Temple-denial, Jerusalem-denial, and Israel-denial remain foundations of Palestinian identity
While Jews mourned the destruction of the Temples on Tisha B’Av (9th of Av), the Palestinian Authority increased its denial of the Jewish connection to the land and increased its religious hate speech:
“No one has a connection to the Western Wall except for the Muslims!”
“The Western Wall and the Western Wall Plaza ... is an exclusive religious right of the Muslims... particularly not these foreign settlers (i.e., Jews) who never had any connection to this land”
“This land belonged to the Palestinians, and it still belongs to the Palestinians, and it will belong to the Palestinians”
“The issue between us and the Jews is an existential issue and not an issue of borders. Palestine is the possession of all Muslims... The entire Muslim nation must defend Palestine”
“Let them [Palestinians] take precautions and take up their weapons so that this plot will not pass”
The Palestinian Authority has made denial of Jewish history in the Land of Israel and denial of the centrality of Jerusalem in Jewish history into cornerstones of its ideology. It denies all facts and historical evidence, calling Jewish history “fabricated,” “forged,” consisting of “delusional myths,” “lies,” “libels,” “legends,” and “stolen heritage.” It is the essence of the pot calling the kettle black, as it is the Palestinians who are guilty of claiming Jewish history as their own. Aspiring to create a state on land in which they have no ancient national or political roots, the Palestinian leadership feels very much threatened by thousands of years of well-documented Jewish history in the Land of Israel. The PA has thus made the rejection of any Jewish connection to the Temple, Jerusalem, or Israel into their recurring mantras.
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor on Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash: “For thousands of years, Jerusalem was a Palestinian, Arab, and Canaanite city, and it is an Islamic Christian city... and the occupation (i.e., Israel) does not even have a minimal right to it. Let me be clear, sincere, and direct – not even a religious right. We do not recognize any religious right of theirs. Even the Al-Buraq Wall that they claim is the Western Wall is an Islamic waqf (i.e., a religious endowment)… All the claims and lies with which they [the Jews] are attempting to invent an alleged right for themselves will not change the Arab, Islamic, and Palestinian identity of the holy city [of Jerusalem].”
[PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor on Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Facebook page, June 5, 2024]
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor on Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash: ‘‘Your best Jihad is Ribat (i.e., religious conflict over land claimed to be Islamic), and your best Ribat is in Ashkelon [Hadith]. Where is Ashkelon (i.e., Israeli city)? It’s the coast of Palestine. These Palestinian coastal cities, which were built by the Palestinians... This land belonged to the Palestinians, and it still belongs to the Palestinians, and it will belong to the Palestinians. And the final picture – I see it like I’m seeing you – is Palestinian par excellence. This is the promise of Prophet [Muhammad], and this is the promise of Allah. The Gaza Strip today is the sister of Ashkelon... No one has a connection to the Western Wall (lit., Al-Buraq Wall) except for the Muslims, absolutely! Our lord Solomon was not here, his kingdom was not even here. And even if it was here, Solomon is a Muslim, on the path of Muhammad and Abraham [the Muslim].”
[Official PA TV Live, Feb. 9, 2024]
The quote “Your best Jihad is Ribat, and your best Ribat is in Ashkelon” is from a Hadith from The Great Lexicon of Al-Tabarani, No. 11138
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor on Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash: “Neither the occupation (i.e., Israel) nor the herds of terrorist settlers have any kind of religious or non-religious right to any millimeter of the land of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This entire mosque – with all its plazas (i.e., Temple Mount), all its facilities, and all its walls, including the Western Wall (lit., Al-Buraq Wall) and the Western Wall Plaza – is an Islamic waqf (i.e., religious endowment) and an exclusive religious right of the Muslims, to which non-Muslims have no right of any kind, particularly not these foreign settlers (i.e., Jews) who never had any connection to this land.”
[PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor on Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Facebook page, April 15, 2024]
These lies are echoed regularly on PA TV by commentators and Palestinian officials:
Palestinian political commentator Kamal Zakarneh: “Palestine is Islamic waqf land (i.e., a religious endowment) – not just the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, but rather the entire land of Palestine is Islamic waqf land.”
[Official PA TV, Dec. 12, 2023]
“Palestinian National Council (i.e., the legislative body of the PLO) Chairman Rawhi Fattouh emphasized that the entire territory of the Al-Aqsa Mosque (i.e., including the Temple Mount plaza) is a site of worship of Muslims only, and that any steps that Israel, the occupying power, will implement are invalid.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, July 18, 2024]
Others on PA TV, such as this featured cleric, called for these lies to be converted into violence:
Al-Azhar Cleric Sheikh Yasser Mustafa Younes: “The Jihad of our brothers in Palestine is a mighty Jihad for Almighty Allah… Aiding them is a duty for everyone who is able, and supporting them is an obligatory religious duty for all the Muslims worldwide… To the nation that numbers 2 billion Muslims, I say to them: Wake up, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is in danger. They (i.e., Palestinians) must be more alert to this plot whose goal is to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and build their alleged [Jewish] Temple on its ruins. Let them take precautions and take up their weapons so that this plot will not pass. The issue between us and the Jews is an existential issue, and not an issue of borders. Palestine is the possession of all the Muslims, a waqf (i.e., a religious endowment) for all Muslims. The entire Muslim nation must defend Palestine.”
[Official PA TV, Jerusalem in My Heart, Sept. 23, 2023]