets. No country would accept this, Israel will not accept it.

Today, we hit Hamas strategic targets precisely. We have significantly debilitated their ability to launch rockets from Gaza to the center of Israel, and we are now working to disable their ability to launch rockets towards the south. The terrorist organizations – Hamas, Islamic Jihad and others – are deliberately harming our citizens, while intentionally hiding behind their citizens. On the other hand, we avoid harming civilians as much as possible and that is one fundamental difference between us. It also indicates the big difference between our objectives, and not only in our methods. They want to obliterate us from the face of the earth and they have no qualms about hurting civilians and innocents.

Today, we sent an unequivocal message to Hamas and the other terror organizations, and if need be the IDF is prepared to expand the operation. We will continue to do everything necessary to defend our citizens."

Raising their children on poisionous rage, hatred and violence. But remember: the real problem is "Islamophobia." "Gaza kindergartners want to 'blow up Zionists,'" by Elior Levy for Ynet News, June 12 (thanks to Lachlan):

Children attending a kindergarten in Gaza that is run by Islamic Jihad celebrated their graduation by dressing up in army attire, waving toy rifles and chanting anti-Israel slogans.

"It is our obligation to educate the children to love the resistance, Palestine and Jerusalem, so they will recognize the importance of Palestine and who its enemy is," the kindergarten's director said.

The children were dressed up in uniforms of Jihad's armed-wing, the al-Quds Brigades, and each of them received a toy rifle. Some of them held up photos of Islamic Jihad founder Fathi Shaqaqi.

The event was attended by the children's relatives, some of whom belong to Islamic Jihad and other armed Palestinian factions.

During the ceremony the children were asked to stand next to mock coffins draped with flags of the various armed factions. The flags bore the images of "shahids (martyrs)."

One child, Hamza, said "When I grow up I'll join Islamic Jihad and the al-Quds Brigades. I'll fight the Zionist enemy and fire missiles at it until I die as a shahid and join my father in heaven.

"I love the resistance and the martyrs and Palestine, and I want to blow myself up on Zionists and kill them on a bus in a suicide bombing," he said....

"At every kindergarten graduation ceremony we focus on the children to represent the role of struggling and resistance in the way of Allah so they will grow up to love the resistance and serve the cause of Palestine and Holy Jihad, as well as to make them leaders and fighters to defend the holy soil of Palestine," one of the teachers said.

Glorying in blood and death. As one jihadist put it, "We love death. You love your life!" And another: "The Americans love Pepsi-Cola, we love death." -- Afghan jihadist Maulana Inyadullah

Of course, this idea comes from the Qur'an itself: "Say (O Muhammad): O ye who are Jews! If ye claim that ye are favoured of Allah apart from (all) mankind, then long for death if ye are truthful." -- Qur'an 62:6

"Islamic Jihad Celebrates Kfar Darom Bombing," by Rachel Hirshfeld for Israel National News, April 11 (thanks to Twostellas):

On April 9, 1995, Khaled Mohammed Khatib rammed his vehicle into Israeli Egged Bus No. 36 in Kfar Darom. The collision set off the bomb in his car, killing seven Israelis, an American college student, and wounding another 60 passengers.

Islamic Jihad celebrated the attack, which they called a “great achievement,” reported the Challah Hu Akbar blog, who translated the original Arabic source into English.

The terrorist’s family said they were proud of his actions and Islamic Jihad released a video celebrating the attack.

Islamic Jihad claims that that the attack killed 10 “Zionist Soldiers,” the blog noted.

Alisa Flatow, one of victims of the attack, was a student at Brandeis University, spending a year of study in Jerusalem at the time....

This ought to complicate Hamas' attempts to reconcile with Fatah, though, as this report notes, it could also conceivably result in an even more virulent jihadist conglomerate with which Israel would be expected to negotiate. "Hamas, Islamic Jihad debate joining forces," from Agence France-Presse, January 18:

Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the two main Palestinian Islamist movements, are holding talks about merging their two factions, sources from both movements said Tuesday.

They could call it Even More Islamic Jihad.

At a meeting with top officials from Islamic Jihad, Gaza's Hamas-affiliated prime minister, Ismail Haniya, called for "opening a serious dialogue to achieve the merger of the two movements," his office said in a statement.

Islamic Jihad confirmed that talks to merge the two factions were already underway.

"An in-depth dialogue has actually begun, both internally and externally, with the aim of uniting," Islamic Jihad spokesman Daud Shihab told AFP, referring to the group's leadership which, like Hamas, is based in both Gaza and Damascus.

