PA adopts Hamas' religious belief - prohibits peace with Israel
presenting peace with Israel
Abbas' advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs, Mahmoud Al-Habbash:
At least three times in recent weeks, Mahmoud Abbas' advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs and the Palestinian Authority's Supreme Shari'ah Judge, Mahmoud Al-Habbash, has made statements showing that the PA agrees with Hamas' religious belief claiming Islamic sanctity over all of the State of Israel. In one of his statements, Al-Habbash used the same language as Hamas does in its charter:
When PA leaders use the term "entire land of Palestine," they refer to both the PA areas and all of the area of the State of Israel, as documented by Palestinian Media Watch.
This designation of all of Israel as "waqf" has far-reaching political ramifications as it prohibits and precludes any authentic PA peace treaty with Israel. These political implications are evident in Abbas' advisor's statement:
"All this [Western Wall and Al-Aqsa Mosque plaza] is waqf and kharaj land (i.e., land belonging to Muslims) and no one is permitted to sell it or negotiate over it or forfeit it. It is ours and will remain ours." [Official PA TV, Nov. 7, 2014]
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The PA's religious prohibition to "facilitate the occupation of even a millimeter of it [Palestine]," means that any peace treaty recognizing Israeli rule over any part of the area is considered a violation of Islam, and prohibited. Any peace treaty with Israel would therefore be invalid.
In September, Abbas' advisor talked on official PA TV about the PA goal of conquering all of Israel. Al-Habbash insisted that there was no difference between Fatah and Hamas since they both sought Israel's destruction - "the liberation of Palestine from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea":
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The PA's religious belief prohibiting the acceptance of Israel's existence is identical to Hamas' religious belief as expressed in its charter:
| Abbas' advisor and Palestinian Authority's Supreme Shari'ah Judge, Mahmoud Al-Habbash: "Al-Habbash emphasized that according to Islamic Shari'ah law, the entire land of Palestine is waqf (i.e., an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law) and is blessed land, and that it is prohibited to sell, bestow ownership or facilitate the occupation of even a millimeter of it." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 22, 2014]
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Hamas Charter, Article Eleven: "The Islamic Resistance Movement [Hamas] believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic waqf consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgment Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up."
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Already a few years ago, Mahmoud Abbas, when calling for a unity government, likewise stated that Hamas and Fatah share the same beliefs, although he did not elaborate as explicitly as his advisor, that it includes taking all of Israel:
Abbas: "There is no disagreement between us [Fatah and Hamas]: About belief? None! About policy? None! About resistance? None! So what do you [Hamas] disagree about? Why are you not signing the [reconciliation] agreement?" [Official PA TV Dec. 31, 2009]Because of this religious belief, Hamas stresses it can never sign a peace treaty that recognizes Israel, but only a "Hudna" - a cease fire. Now, the PA - Fatah leadership is hinting that it shares this ideology in negotiations, similarly defining recognition of Israel as a violation of Islam, and viewing Israel's destruction as the end goal.
Palestinian Media Watch reported that last year, at the start of the recent round of peace talks, the same Mahmoud Al-Habbash, then PA Minister of Religious Affairs, taught in a sermon that a peace treaty with Israel was intended to be only temporary. He preached that the peace process was modeled on the famous Treaty of Hudaybiyyah made by Islam's Prophet Muhammad. That treaty called for 10 years of peace with the tribes of Mecca, yet two years later Muhammad conquered Mecca with his army. In Al-Habbash's words:
"In less than two years, the Prophet returned and based on this treaty, he conquered Mecca. This is the example, this is the model."
Al-Habbash made this sermon in the presence of PA leader Mahmoud Abbas. Since then, Al-Habbash has become Abbas' advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs and the PA's Supreme Shari'ah Judge.
The following are longer excerpts of Al-Habbash's statements prohibiting recognition of Israeli authority in any borders:
"All of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, including its plazas, stone benches, prayer niches and walls, including the Al-Buraq Wall (i.e., the Western Wall of the Temple Mount), including the blessed Al-Buraq Wall - all these are waqf to us (i.e., an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law). All this is waqf and kharaj land (i.e., land belonging to Muslims) and no one is permitted to sell it or negotiate over it or forfeit it. It is ours and will remain ours. The occupation is the one that will leave."
The following is the Hamas Charter, Article 11: