Israel detained Fatah leader due to call for religious war in defense of Al-Aqsa “whatever the sacrifice”

     “The Israeli Magistrate Court has published its decision to impose administrative detention on Adnan Ghaith, director of Fatah’s Jerusalem branch… Ghaith assumed his position at a time when Jerusalem was witnessing recurring closings of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, an increase in the occupation’s arrogance and savagery toward the city’s residents, expressed through the murder of Jerusalem residents on the one hand, and through recurring attacks against the residents of Jerusalem by the settler herds on the other. Things got to the point that [Fatah’s Jerusalem] branch published an announcement calling for a general recruitment of the Palestinian masses and of Jerusalem residents. The announcement read: ‘The fact that the Al-Aqsa Mosque has been abandoned and its sanctity defiled amounts to a declaration of religious war against the Palestinian people, the Arab nation and the Muslim nation. Therefore, we are calling on all citizens to carry out Ribat (religious conflict/war over land claimed to be Islamic) at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in order to defend it, whatever the sacrifice, and in order to prevent the occupation authorities from carrying out their plans to Judaize Jerusalem and its holy symbols…’ The Israeli occupation government considered this announcement as potentially inciting the residents of Jerusalem to hold what they described, at the time, as ‘riots’ in the city. From this point on, the occupation forces closely monitored the movements of the branch members, and began to tighten the noose around their [necks]. On Nov. 17, 2014, the youth Yussuf Al-Ramouni died a Martyr’s (Shahid’s) death, after he was strangled by the settler herds (i.e., this refers to a bus driver who hanged himself, see below). During a condolence visit to [Al-Ramouni’s] home, Ghaith said: ‘We congratulate you on this Martyrdom (Shahada), which comes to defend Jerusalem and the holy places. Yesterday, we eulogized the Martyrs of Jerusalem; today, we are eulogizing here with the Al-Ramouni family, and tomorrow, we will eulogize the Martyrs [Ghassan and Uday] Abu Jamal (i.e., terrorists who murdered five in synagogue, see below). We are all potential Martyrs, as long as this occupation acts arrogantly and carries out crimes against our land and our residents in Jerusalem, and each Jerusalem resident is a potential Martyr.’”

Notes:  Yussuf Al-Ramouni – Arab bus driver from East Jerusalem who was found hanged at a bus terminal in Jerusalem on Nov. 16, 2014. Although an autopsy performed by the Israeli Abu Kabir Forensic Institute and a pathologist chosen by the family of Al-Ramouni revealed no signs of violence, Palestinian leaders and media immediately presented the incident as a murder perpetrated by Jewish settlers.

Jerusalem synagogue terror attack – On Nov. 18, 2014, two Arab terrorists, Ghassan and Uday Abu Jamal from East Jerusalem, entered a synagogue in Jerusalem and attacked worshippers with guns, knives and axes, killing 4 worshippers and a Druze police officer. Seven people were injured, 3 of them seriously. The terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli Security Forces that arrived on the scene.