22 July 2007July 2007

The Hamas organization enjoys the widespread support of the Palestinian population, due to the social and economic activities it arranges. This support assists the movement in achieving its strategic aims, and is one of the reasons for its success in the Gaza Strip.

This strategy has also been applied in Jerusalem. In recent years, Hamas has been secretly operating in Jerusalem, determined to strengthen its position within the boundaries of municipal Jerusalem. The organization’s objective is to gain the support of East Jerusalem residents and to pose an alternative to Israeli rule in the city.

The Hamas uses the social activities it arranges as a means of reaching a large community of young people, to indoctrinate them and to create a reserve of potential terror recruits. The advantage of recruiting a resident of East Jerusalem who holds an Israeli ID card, has access to Israel and understands the Israeli mentality is clear.

To facilitate its buildup in Jerusalem, Hamas formed a secret headquarters, staffed by experienced operatives. The activities of the Jerusalem headquarters were coordinated with other Hamas headquarters, both in and beyond the West Bank.

Activities aimed at the East Jerusalem populationSecret activities in the mosques, aid to the needy, economic support for Jerusalem detainees and doctrinal sermons delivered by senior Hamas members.

Activities aimed at gaining de-facto control of the Temple MountHamas organizes events on the Temple Mount, religious lessons in the mosques and trips for youths. These trips are distinguished by their negative portrayal of Israeli sovereignty. The Hamas also initiates construction projects both on the Temple Mount and in its vicinity.

Usra (youth cell) activities Hamas operates a network of youth cells (Usra) composed of youths from East Jerusalem. These Usra networks usually form the first stage in the recruiting and military training process of young Hamas members.

These are the methods used by Hamas to build its strength in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount:

Hamas headquarters - Jerusalem

Hamas headquarters - abroadHamas headquarters – West Bank

Hamas institutions - Jerusalem

Temple MountEast Jerusalem neighborhoods

Indoctrination prior to military training

Ongoing Hamasactivities

Hamas-financed events

ConstructionRecruitmentSecretUsras

Hamas Quran tutoring center

“Innocent” coverfor supportive events

To achieve its strategic objectives, over the last few years Hamas established a series of institutions in Jerusalem, operating under the innocent cover of social-religious activities.

Intensive efforts by Israeli security forces enabled them to locate these institutions and to prove that they were actually Hamas institutions responsible for organizing operations within sovereign Jerusalem.

Successful intelligence gathering resulted in the banning of these institutions, effectively closing them down. Hamas leaders established substitute institutions, which were closed as well.

Disruption and prevention of Hamas activities scheduled to take place on the Temple Mount and the Arab suburbs of Jerusalem under the guise of innocent religious events

Exposure of the activities of secret Usras and the arrest of cell members

Preventing the transfer of funds for the financing of Hamas activities: A year ago, the ISA identified a money smuggling network operating in the West Bank headed by a senior Jerusalem-based Hamas operative, Yakoub Abu Ezeb. The network was disrupted and the agent detained.

Preventing Hamas activities during the PA elections, and obstructing Jerusalem Hamas members elected to the Palestinian legislative council

The Institution for Social Development

The Rafada Institution

The Akra’a Institution

The Heritage Committee

The Wafada Institution

The ISA and the Israel Police have recently concluded a lengthy investigation during which eleven senior Hamas members – residents of eastern Jerusalem, ten of whom hold Israeli identity cards – were arrested.

The State Prosecutor's Office is seeking to try them for various offenses including membership in a terrorist organization, financing terrorism and illegal use of property for terrorist purposes.

During the investigation, evidence was uncovered that indicated intensive Hamas activity in Jerusalem, especially on the Temple Mount, financed by Hamas elements abroad.

Several channels for transferring Hamas funds from abroad were discovered and NIS 400,000 were confiscated.   

The Ba-Ram Charity Committee

Money changers

Couriers

Hamas headquarters in Jerusalem

Money transfer channels

Bank accounts

in PA territories

Hamas headquarters abroad

The “Union of Good”

Saudi ArabiaThe

Gulf StatesEuropean countries

Cash transfers

In the last 18 months, Hamas' Jerusalem headquarters received over NIS 1 million in cash in this fashion.

