Hamas claims Jerusalem as Palestinian, Islamic ‘eternal capital’

After an Israeli government minister decided to move her offices to Jerusalem, the Hamas terror organization protested, vowing that the city will forever be Arab and Muslim. 

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

Hamas warned on Thursday of the repercussions of a decision by Israeli Minister of Culture and Sports Miri Regev to transfer her offices to Jerusalem, claiming such a move would be “a flagrant violation of international resolutions.”

Political bureau member of Hamas Ezzet Resheq threatened in a written statement that the decision to transfer the government ministry will “turn into an ill omen for Israelis,” Hamas’ Al-Resalah site reported.

“Jerusalem will remain as intrinsically Palestinian and indivisible as it has always been. It will oust all Judaization schemes,” Resheq stated. The terror organization did not elaborate on the steps it would take against Regev’s move.

Resheq claimed that implementing Regev’s decision would be “a flagrant violation of international law and a manifestation of the state of despair and panic overwhelming Israelis and the future of their colonizing entity.”

“There is no doubt that the Israeli occupation will take its last breath sometime soon. But Jerusalem shall forever remain Arabs’ and Muslims’ own property and the eternal capital of the Palestinian independent state and the Islamic nation as a whole,” the terrorist declared.

Regev announced immediately after her appointment as minister in May that she would move her offices from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat called on the remaining government ministries to relocate their offices to Jerusalem, Israel’s capital city, saying the municipality has invested large resources into preparing the infrastructure for the new offices.

Barkat lauded Regev’s decision, saying that when there is a will there is a way and that all difficulties are solvable.

“Jerusalem’s municipality, through a special task force, will help any government office that will follow through with the government’s decision [to relocate all government offices to Jerusalem],” declared Barkat.

The government decided in May 2007 that all ministries would be moved to Jerusalem within eight years. For various technical reasons, however, it did not happen. A 2013 State Comptroller’s report criticized the government for hindering the implementation of its own decision.