All previous attempts to merge the two Islamist movements had ended in failure, Shihab noted.

He indicated that the current talks were taking place "at the highest level" among the leaders of both factions in Gaza and Damascus, as well as among Islamist prisoners currently being held in Israeli jails.

Uniting the two movements would be "in the interest of both the Palestinian cause and the future of the Palestinian liberation movement, particularly in light of the Arab Spring," Shihab said.

The latest statements represent the first time for Hamas and Jihad to speak publicly about merging.

The two factions have long held opposing views on government, with Jihad boycotting the last Palestinian elections in 2006 that were swept by Hamas.

The initiative to explore a merger comes as Hamas and its Fatah rival, which dominates the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, struggle to implement a reconciliation deal signed in April 2011 that has made little progress on the ground.

There are also moves to reform the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which is internationally recognised as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, to allow Hamas and Islamic Jihad to join it.

It also comes in the wake of a series of electoral successes for Islamist parties in Egypt and Tunisia following the political upheavals brought on by the Arab Spring.

The hudna is never intended to last. It is a tool to attempt to give control to the jihadists over when hostilities begin and end, so that fighting occurs when the jihadists like their odds of succeeding.

Note also that the "new" Egypt has begun direct negotiations with this jihad terrorist group. "Islamist [sic] Jihad ready for all-out war with Israel," by Crispian Balmer and Nidal al-Mughrabi for Reuters, November 3:

(Reuters) - The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, which traded deadly fire with Israel at the weekend in Gaza, does not expect a subsequent truce to last long and has at least 8,000 fighters ready for war, a spokesman said.

Islamic Jihad is the second largest armed group in Gaza, after Hamas, which rules the tiny Mediterranean enclave. The two share a commitment to the destruction of Israel and both are classified as terrorist groups by most Western governments.

However, while Hamas has recently spent much of its energy on the business of government, Islamic Jihad has kept its focus firmly on the conflict, gaining in prominence and enjoying significant backing from Muslim supporters, including Iran.

"We are proud and honored to say that the Islamic Republic of Iran gives us support and help," Abu Ahmed, the spokesman for Islamic Jihad's armed wing, the Jerusalem Brigades, told Reuters in a rare, long interview.

He denied widespread reports that Iran had provided his group with arms and smiled at suggestions it now receives more sophisticated weaponry from Tehran than Hamas. He also declined to comment on rumors that the Jihadists were trained by Iran.

"What I will say is that we have every right to turn to every source of power for help," said the burly, bearded Abu Ahmed, occasionally flicking a string of yellow prayer beads.

Wink-wink.

Islamic Jihad's latest confrontation with Israel left 12 Palestinian gunmen and one Israeli civilian dead. The fighting ended only after neighboring Egypt brokered a ceasefire with both parties, but Abu Ahmed did not see it lasting long.

"Theoretically the calm has been restored, but in practice it hasn't really," he said. Israel, he said, is itching for a fight in Gaza following last month's prisoner-swap accord, in which Israel released 477 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held by Hamas since 2006.

Israel says it attacks only in self-defense.

It killed five senior Islamic Jihad militants on Saturday in retaliation for a rocket attack two days earlier that it blamed on the group. That rocket caused no casualties, but landed deep enough into Israel to set off sirens on Tel Aviv's outskirts.

Abu Ahmed denied responsibility for the missile, saying this was how Israel had managed to find five top fighters together in the open -- because they had not expected to be targeted.

But the Jerusalem Brigades soon hit back, firing numerous rockets into southern Israel, piercing the country's defensive missile shield. One Israeli man died, at least four others were injured, while cars and a building were also set ablaze.

Abu Ahmed isn't likely to call them the "Jerusalem" brigades.

The group posted a video online showing a missile-launcher on the back of a truck firing a salvo of rockets. It was the first time the group has claimed to have such firepower, although there was no independent confirmation of its use.

"The Jerusalem Brigades really surprised Israel, forcing them to rethink their assessment of us ... I don't think they realized we had that weaponry," said Abu Ahmed, indicating the vehicle was immediately hidden underground after the attack.

Jerusalem Brigades cells are dotted around Gaza and Abu Ahmed said there was huge demand from youngsters to join.

"We take some, but can't accept everyone ... It is a question of quality, not quantity," he said, giving for the first time an estimate of the strength of the force. "We have at least 8,000 fighters, who are fully equipped."

A boost from the "new" Egypt:

The group got a boost to its standing in August when the new rulers in Egypt started dealing with it directly over truces, rather than through Hamas. Abu Ahmed said Hamas was not involved in the latest fighting and that all the talking was with Egypt....