Terrorists who murdered IDF soldier fan flames of Ramadan from Turkey

“Things are going to escalate in Ramadan, and we are on the verge of hot days,” said former Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal, who continues representing the terror organization abroad.

By Baruch Yedid, TPS

Hamas terrorists who abducted and killed an Israeli soldier in 1994 are now fanning the flames of incitement in eastern Jerusalem ahead of Ramadan — from the safety of Turkish soil.

Just two weeks ahead of Ramadan, in the shadow of the latest terror attacks in which 15 Israelis have been killed, tensions in eastern Jerusalem are rising.

Hamas’s efforts to incite residents and undermine Israeli sovereignty along with the Palestinian Authority, while establishing terrorist infrastructure, continue under the auspices of the seemingly innocent activities of civilian institutions.

Israeli security officials are warning of an escalated Ramadan, which begins on the evening of March 22. Unlike previous Ramadan violence, this year’s is expected to have a Hamas stamp, emphasizing the terror group’s flags, posters, prisoners and more.

“Things are going to escalate in Ramadan, and we are on the verge of hot days due to the continued aggression and crimes of the occupation, and the Palestinian people know that there is no recovery for the homeland except through resistance in all its forms,” said former Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal who continues representing the terror organization abroad.

Moreover, the violence Hamas is organizing will in no way be spontaneous. Its being supported by a number of Hamas charities that are buying influence with loans, food packages and construction projects.

One of the key Hamas charities, based in Istanbul, is  called Kutad.

The association declares that “its role is to protect the Islamic historical heritage in Jerusalem and to be a cultural bridge between Turkey and Palestine and Jerusalem.” From its documents it appears that Kutad’s purpose is to promote the importance of Jerusalem in the international political arena, and to preserve the city’s historical, religious and cultural ties to the Ottoman Empire by raising international awareness, particularly in the international Arab world.

Hamas doesn’t normally frame its Jerusalem rhetoric by referencing the Ottoman Empire, but such references play well to the terror group’s Turkish hosts.

Kutad also finances construction projects in eastern Jerusalem, primarily homes and mosques. According to Kutad, by building homes in eastern Jerusalem, Muslims create what is called in Arabic, ribat, which literally means a “battle line,” but refers to a tangible claim on the land.

One eastern Jerusalem man identified only as M.H. is in charge of the home and mosque reconstruction projects. Israeli officials told the Tazpit Press Service they believe M.H. is the conduit for money transfers between Hamas in Turkey with eastern Jerusalem.

Kutad’s Origins

Kutad’s origins lie in the abduction and murder of a 19-year-old dual Israeli-US national.

The soldier, Sgt. Nacshon Wachsman, was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in 1994 seeking the release of the organization’s spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, and 200 other security prisoners being held in Israeli jails.

The Israel Security Agency, better known as the Shin Bet, captured Jihad Ya’mur, who drove the getaway car with Wachsman in it. Ya’mur revealed that Wachsman was being held north of Jerusalem. But because of faulty intelligence, an Israeli rescue operation failed and Wachsman was killed by his captors. In the ensuing firefight, three terrorists were killed, as was the leader of the Israeli commando team. Nine other soldiers were wounded and two terrorists were captured alive.

In 2011, when Israel released 1,027 prisoners for Israeli Sgt. Gilad Shalit, Ya’mur and the other terrorists involved in Wachsman’s murder were deported to Turkey.

Since then, Jihad Ya’mur has become Hamas’s key liaison with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey’s ruling AKP Party is ideologically aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Hamas is the Palestinian branch. From the safety of Turkish soil, Ya’mur works to undermine Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and advance Hamas’s agenda.

TPS has learned that Ya’mur is also trying to recruit more people in eastern Jerusalem to transfer money for terror attacks.

Kutad aims to thwart what it calls “Israeli efforts to damage the holy places of Islam and Jerusalem’s Islamic identity.” The organization emphasizes the need to “strengthen Palestinian resilience against Israeli occupation.” It distributes a widely read weekly “Jerusalem Bulletin” reviewing “Israeli crimes” in the city.

On social media, Kutad seeks to mobilize Palestinian and wider Arab support by repeatedly claiming that Al-Aqsa is in danger — in coordination with a campaign led by Sheikh Raed Salah, who has been in and out of Israeli jail for incitement.

In his own words

In the last month, Ya’mur has provided a glimpse of Kutad’s goals and Turkey’s role in Jerusalem during a series of interviews with Islamic media.

“We continue to emphasize that Jerusalem is the main agenda of the Muslims. We draw attention to Jerusalem from time to time in the association and say that the Islamic world will not be saved until Jerusalem is liberated,” Ya’mur said.

“We are determined to make the Turkish people’s sensitivity to Jerusalem a general consciousness. There is no doubt that Israel’s most important project is the demolition of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the construction of Solomon’s Temple in its place.”

Ya’mur acknowledged Hamas and Turkey’s role in the phenomenon which Palestinians in eastern Jerusalem refer to as “jihad tourism.” In November, TPS reported a significant increase in the number of Muslim delegations visiting the Temple Mount after visits dropped during the coronavirus pandemic.

Islamic Waqf officials who administer the holy site told TPS that an estimated that 700 Muslims from Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa visit the Temple Mount plaza every day.

Said Ya’mur, “The biggest request of the Palestinians in Jerusalem from the Muslims of the world is that they not leave it alone and to continue with material and moral support that will give Jerusalem strength for the Muslim struggle. In the last year, the number of tourists from many Muslim countries, especially Turkey, has increased in the city and it is an important source of income.”

Kutad frequently works in cooperation with “Miratna,” another Turkish Islamist charity group operating in eastern Jerusalem to prevent what that organization calls the city’s “Judaization.”

TPS has learned from former Israeli security officials that Kutad and Miratna will try to support Ramadan violence by paying people to stay on the Temple Mount. The goal is a 24-hour Muslim presence on the Temple Mount, unofficial soldiers ready to defend Al-Aqsa.

One of the key Waqf officials, Sheikh Najah Bakirat, holds a very senior position in the trusteeship, which administers the Temple Mount’s daily affairs, and is a Hamas supporter. Bakirat’s  son Malek spent 19 years in prison for trying to blow himself up aboard a Jerusalem bus in a suicide attack.

Under the terms of the Israel-Jordan peace agreement, the Waqf is funded and overseen by Jordan.

HamasIslamic terrorJerusalem terrorRamadanTemple MountTurkey