Abbas’ antisemitic advisor: Quran teaches that Jews can’t be trusted, so we don’t trust Israelis
When Hamas made a deal with Israel last month to exchange Israeli civilian hostages – women and children captured on Oct. 7 – for Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israel together with humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, one of the top PA religious leaders reminded Palestinians of the antisemitic hate-speech that “Jews can’t be trusted.” Referring to Quranic claims about Jewish tribes breaching treaties with Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor Mahmoud Al-Habbash applied this to Israel’s commitments, stressing that Israel is “treacherous”:
Abbas’ Advisor Mahmoud Al-Habbash: “Over many years we have grown accustomed that every time they [the Jews] make a promise, a group of them violates it, as is said in the Quran… We must not trust in their promises and commitments and must be alert as we always have been.”
Posted text: “[Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor] Al-Habbash to [Egyptian] Sada El-Balad TV: We do not believe in the commitments that Israel is announcing, and we must be careful of the occupation’s (i.e., Israel’s) treachery”
[PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor on Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Facebook page, Nov. 22, 2023]
Palestinian Media Watch has exposed numerous antisemitic statements by Al-Habbash and other PA/Fatah leaders. For example, Al-Habbash has taught that Jews are “Satan in human form.”
Hamas war on Israel October 2023 - At least 1,200 Israelis, including over 1,000 civilians, were murdered and over 4,800 wounded, in addition to approximately 244 who were abducted into the Gaza Strip (including 110 later released or liberated and at least 26 later killed), in a Hamas terror war that began when approximately 3,000 Hamas terrorists broke through Israel's security fence at the Gaza Strip border and launched a surprise attack, taking control of several Israeli towns and attacking a music festival on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, which fell on the Sabbath, Oct. 7, 2023. During the massacre the terrorists tortured, raped, shot, beheaded, and burned their victims alive, murdering entire families and leaving at least 21 children without parents. Hamas terrorists also fired at least 5,000 rockets at Israeli population centers. In response, Israel launched Operation Iron Swords to counter the Hamas terror threat. Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon joined Hamas' terror war starting from the following day, attacking Israel from the north. Occasional rocket launches and shootings continued from Lebanon throughout the war. A ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal began on Nov. 24, 2023, in which Israel agreed to release 150 terrorist prisoners, pause drone surveillance in the Gaza Strip, and allow movement between the northern and southern Gaza Strip, in return for 50 Israeli female and child hostages held by Hamas. The deal was subsequently extended with additional releases, until Hamas violated the agreement and resumed attacking on Dec. 1, 2023.
Mahmoud Al-Habbash also serves as Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Justice.