News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (June 2 – 6, 2017)

Riots, Clashes and Popular Terrorism

• This past week demonstrations, clashes and riots continued throughout Judea and Samaria, primarily involving the throwing of stones and Molotov cocktails. Israeli security forces detained a number of Palestinians suspected of terrorist activity and seized weapons. The more prominent occurrences were the following:

• June 5, 2017 – Israeli security forces operating in the village of Asira al-Shamaliya (Nablus region) seized weapons, including a hand gun, rifle sights and ammunition (Facebook page of Red Alert, June 5, 2017).
• June 5, 2017 – Palestinians threw stones at an Israeli vehicle near Nebi Elias (Samaria). There were no casualties; the vehicle was damaged(Facebook page of Red Alert, June 5, 2017).
• June 3, 2017 – IDF forces attempted to detain a Palestinian at the checkpoint near Nebi Saleh (northwest of Ramallah) and a clash with other Palestinians ensued. One was seriously injured. The IDF is investigating the circumstances (Facebook page of Red Alert, June 3, 2017).
• June 2, 2017 – Palestinians threw a Molotov cocktail at an Israeli vehicle near the community of Kokhav Hashahar (northeast of Ramallah). There were no casualties (Facebook page of Red Alert, June 2, 2017).
• June 2, 2017 –Israeli security forces operating in the village of Khirbet Aqaba (west of Nablus) seized a large quantity of weapons (Facebook page of Red Alert, June 2, 2017).

Condemnation of the Death of a Palestinian Terrorist Who Carried Out a Stabbing Attack

• On June 1, 2017, a Palestinian girl carried out a stabbing attack near the community of Mevo Dotan, wounding an IDF soldier. She was shot and later died in a hospital. The Palestinian ministry of health issued an announcement condemning the IDF's "field court martial" which had sentenced her to death. According to the announcement, such trials held by IDF soldiers indicate the moral deterioration of the IDF under Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. The ministry also appealed to the UN Security Council and international organizations to investigate the event, and ensure Israel bore responsibility for its acts and obeyed international law (Wafa, June 2, 2017).
• The above is another example of how the PA and Fatah systematically accuse Israel of responsibility for the deaths of Palestinian terrorists who die while carrying out attacks. They consistently ignore the relationship between cause (an attempted terrorist attack) and effect (the death of the terrorist).^[2]

Rocket Fire Attacking Israel

• This past week no rocket hits were identified in Israeli territory.

Clashes near the Border Security Fence

• The Hamas-affiliated "national authority to break the siege" called on the residents of the Gaza Strip to hold "demonstrations" near the border with Israel for a week. Their slogan was "the warning of rage." The demonstrations were meant to protest the intensifying of the "siege" on the Gaza Strip (al-Aqsa, June 1, 2017).
• Inanswer to the call Gazans rioted on the Israeli-Gazan border for a week. Clashes were held simultaneously in a number of locations (determined in advance by Hamas). There were several hundred rioters at each location. They set fire to tires and threw stones at IDF forces (Twitter account of al-Aqsa TV, June 2, 2017). The Palestinian media reported that a number of Gazans were injured during the clashes (Filastin al-Yawm, al-Aqsa and Wafa, June 2-5, 2017).

Hamas Delegation Goes to Egypt

• A Hamas delegation led by Yahya al-Sinwar, the head of Hamas' political bureau in the Gaza Strip, left the Gaza Strip for Egypt through the Rafah crossing. Members of the delegation included senior Hamas figures Khalil al-Haya and Rawhi Mushtaha, as well as Tawfiq Abu Na'im, assistant deputy minister of the interior and in charge of the security forces. The delegates planned to meet with senior figures in the Egyptian administration, including the head of Egyptian General Intelligence. They will discuss a series of issues relating to the Gaza Strip and Hamas-Egyptian relations (Filastin al-Yawm, June 4, 2017).
• According to Salah al-Bardawil, a member of Hamas' political bureau, the objective of the visit was to develop relations with Egypt and discuss the future of the Palestinian cause. The delegates will also raise the issue of the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, the role of Egypt in easing the siege and the necessity of opening the Rafah crossing (alresalah.net, June 4, 2017). It is the first visit of Yahya al-Sinwar to Egypt since he was elected to head Hamas' political bureau in the Gaza Strip on February 13, 2017.

Hamas' External Relations

• Osama Hamdan, in charge of Hamas' external relations, spoke about Hamas' relations with Iran. He claimed there was nothing new in the report published by the London-based newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat about a rapprochement between Hamas and Iran because they had never cut off relations. For the past two years, he claimed, relations had been steadily improving. He said the last time he visited Iran was three months ago. Regarding meeting with Israelis, he said no one in Hamas was permitted to meet with Israelis or negotiate with them in the name of the movement. Anyone who met with Israelis would pay the price (al-Mayadeen, May 31, 2017).