Evidence indicates that most of the aforementioned funds transferred by Hamas from abroad to Hamas headquarters in Jerusalem was used to finance Hamas activities on the Temple Mount, which were coordinated with Sheikh Raad Salah's Islamic Movement. 

Joint activities of Hamas and the Islamic Movement on the Temple Mount included:

Organization of events on the Temple Mount during the month of Ramadan:During the month of Ramadan, the Hamas organized daily, large-scale post-fast evening meals, under the auspices of the Hamas organization abroad. Evidence suggests that the cost of these projects amounted to tens of thousands of US dollars.

The project’s goal was to recruit support for Hamas and give the organization a foothold on the Temple Mount. 

Construction projects on the Temple Mount, coordinated with the Islamic Movement and financed by Hamas elements abroad. These projects were not coordinated with Israel and constitute a violation of the status quo.

Organization of Hamas-financed guided tours of the Temple Mount. The objective as to strengthen the affinity of local residents to the Temple Mount.

Nazem Ga’aba

Hamas members of the Legislative Council

Decease

d

Hassan Kik

Head of Hamas in Jerusalem prior

to his death

Yakoub Abu Ezeb

Financial officer of the Hamas in Jerusalem

Arreste

d

Arreste

d

Arreste

d

Arreste

d

Arreste

d

Khaled Abu Arafa

Minister for Jerusalem Affairs in the Hamas

government

Mohammed Tawtah

Mohammed Abu Tir

Ahmad Attoun

Arreste

d

Arreste

d

Arreste

d

Arreste

d

Arreste

d

Arreste

d

Arreste

d

Arreste

d

Nasser Abu SaudMember of Hamas

leadership, Jerusalem

Amin ShwikiResponsible for Hamas

activities prior to his arrest

Khalil GizawiMember of Hamas

leadership, Jerusalem

Ahmed Kurd Mohammed Qasrawi Mohammed Farah Afif ‘Aabdin

ARRESTED

ARRESTED

ARRESTED

Amin Rushdi Shwiki, b.1960, of Beit Hanina, glass factory owner.  Responsible for Hamas activities in Jerusalem.  Initiated contact with the organization's charity committee and prepared a channel for the transfer of funds. Shwiki sent an emissary to Hamas operatives abroad in order to organize money transfers to fund local operations.

Nasser Yakoub Abu Saud, b. 1968, of A-Tur, teacher.  Active over the years in several Hamas institutions in Jerusalem, which were subsequently closed by Israel. Received transferred funds and was involved in organizing Hamas operations on the Temple Mount.

Khalil Attia Gizawi, b. 1973, of Abu Tor, graduate of Islamic University of Gaza. Active over the years in a number of Hamas institutions in Jerusalem, which were subsequently closed by Israel. Received transferred funds and was involved in organizing Hamas operations on the Temple Mount.

ARRESTED

Mohammed Radwan Farah, b. 1958, Shuafat refugee camp, Chairman of the Dahiat Al-Barid Al-Ram Charity Committee. Managed the transfer of funds from Hamas operatives abroad to Hamas leaders in Jerusalem. Also met with Hamas operatives abroad and participated in the actual smuggling.

The arrest of the Hamas Jerusalem leadership and the heads of the Dahiat Al-Barid Al-Ram Charity Committee significantly undermined Hamas activities in the city and its attempts to strengthen itself and gain influence in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount.

In addition to exposing and destroying channels for the transfer of funds, the operation has had a major demoralizing effect on Hamas' Jerusalem infrastructure, especially on those members with Israeli ID cards, who had felt secure in their operations in the city.

During the operation, close cooperation between Hamas and the Islamic Movement was uncovered in a number of fields:

Initiation and implementation of joint projects on the Temple Mount

The organizations operated jointly with financing from Hamas affiliates abroad, although senior Islamic Movement officials have been careful to avoid being directly associated with these affiliates.

The Islamic Movement provides the “legal” cover for operations in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount.