Abbas Urged to Declare 'Jihad' Against the 'Zionists'

Hamas and Islamic Jihad condemn PA Chairman over the continued cooperation between Israeli and PA security forces.

By Dalit Halevi and Elad Benari

First Publish: 6/17/2014, 4:42 AM

Mahmoud Abbas

Flash 90

The Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist groups on Monday condemned Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas over the cooperation between Israeli and PA security forces in the search for the three kidnapped yeshiva students.
The two groups said that instead of cooperating with Israel, Abbas should declare “jihad” against the “Zionists.”
Senior Hamas official Yahya Moussa demanded that the PA renounce all the agreements it signed with Israel, and in particular on security-related issues, noting that the PA’s security cooperation with Israel is contradictory to its security strategy.

"How does the Palestinian rebel, who demands the release of Palestine, turn into the security slave of the occupation forces?” Moussa said, adding that Abbas should behave like a great leader and declare “jihad against the Zionist entity.”
Moussa was backed by Islamic Jihad spokesman Daoud Shihab, who called the security coordination with Israel a “cup of poison” from which, he said, the Palestinian Arabs have been sipping since the “cursed” Oslo Accords.
The comments come amid an Israeli arrest operation of Hamas members throughout Judea and Samaria. As of Monday morning, 150 Hamas and affiliated terrorists had been arrested by Israeli forces. A security official said the arrests were bringing the army closer to solving the riddle of the whereabouts of the three kidnapped Israeli teens.
Meanwhile on Monday, Abbas released a statement condemning the kidnapping of the three teenagers, but also used it as a platform to hit out at the massive Israeli crackdown aimed at finding those responsible.
"The Palestinian presidency... condemns the series of events that happened last week, beginning with the kidnapping of three Israeli youths," the statement said.
"We will continue to work intensively for the release of Palestinian prisoners," Abbas continued.