“Once Israel comes to an end…” – Hamas’ or PA’s dream?

Abbas’ advisor:

• “Once Israel comes to an end, there will be no violence and bloodshed”
• “If not for this occupation (i.e., Israel's existence) there would be no tensions, violence, and fear from any side… what we’re doing is self-defense”
• “We are in an open confrontation” with Israel on “every inch of the Palestinian land (i.e., all of Israel)”

The following are two recent statements anticipating Israel’s destruction:
 

1. “Once Israel leaves the region, the gates will open to a resolution of all the problems in the region."

2. “Once Israel comes to an end, there will be no violence and bloodshed.”

Whose ideology is this?

The first was said by Hamas Political Bureau Member Osama Hamdan, the second by PA Chairman Abbas’ advisor Mahmoud Al-Habbash.

The strikingly similar statements were made following Hamas’ terror atrocities against Israelis last Saturday, when Hamas terrorists murdered over 1,300 Israelis, wounded over 3,300, and took at least 199 Israelis hostage, among them women, children, elderly and even infants:

Hamas Political Bureau member Osama Hamdan: “There is one ‘no’ – no to Israel’s existence. No to Israel’s existence. And I think that Israel is the problem in our region, and that once Israel leaves the region, the gates will open to a resolution of all the problems in the region.”

[Al-Jadeed TV (Lebanon), Oct. 11, 2023]

Supreme Shari’ah Judge and Abbas’ advisor Mahmoud Al-Habbash: “[Israel] doesn’t want to understand that the cause of everything is the occupation’s (i.e., Israel's) existence. Once the occupation (i.e., Israel) comes to an end there will be no violence or bloodshed from any side. As long as the occupation exists, they must understand that they have no hope of living securely and safely... For more than seven decades already (i.e., since Israel's establishment in 1948) the Palestinian people has been in this situation and wants to be rid of the occupation and achieve its freedom, honor, and state.”

[PA Supreme Shari’ah Judge Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Facebook page,
Oct. 9, 2023]

A decade ago, Palestinian Media Watch exposed that the same advisor to Abbas, Mahmoud Al-Habbash, preached that Islam requires Israel’s destruction as a religious obligation:

The similarities between Hamas and the PA are not new to anyone who has been following PMW. PMW has exposed the PA and Hamas’ shared values: Both promote identical death/blood worship, and share the same children’s education, and believe working to destroy Israel is a requirement of Islam.

Palestinian Media Watch has also documented extensively that the PA and Fatah support the recent massacre. Prominent among the supporters is Abbas’ advisor Al-Habbash who is posting hate speech supporting the massacre and calling for the end of Israel on his Facebook page:

PA Supreme Shari’ah Judge and Abbas’ advisor Mahmoud Al-Habbash: “We are in an open confrontation with this occupation in one arena of struggle that stretches from Jerusalem to the West Bank, Jenin, Hebron, the Gaza Strip, every inch of the Palestinian land. We are standing against one occupation in one arena.”

[PA Supreme Shari’ah Judge Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Facebook page, Oct. 10, 2023]

PA Supreme Shari’ah Judge and Abbas’ advisor Mahmoud Al-Habbash: “If not for this occupation (i.e., Israel) there would be no tensions, violence, and fear from any side, and there would be no bloodshed. The occupation is the cause of all the disasters. Israel claims that it is defending itself, but that’s the opposite. Israel is the one that is attacking and we are the ones who are defending ourselves, and it is our right to defend ourselves. It is the Palestinian people’s right to use all means of self-defense as is anchored in the international laws. The occupation is the aggression, the occupation is the terror, and we are the victims of this aggression and this terror, and what we are doing is nothing more than self-defense against this Israeli terrorism.”

[PA Supreme Shari’ah Judge Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Facebook page, Oct. 9, 2023]

PMW reported that Al-Habbash already justified the Hamas massacre of Israelis as the Palestinian “legitimate right to defend ourselves” and that “the Martyrs’ blood will cause victory and holiness to bloom.”

Hamas war on Israel October 2023 - At least 1,200 Israelis, including over 1,000 civilians, were murdered and over 4,800 wounded, in addition to approximately 244 who were abducted into the Gaza Strip (including 110 later released or liberated and at least 26 later killed), in a Hamas terror war that began when approximately 3,000 Hamas terrorists broke through Israel's security fence at the Gaza Strip border and launched a surprise attack, taking control of several Israeli towns and attacking a music festival on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, which fell on the Sabbath, Oct. 7, 2023. During the massacre the terrorists tortured, raped, shot, beheaded, and burned their victims alive, murdering entire families and leaving at least 21 children without parents. Hamas terrorists also fired at least 5,000 rockets at Israeli population centers. In response, Israel launched Operation Iron Swords to counter the Hamas terror threat. Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon joined Hamas' terror war starting from the following day, attacking Israel from the north. Occasional rocket launches and shootings continued from Lebanon throughout the war. A ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal began on Nov. 24, 2023, in which Israel agreed to release 150 terrorist prisoners, pause drone surveillance in the Gaza Strip, and allow movement between the northern and southern Gaza Strip, in return for 50 Israeli female and child hostages held by Hamas. The deal was subsequently extended with additional releases, until Hamas violated the agreement and resumed attacking on Dec. 1, 2023.

Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor on Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations Mahmoud Al-Habbash also serves as PA Supreme Shari’ah Judge and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Justice and PA Chairman.

The following are texts that Al-Habbash posted with the above videos of himself being interviewed:

Hamas Political Bureau member Osama Hamdan: “There is one ‘no’ – no to Israel’s existence. No to Israel’s existence. And I think that Israel is the problem in our region, and that once Israel leaves the region, the gates will open to a resolution of all the problems in the region.”

Al-Jadeed TV host: “But you know well that there currently is no possibility of throwing Israel into the sea.”

Osama Hamdan: “I’m not talking about throwing Israel into the sea. In recent days the Israelis have written in their media: ‘What is the value of a state in which every citizen carries the passport of the state he came from (sic., PMW found no record of such a statement)?’ Let them return to the places they came from, …and we will also make the way back easier for them.”

[Al-Jadeed TV (Lebanon), Oct. 11, 2023]

Posted text on Facebook page: “[PA Supreme Shari’ah Judge Mahmoud] Al-Habbash to [Egyptian TV] channel Al-Nile: The only solution is to end the occupation and establish an independent [Palestinian] state, and we are prepared to resist the occupation for another century.”

Posted text on Facebook page: “[Abbas’ advisor Mahmoud] Al-Habbash in an interview with Egyptian ON TV: The aggression will not break our people’s willpower and the occupation will pay the price”

 

Posted text on Facebook page: “[Abbas’ advisor Mahmoud] Al-Habbash to [US state-owned Arabic TV] channel Alhurra: We will not negotiate over our rights and will not sell our honor and our homeland for a handful of aid”