Hamas' Relations with Qatar

• Hezbollah-affiliated al-Mayadeen TV, quoting diplomat sources, reported that Qatar had given Hamas the names of 12 Hamas operatives who were required to leave Doha [the capital of Qatar] immediately. According to the report, most of the names listed were of Hamas operatives who coordinated activities with the movement's leadership in Judea and Samaria. Qatar expressed regret at having to take such a step, but it did "in the wake of external pressures" (al-Mayadeen, June 3, 2017). According to the Jordanian paper al-Ghad, Saleh al-Arouri, a member of Hamas' political bureau, had already left Qatar (al-Ghad, June 3, 2017).
• Hamas publicly denied its senior figures had been expelled from Qatar:

• Hamas spokesman Husam Badran said the report was false, distorted the true situation, and was an attempt to influence Hamas' external relations. He thanked Qatar for its positive role in supporting the Palestinian people (alresalah.net, June 4, 2017).
• Salah al-Bardawil, a member of Hamas' political bureau, Tweeted that the discourse regarding the expulsion of the Hamas leadership from Qatar was part of a well-planned, well-orchestrated media campaign initiated by people who wanted to harm Hamas. Such people were concerned Hamas would soon overcome its present crisis and be stronger than before (Twitter account of Salah al-Bardawil, June 4, 2017)

Stopping Payment of Salaries to Released Terrorist Prisoners

• Released prisoners in the Gaza Strip said the Palestinian Authority (PA) had stopped paying the salaries of 277 Palestinian terrorist prisoners who had been released in the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal and exiled to the Gaza Strip. They said when they had gone to their banks to receive their salaries they were told the money had not yet been deposited. They appealed to everyone involved and asked for pressure to be exerted on the PA so that they could receive the funds (al-Ra'i, June 4, 2017). Abu Jerad, chairman of the of the union of PA workers in the Gaza Strip, condemned the PA's measure and said the union would undertake a series of protest measures against the PA (Samaa News, June 4, 2017).
• Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum condemned the PA's decision to stop the payments. He said it served Israel and Israel's positions. He called on Mahmoud Abbas to cancel the decision (Hamas website, June 5, 2017).

End-of-Year Ceremony at a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Kindergarten in Gaza City

• The PIJ-affiliated Islamic Dar al-Huda NGO held an end-of-the-year ceremony at its kindergarten in Gaza City. The ceremony demonstrated the hatred and violence towards Israel with which the children are indoctrinated.
• The ceremony was held at the end of May 2017 at the kindergarten run by the NGO in the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City. The children, wearing "camouflage uniforms" of the PIJ's military-terrorist wing, simulated attacking and killing two ultra-Orthodox Jews, who, according to the script, had killed a Palestinian woman. The children held up pictures of Ramadan Shallah, PIJ secretary general, and Fathi Shqaqi, the organization's founder (Facebook page of the Islamic Dar al-Huda kindergarten, June 2, 2017). A similar ceremony was held last year.^[4]

Responses to the United States' Announcement to Delay the Relocation of the American Embassy to Jerusalem

• Donald Trump signed an waiver delaying the relocation of the American embassy to Jerusalem by six months (until December 1, 2017). In a statement issued by the White House, officials said Mr. Trump’s move should not be considered “a retreat from the president’s strong support for Israel” and its alliance with the United States.^[5] The United States, according to the statement, was still planning to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, and the only question was when (New York Times, June 1, 2017).
• The PA welcomed the move, which they claimed was consistent with international consensus and gave peace a chance. In the meantime, the PA said it was considering sending a delegation of senior Palestinian figures to Washington in preparation for beginning negotiations with Israel (al-Quds, June 20, 2017). Some responses were the following:

• Nabil Abu Rudeina, spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas, said Trump's decision was positive and would increase the chances for peace. He said it also proved the American administration was serious about the peace process and its intentions to construct a bridge of trust (Wafa, June 1, 2017).
• Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the PLO's Executive Committee, praised the United States for not surrendering to Israeli pressure. He called Trump's decision a step in the right direction which proved the new American administration could be trusted to work for peace (Dunia al-Watan, June 2, 2017).
• Husam Zomlot, the de facto PA ambassador to Washington, said the decision was important for three reasons: president Trump would continue the policy of not recognizing Israel's military rule in Jerusalem, both east and west; the president was serious about reaching a comprehensive resolution for the Palestinian cause; and Prime Minister Netanyahu was not serious about achieving peace. Husam Zomlot claimed Mahmoud Abbas' instructions to prevent the relocation of the embassy to Jerusalem were clear and the American administration understood from the Palestinian position that relocating the embassy would destroy any chance of reaching a political settlement, at the same time increasing regional extremism and instability (Samaa, June 1, 2017).

