Israel Hayom quotes PMW's documentation of violence promotion by Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Abbas' advisor on religion
Ben-Gurion University to host
PA adviser who promotes holy war
Daniel Siryoti and Yael Branovsky
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' adviser on religious and Islamic affairs, Mahmoud al-Habbash, is scheduled to speak at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev on Monday. Al-Habbash has been quoted repeatedly advocating the importance of ribat, or Muslim religious war, and encouraging conflict with Israel.
He will be speaking to Jewish and Arab students at the university about "religious perspectives in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the need for religious tolerance."
Palestinian Media Watch catalogued al-Habbash's extensive history of promoting conflict with Israel both in his current role and in his former position as religious affairs minister.
On Nov. 5, he was quoted on official Palestinian Authority television as supporting the terrorists who had carried out recent terror attacks in Jerusalem.
"We are behind them," he was quoted as saying. "The leadership is with them. A few days ago, President [Abbas] greeted them, reinforced them and requested more ribat from them. ... We are with them in every movement, in every action and every deed, and we welcome what they are doing at the blessed Al-Aqsa mosque."
In October, he was quoted in the official Palestinian Authority newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadida saying that "the entire land of Palestine" is holy to Islam and that Muslims cannot accept Israel's existence.
Palestinian Media Watch further quoted al-Habbash as saying on Palestinian TV: "All of the Al-Aqsa mosque, including its plazas, stone benches, prayer niches and walls, including the Al-Buraq Wall [the Western Wall of the Temple Mount], including the blessed Al-Buraq Wall -- all these are Waqf [endowed to Muslims] to us."
[http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=21839]