We reported the other day on the escalating campaign by Palestinian leaders threatening and predicting violence if the U.S. moves our embassy to Jerusalem, Palestinian leadership: There will be violence if U.S. moves Embassy to Jerusalem.
While Hamas is behind some of the incitement, an important feature of incitement regarding the Embassy is manufactured by the Palestinian Authority, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, through Mosques run by Imams loyal to the PA. Leaders, such as Mahmoud Abbas, then use the violence they are instigating behind-the-scenes to warn that an Embassy move might inspire violence.
The Times of Israel reports Top PA imam: Moving US embassy to Jerusalem a ‘declaration of war’ on Islam:
If the incoming US administration of President-elect Donald J Trump fulfills its campaign promise to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, it would be considered “a declaration of war” on all Muslims, the Palestinian Authority’s supreme Sharia judge Mahmoud Al-Habbash declared on Friday.“The new American administration intends to transfer its embassy to Jerusalem. In a simple, calm, and rational manner, in clear words that need no explanation and which are unambiguous: Such a step, for every Muslim, is a declaration of war on all Muslims,” said Habbash in a Friday sermon broadcast on official PA TV, and attended by PA President Mahmoud Abbas.The speech was translated by an Israeli watchdog of Palestinian media, Palestinian Media Watch.Habbash, who is also a top aid to Abbas, added, “We are no one’s enemies, and we do not want to be. We are not enemies of the US and we do not want to be. However, when something harms our faith and our existence, we cannot stand by and do nothing.”He continued: “Occupied Jerusalem is our eternal capital, the capital of our existence and the capital of our state. In politics, there can be compromises here and there… In politics there can be negotiation. However, in matters of religion, faith, values, ethics, and history, there can be no compromises.”
This incitement has direct consequences. The terrorist attack by a man that killed four Israelis may have been motivated by the Embassy incitement in Mosques:
Jerusalem terrorist reportedly angered by plan to move US Embassy
The Palestinian truck driver who killed four IDF soldiers in a truck-ramming attack in Jerusalem on Sunday was reportedly motivated to act after hearing a sermon at his local mosque attacking US President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign promise to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.Relatives said Fadi al-Qunbar was driven to carry out the terror attack after hearing the sermon over the weekend at his local East Jerusalem mosque excoriating the embassy move.“He was very angry, and said transferring the embassy would lead to war,” Qunbar’s cousin said, according to the Israel Hayom daily….According to Israel Radio, the embassy relocation was the chief subject of religious sermons throughout the West Bank on Friday, with PA leadership instructing mosques it controls to focus on the matter.
Inciting on the ground violence is the behind-the-scenes face. The public face is to warn that the Embassy move might inspire violence:
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas sent a letter to US President-elect Donald Trump, calling on the latter not to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, Palestinian media reported Monday.According to Israel Radio, Abbas listed the dangers of such a move and warned the move would have a “disastrous impact on the peace process, on the two-state solution and on the stability and security of the entire region.”
The only certainty from this two-faced game is that there will be violence.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY