Israel "is the cause of violence and a lack of security and peace in the entire world,” claims PA Supreme Shari’ah Judge Mahmoud Al-Habbash
Video posted on the Facebook page of PA Supreme Shari’ah Judge Mahmoud Al-Habbash
The video shows PA Supreme Shari’ah Judge Mahmoud Al-Habbash speaking in an online video conference of an international committee, which was held by the Afghani Ministry of Religious Affairs under the title “The Regional Committee of Religious Scholars on Conflict Resolution and Peace in Afghanistan.”
PA Supreme Shari’ah Judge Mahmoud Al-Habbash: “What is being done in Palestine against the Palestinian people is organized state terror (refers to Israeli defensive actions in response to violent Arab riots and Hamas rocket barrages; see note below -Ed.)…
This aggression that is continuing against the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and everywhere on the land of Palestine must stop if the world wishes to fight terror. In order to fight terror, we must fight its causes and not just the phenomena of terror. Terror has causes. The absence of stability has causes, just like a disease. When a sick person goes to the doctor, the doctor does not just deal with the symptoms of the disease, but also the causes. What are the causes of the tension and lack of security and stability in the entire region? What are the causes for the spread of terror, violence, and hatred, and for the spread of the culture of hatred and the discourse of hatred in the region and the world? There is one cause for this, dear brothers: injustice. The injustice that is being done to the peoples, the injustice that is being done to the Palestinian people due to the occupation – it is the cause for all the tragedies befalling the region. Even the violent, extremist, and terrorist groups use the Palestinian cause and the name of Palestine to justify their actions. Therefore, in order to put an end to all of this, we must solve the Palestinian problem…
Simply put, the continuation of the current situation of aggression, occupation, and injustice that is being done to the Palestinian people is the cause of there being violence and a lack of security and peace in the entire region, in the entire Islamic world. And perhaps I am not exaggerating when I say even in the entire world.”
Mahmoud Al-Habbash also serves as Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Justice. In August 2019 PA Chairman Abbas dismissed all his advisors by Presidential decree. It is unclear what their status is today.
Al-Habbash made these statements during the
Fatah/Hamas Riot and Rocket War 2021 – On April 30, 2021, facing certain electoral defeat, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas cancelled the first PA elections scheduled in 15 years. Hamas, which expected to win the elections, denounced it as a “coup.” In need of a conflict to divert public discontent, Abbas artificially generated a crisis over Jerusalem. His Fatah party called for "raising the level of confrontation,” and Abbas' spokesman told Palestinians "the battle of all battles is here.” Jerusalem Arabs responded by attacking Jews with rocks and Molotov cocktails. Hamas, Abbas' political rival, could not allow Abbas to lead the battle, so on May 10, 2021, Hamas launched rocket barrages targeting Israeli population centers including Jerusalem. Over the next 11 days, Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired over 4,300 rockets into southern and central Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing 9 Israelis and 3 foreign nationals, and wounding hundreds. In response, Israel launched Operation Guardian of the Walls to target Hamas terror leaders and terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Already in mid-April, a planned eviction of some Palestinian families illegally living in Jewish-owned buildings in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem had led to clashes between Palestinian residents and Israeli police. This dispute provided Palestinians with a pretext for violent rioting. Adding to the crisis, Israeli Arabs started rioting throughout Israel, especially in cities with a mixed Jewish and Arab population. Two Jews were murdered and many were wounded. According to Walla, an independent Israeli news site, 10 synagogues were wholly or partly burned down; fires were set in 112 Jewish homes and 1 Arab home mistaken for a Jewish home; 386 Jewish homes were plundered and 673 were damaged; 849 cars were set ablaze; and there were 5,018 rock-throwing attacks. In response, Jews started attacking Arabs and their properties as well, but on a much smaller scale. No mosques were burned; 13 Arab homes were damaged; 13 Arab-owned cars were burned; and there were 41 rock-throwing attacks by Jews. [Walla, May 16, 2021] The fighting between Israel and Hamas ended with a ceasefire on May 21, 2021.