The article in the Voice of Khurasan magazine (Telegram, January 15, 2023)
Overview
- The Al-Aza’im propaganda arm, which is affiliated with ISIS’s Khorasan (i.e., Afghanistan) Province, devoted the main article of the Voice of Khurasan magazine to an extensive reference to the new government in Israel. The article, entitled “The Rise of Far Right Extremists in Palestine [i.e., Israel] and the Silence before Storm for the Muslims,” deals unusually and extensively with Israeli politics, which may indicate a growing interest on the part of ISIS in Israel and a thorough knowledge of what is happening there.
- It reveals ISIS’s version of the circumstances in which the State of Israel was established and its perception regarding the development of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle and the rise of an “extreme right-wing government” in Israel which, in ISIS’s understanding, intends to radicalize its measures against the Muslims in “Palestine.” At the end of the article, the author says that the solution to the Palestinian problem will not be through the current Palestinian leadership but through “a pure Islamic way, which is jihad for the sake of Allah.”
- It should be noted that the article does not contain a specific threat to the State of Israel but presents ISIS’s position towards the Jews in general and the Palestinian issue in particular.
- So far, the Israeli-Palestinian issue has hardly been mentioned in the various editions of the magazine, which focuses mainly on Central and Southeast Asia. It should also be noted that Afghanistan has become a center for the distribution of ISIS propaganda materials in the past year, in view of ISIS’s weakness in Syria and Iraq. One of the ways that the organization found in Afghanistan to establish its new status is by raising the Palestinian issue while taking advantage of the fear of the Palestinians and various Muslim groups in the world of harming the status of Muslims in Israel and their holy sites as a result of the new government’s policy in Israel.
The content of the article
- On January 15, 2023, the Al-Aza’im propaganda arm affiliated with ISIS in Afghanistan published another edition of the Voice of Khurasan magazine (issue number 20). The cover page of the magazine and its main article were devoted to the new government formed in Israel last month.
- The cover page, with the title “The Rise of Far Right Extremists in Palestine and the Silence before Storm for the Muslims,” shows Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas shaking the hand of US President Joe Biden. In the background, Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir is seen celebrating his victory in the Israeli elections on November 2, 2022. The pictures convey the idea of the victory of the right wing in Israel as opposed to the impotence of Mahmoud Abbas, who is perceived as a servant of American interests.
Cover page of the Voice of Khurasan magazine (Telegram, January 15, 2023)
- The main article consists of 10 out of the 45 magazine pages. Under the title appearing on the cover page, the article presents Israel’s Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich as representing the extreme nature of the current government in Israel and the nature of the Israeli public in general. The article describes Itamar Ben-Gvir as a follower of Rabbi Meir Kahane, “the ultra-nationalist and extremist” who wanted to drive the Palestinians out of Israel. Ben-Gvir is further presented as someone who was prosecuted for incitement and was not admitted into the army due to his extreme views. He is also portrayed as an “infidel” responsible for the massacre of Muslims in Hebron[1], as someone interested in driving the Arabs out of the State of Israel, and as a provocateur, inter alia by settling in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem.
- The Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, is mentioned as another extreme figure. According to the author, both are considered extreme even in the eyes of the Zionist right. In this way, the author tries to portray the two as representatives of the extreme nature of the current Israeli government. The author also points out that the majority of young people in Israel support both, which indicates the extreme nature of Israeli society. The detailed preoccupation with the intricacies of Israeli politics can testify to the growing interest on the part of ISIS in Israel.
The article in the Voice of Khurasan magazine (Telegram, January 15, 2023)
- The article also presents in detail the solution that ISIS sees to the situation of the Palestinians in light of the formation of the new government in Israel while presenting its version of the development of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which includes radical Islamic and anti-Semitic elements:
- Uprooting the Islamic identity of “Palestine:” Since the beginning of Zionism, the “cursed Jews” have been working to uproot every trace of Islam from “Palestine.” The Jews have consistently taken over the Palestinian lands through wars, occupation, deportation, and robbery to eliminate the Muslims from “Palestine.” This is how they operate today and are expected to operate this way in the future as well, in light of the formation of the new right-wing government in Israel. Muslims around the world are indifferent at this time to the Palestinian issue, preferring to engage in economic well-being, a life of abundance, entertainment, and soccer competitions (referring to the World Cup games in Qatar).
- Denying the legitimacy of the State of Israel: Israel was established with the extensive assistance of the “British Crusaders” on land that was under the control of the Ottoman Empire, that is, on Islamic land, at the expense of the Muslim population. This land was consecrated by the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, and by the prophets before him.[2]
- Claiming that the Jews are basically hostile towards Islam: The Jews feel a basic hostility towards the Muslims, which was especially manifested under the new right-wing government in Israel, led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Claiming that the end of the Jews is near: Allah casts fear into the hearts of the Jews, as reflected in the words of the former Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, and the current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who expressed fear for the future existence of the State of Israel. The article cites anti-Semitic Islamic traditions which supposedly predict the extermination of the Jews by the Muslims. By implication, it suggests that the right-wing government is bringing this day closer.
- The solution to the Palestine issue – violent jihad: The solution for the Muslims in “Palestine” will not be through the current Palestinian leadership (i.e., the Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas or Hamas) but in “a pure Islamic way, which is jihad for the sake of Allah”.
- The Al-Aza’im foundation, operating from Afghanistan, publishes propaganda materials on behalf of ISIS in various languages, including Pashto, Asian, African, and Eastern European languages. In January 2022, it also launched an English language edition. It should be noted that unlike the Al-Naba weekly, which is published on behalf of ISIS’s official propaganda arm, Al-Aza’im is known as an entity affiliated with ISIS which apparently is not handled directly by the organization’s central leadership. The multitude of languages in which the magazine is published indicates an intention to appeal to a wide target audience, apparently to recruit supporters for the organization from East Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe.
[1] A massacre perpetrated by Baruch Goldstein in the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron on February 25, 1994, leaving 29 Palestinians dead. ↑
[2] Islam recognizes King David and even sees him as a prophet. Thus, by “Islamizing” the Jewish prophets, radical Muslims try to deny the Jews their right to the Land of Israel. ↑
