News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (September 12-19, 2012)

Overview

• Terrorist organizations as well as radical Islamic networks operating in the Middle East, mainly Hezbollah, Hamas, and Salafi jihadist networks, joined the wave of anti-American protest sweeping across the Arab and Muslim world sparked by the film Innocence of Muslims and worked to use it for their own ends (or for Iran’s ends, as is the case with Hezbollah).
• At protest rallies held in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, the United States was accused of being responsible for the film (Israel’s name was dragged into the affair as well). There were calls on the Arab and Muslim world to continue protesting, as well as demands (backed up by threats from Hezbollah) to stop the distribution of the film and bring its creators to justice.

Hezbollah

• The Hezbollah-led protest rallies in Lebanon were blatantly anti-American (and anti-Israeli). The main rally was held on September 17 in Beirut’s southern suburb, with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah uncharacteristically in attendance. During the demonstration the participants chanted slogans against the United States, including “The United States is the enemy of humanity and religions”, “U.S.=Terrorism”, and more (Al-Intiqad, September 17, 2012). Additional protest rallies were held in other Lebanese cities, both in Sunni population centers (Tripoli and Sidon) and Shi’ite population centers (Tyre, Baalbek, Hermel, Nabatieh, and Bint Jbeil).
• Hassan Nasrallah made use of his oratory skills and took advantage of the event for anti-American and anti-Israeli incitement, following up on Iran’s propaganda campaign^[1] and attempting to divert attention from the dramatic events taking place in Syria. Two speeches he delivered (Al-Manar, September 16, 17) focused on accusing the United States of responsibility for the film:
  • Hassan Nasrallah portrayed the film as serious, unprecedented defamation against Prophet Muhammad. According to Nasrallah, the fact that the film was made available online makes the defamation more serious than similar events in the past, including the release of Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses (Nasrallah had praise for the fatwa issued by Imam Khomeini against the author of the book, arguing that it stopped this kind of “aggression” for many years).
• The U.S. administration was accused of sitting idly by and doing nothing to stop the release of the movie under the pretext of freedom of expression. Nasrallah called on the Muslim world to force the United States and Europe into respecting the Prophet and continue protesting until the film is banned, its creators are brought to justice, and any chance of future offenses against Prophet Muhammad is eliminated (through legislation or resolutions made by the international community).
• According to Nasrallah, those responsible for the film need to be punished, as should be those who support and defend it, particularly the United States. In his September 17 speech, Nasrallah implicitly threatened the United States by saying that the release of the film’s complete version will have “severe consequences” (the word “severe” was repeated three times) (Al-Manar TV, September 17, 2012).

The Gaza Strip

• On September 13 and 14 protest rallies took place in Gaza City and other places in the Gaza Strip. They were attended by thousands of residents, Hamas and PIJ top officials, and representatives from other terrorist organizations. The demonstrators chanted slogans against the United States (“America is the Great Satan”) and burned the flags of the United States and Israel as well as coffins covered with the flags of the United States and Israel.
• Ismail Haniyah, the head of the de-facto Hamas administration, dedicated his Friday sermon at a Gaza City mosque to the film. He referred to it as a “crime” and said that it had been released to coincide with the September 11 events. Haniyah accused Israel and the United States of being responsible for the film, saying that they want to declare a new war on Islam. He called on the Arabs to take to the streets to protest the offense caused by Israel and the United States to the culture of Islam. He also called on the Islamic commonwealth to direct the revolutions happening in the Arab world at the borders of Palestine, Jerusalem, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque (Al-Aqsa TV, September 14, 2012).

The Sinai Peninsula

• On September 14 armed operatives belonging to Salafi networks affiliated with the global jihad in the Sinai Peninsula broke into a multinational force (MFO) outpost in Al-Jawra (east of Al-Arish). The operatives shot at the outpost, threw grenades at it, set it on fire and hung a black flag commonly associated with Al-Qaeda. Three Columbian multinational force soldiers were injured in the incident (Al-Dustour, September 14, 2012).

Judea and Samaria

• Protest rallies took place in several cities in Judea and Samaria. They were small-scale and mostly non-violent. The main event was held in Ramallah on September 17, attended by the PA minister of religious endowments. Protests were also held in Bethlehem, Hebron, Qalqilya, and other locations.
• Hamas held a protest rally in the Shoefat refugee camp where protesters confronted with IDF forces (Felesteen al-Aan, September 18, 2012).

Rocket Fire Continues

Rocket fire into Israeli territory continues. Three rocket landings were detected this week. All the rockets landed in open areas. There were no casualties and no damage was caused.

Rockets Fired into Israeli Territory^[2]

Terrorist Squad Exposed near Mount Hebron

• A large stockpile of weapons was seized in the south of Mount Hebron during a round of terrorist operatives’ arrests conducted by IDF forces. The arrests took place in several Palestinian villages near Hebron after intelligence information was received suggesting that a there was a large stockpile of weapons inside a residential building. The weapons seized by the IDF soldiers included two Uzi submachine guns, a pistol, a Kalashnikov, and numerous rounds of ammunition. The operatives were detained and handed over to security forces for questioning (IDF Spokesman, September 12, 2012).

