Hamas-Israeli Arabs Forge Ties

Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu Hamas-Israeli Arabs Forge Ties

Hamas and the Galilee branch of the Islamic Movement have forged ties as Hamas upgrades its media empire to spread stories of Jewish adultery and drug use at Temple Mount. Hamas recently launched its second television channel, named Al Quds, with prayers held at the Al Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and an interview with Islamic Movement leader Sheikh Raad Salah.

It is the second Hamas satellite channel, following Al Aqsa television. The terrorist organization that has a tight hold on Gaza also runs several newspapers, a website and online forums in eight languages, according to The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.

"Hamas places considerable significance on the development of its media empire as a central tool in the battle for hearts and minds, spending considerable resources on it despite its financial difficulties," the Center's researchers reported.

During test broadcasts, the channel repeatedly aired speeches by Sheikh Salah, the head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel. After launching the first broadcast, the Al Quds channel featured Syrian-based Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal who repeated the claim that Yasser Arafat "was poisoned by 'Zionists and their proxies.'"

The satellite broadcasts can also be viewed in several southern European countries where local Arab communities live. The Al-Quds channel, whose offices are located in Lebanon, claims to broadcast "from the heart of Jerusalem." Its logo is the Dome of the Rock.

In addition, Hamas has upgraded its own website with constant articles of incitement against Israel and videos and visual effects to document suicide bombings. An audio section contains such music albums as “Suicide Bombers."

The current English-language site, under the headline "The holy city is being judize [si on large scale," quotes the head of the Jerusalem Committee in the Palestinian Legislative Council and the president of the Jerusalem institution, Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya, as saying that "the Zionist enemy is deploying large quantities of drug[ within the city of Jerusalem."

The interviewer asked, "What are the latest threats against the city of Jerusalem by Zionist forces, especially as we heard that they were committing adultery and drinking alcohol within the Al-Aqsa Mosque?

He answered, "The Zionist enemy aims to Judaize [si the holy city and obliterating the Islamic and Christian features in the city."