Statements Made by Jibril Rajoub about the Western Wall

• In an interview given by Jibril Rajoub, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, to Israeli Channel 2's program "Meet the Press," he said, regarding Trump's visit to the Western Wall, that it had to remain under Israeli sovereignty but that the Temple Mount had to remain in the hands of the Palestinians. He also said the regarding the issue of the Western Wall there was no argument and that it was a holy place for the Jews.

• Jibril Rajoub's remarks about the Western Wall caused a storm of criticism in the Palestinian social networks. He posted a denial of his alleged remarks about the Western Wall on his Facebook page. He said a number of websites and "tabloids" had published false reports claiming that in an interview in Hebrew he had ceded the Western Wall and Jerusalem. However, he claimed, he meant that Trump's solo visit to the Western Wall, without Israelis accompanying him, sent the message that he did not recognize the legitimacy of Israel's sovereignty over the site (Facebook page of Jibril Rajoub, June 4, 2017).

Jibril Rajoub's response to criticism (Facebook page of Jibril Rajoub, June 3, 2017).

• Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in an announcement that he condemned the statements made by Jibril Rajoub. He said Jibril Rajoub's statements were a "national crime" and sent a clear message to Israel that the Palestinians had officially waived their rights to one of their holy places, which was also a Palestinian national historic site. He claimed the statements made by Jibril Rajoub showed the depths to which some of the Fatah leadership had sunk and that such statements showed disregard for the struggle of the Palestinian people (Hamas website, June 4, 2017).
• Daoud Shehab, director of the PIJ's media bureau, wrote that the statements made by Jibril Rajoub were serious and prepared the ground for the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. He added that the concepts of "the Oslo negotiations pack" ignored what was sacred and that as far as they were concerned everything was open to negotiation, which was the cause of catastrophes (Paltoday, June 4, 2017).

Hamas cartoons. Left: "Rajoub: the Western Wall has to remain under Jewish sovereignty..." (Palinfo Twitter account, June 4, 2017). Right: Rajoub presents the Islamic Western Wall to the Jews (Palinfo Twitter account, June 5, 2017).

Public Opinion Poll about the Israel-Palestinian Political Process

• The Bethlehem-based Ma'an News Agency (considered one of the most prominent Palestinian media) conducted a public opinion poll about renewing negotiations under the aegis of Donald Trump. According to the poll, 88% of those who participated were of the opinion that Trump, like his predecessors, would be biased in favor of Israel and that his administration would present nothing new. Only 8.4% were of the opinion that a return to negotiations could lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state (Ma'an, June 4, 2017).

Cartoon by Khalil Abu Arafeh exaggerating the extent of construction in the Israeli settlements before (right) and after (left) Trump (Facebook page of Khalil Abu Arafeh, June 4, 2017).

The Palestinian Terrorists Prisoners' Hunger Strike

• Ashraf al-Ajami, who was formerly PA minister for prisoners affairs, wrote an article about the prisoners' strike. In it he claimed that ending the strike after negotiations with Israel, which had initially refused to negotiate with the prisoners, was a victory. However, he wrote, it revealed the difficult and disturbing truth that only 10% of all the prisoners in Israeli jails had joined the strike, demonstrating a low level of solidarity among the prisoners. That showed that the prisoners' movement was divided, similar to Palestinian society (al-Ayam, June 5, 2017).

The 50^th Anniversary of the Six Day War

• This past week the PA marked the 50^th anniversary of the Six Day War (the naksa, "defeat" in Arabic). Mahmoud Abbas' office issued an announcement stressing that the end of the occupation and establishment of an independent Palestinian state with the 1967 borders and east Jerusalem as its capital were the real way to achieve security and stability. The Palestinians adhered to their national rights and basic principles, for which they had sacrificed thousands of shaheeds and wounded. The announcement called on the free world to put an end to the world's "last occupation" and allow the Palestinians their full and legitimate rights (Wafa, June 4, 2017).
• Saeb Erekat, secretary of the PLO's Executive Committee, said in an announcement that the Palestinians would not allow Israel or its supporters to uproot them from their land again. They would not waive their national rights, which were anchored in international law, and would continue their struggle against the occupation with every means at their disposal. He said the two-state solution was the only way to end the occupation, and that the Palestinian leadership would not agree to temporary or partial solutions, or to a regional solution. He called on the international community, especially the UN, to take responsibility for ending the Israeli occupation and bring its criminals to trial for their war crimes and the crimes against humanity they had committed against the Palestinian for 50 years. He added that in the absence of the two-state solution and of support, the Palestinians would not sit idly by but would struggle to defeat the "apartheid regime" Israeli was trying to enforce (Wafa, June 4, 2017).

Palestinian cartoons for the 50th anniversary of the Six Day War (left to right: Felesteen, June 6, 2017; Twitter account of Filastin al-A'an, June 5, 2017; alresala.net, June 5, 2017).