Demonstrations at Points of Friction

• In addition to the protests sparked by Innocence of Islam, this week as well there were riots at the traditional friction points in Judea and Samaria. Rioters threw stones at the IDF forces, who in certain instances used riot control equipment to disperse the demonstrators. In a number of instances stones and Molotov cocktails were thrown at Israeli civilian and security vehicles.

The De-Facto Hamas Administration’s Relations with Egypt

• Top Egyptian officials and the Hamas leadership reached a number of understandings and agreements during talks recently held in Cairo. According to reports, it was decided to establish a joint security committee, exchange intelligence information on defense issues, ease Rafah crossing procedures, and open an official Hamas office in Egypt (Al-Hayat, September 11, 2012).

• A press release issued by Egypt’s interior minister said that Egyptian security apparatuses operating in the Sinai Peninsula were able to ascertain the identity of seven mostly Palestinian individuals suspected of carrying out the terrorist attack at Kerem Shalom on August 5, 2012, in which 16 Egyptian soldiers had been killed. Also seized were numerous weapons, including hundreds of anti-aircraft missiles, ground-to-ground missiles, and RPG rockets (Al-Wafd portal, September 6, 2012).

Economically-Motivated Protests in Judea and Samaria Calm Down

• The wave of economic protest in Judea and Samaria, sparked by the high cost of living, wound down this week after PA leaders promised to try and ease the situation. For example, PA Prime Minister Salam Fayad promised to lower the VAT to 15 percent, restore gas prices to their former levels, and cut the expenses of PA ministries (Maan, September 13, 2012).
• In light of the difficult economic situation in the PA, Israel’s PM Binyamin Netanyahu decided to transfer NIS 250 million to the PA to help its chairman restore calm and pay the salaries of public sector employees (Israel’s Foreign Ministry, September 12, 2012).
• Nevertheless, Palestinian elements, including top PA officials, continued slamming Israeland accusing it of responsibility for the economic crisis. The following are some of the most significant such remarks:

• One of the issues discussed by Salam Fayad during a visit to Ramallah held by Milano’s Mayor Giuliano Pisapia and his delegation was the economic crisis. According to Fayad, the crisis stems from the non-transference of donations from abroad and the restrictions imposed by Israel on the Palestinians, particularly in C territories, which account for about 60 percent of Judea and Samaria (Maan, September 12, 2012).
• Ashraf al-Ajrami, a Palestinian commentator and former minister of prisoners affairs in the PA, argued in a column published on his behalf that the main reason for the current crisis is the occupation. According to Al-Ajrami, the Palestinian leadership is unable to achieve a real breakthrough in the fight to end the occupation, which causes frustration and despair among the public (Al-Ayyam, September 12, 2012).

Calls to Abolish the Oslo Accords

• In light of the economic protests and the stagnation in the peace process, Palestinian officials bring up publicly the possibility of abolishing the Oslo Accords. The officials say that the Oslo Accords were supposed to bring about a final peace treaty and an end to the “occupation”, which has not happened in practice. Furthermore, the situation has grown worse, according to the officials, because the PA is left with no sovereignty in its territory (Maan, September 13, 2012).
• The following are a number of statements made on the issue:

• Saeb Erekat, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, said that the PA leadership had presented the possibility of abolishing the Oslo Accords as one of the options for dealing with the dead end reached by the peace process at a conference held in Ramallah last weekend. According to Erekat, an in-depth discussion of the issue will begin after the U.N. membership bid is submitted on September 27 (Chinese News Agency in Arabic, September 18, 2012).
• Yasser Abed Rabbo, the chairman of the PLO Executive Committee, said that abolishing the Oslo Accords is open for Palestinian debate, Israel having already abolished the accords to all intents and purposes. According to Abed Rabbo, after twenty years the Palestinians need to look for a better alternative to the Oslo Accords (Maan, September 18, 2012).
• Mahmoud al-Aloul, a member of the Fatah central committee, called on the Palestinians to “shake off the Oslo Accords and their obligations”. According to Al-Aloul, the PA can free itself from the Oslo Accords since they have been reduced to nothing as long as Israel does not meet its obligations and continues with the settlements. As for the security coordination, he said that it can be given up as well because its purpose is to maintain peace, which does not currently exist (Maan, September 13, 2012).

Ansar 3 Convoy to Reach the Gaza Strip

• The Ansar 3 convoy is expected to reach the Gaza Strip in the end of September. According to the convoy’s organizers, members of the Jordanian Lifeline Committee, the convoy has received the Egyptian authorities’ authorization to cross into the Gaza Strip. The convoy will consist of representatives from trade unions, parties, and other activists, and it is scheduled to remain in the Gaza Strip for one week. According to Hamas, the Lifeline Committee will fund 23 development projects in the Gaza Strip (Al-Quds TV, September 4, 2012).