A7News: How Hamas uses TV to recruit, direct terrorists - in Jerusalem

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Wednesday, Feb. 13 '19, ח' באדר תשע"ט





HEADLINES:
1. HOW HAMAS USES TV TO RECRUIT, DIRECT TERRORISTS - IN JERUSALEM
2. SWEET HOME ALABAMA: AMBASSADOR FRIEDMAN JAMS WITH MIKE HUCKABEE
3. NETANYAHU JOINS ARAB LEADERS AT CONFERENCE ON IRANIAN THREAT
4. 1 OUT OF 5 HAREDI VOTERS WON'T BACK HAREDI PARTIES
5. TRUMP: REP. OMAR SHOULD RESIGN FROM CONGRESS
6. "I WISH IVANKA, JARED HADN'T COME TO MY FATHER'S FUNERAL"
7. TERRORIST WHO CONFESSED TO MURDERING TEEN APPEARS IN COURT
8. INVESTIGATION: BULLET HIT HELMET OF SOLDIER WOUNDED IN TRAINING


1. HOW HAMAS USES TV TO RECRUIT, DIRECT TERRORISTS - IN JERUSALEM
by Arutz Sheva Staff

The Hamas terrorist organization used its television network in a bid to communicate with and direct Arab terrorists inside Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency revealed Wednesday morning.

While Hamas is based in the Gaza Strip, separated geographically from Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem, it attempted in recent years to increase its influence outside of the coastal enclave. The terror group has a significant presence in the south Hevron hills area in Judea, and has been working to expand its operations through Palestinian Authority-controlled territory.

According to the Shin Bet report released on Wednesday, Hamas has been using its Al Aqsa television network to reach potential terrorists in not only Judea and Samaria, but also in the Israeli capital city.

The official Hamas satellite television channel used secret coded messages in its broadcasting to signal directions to sleeper cells in Judea, Samaria, and eastern Jerusalem, the Shin Bet reported.

In recent years, Israeli security forces have arrested dozens of Arab terrorists in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem who have been linked to sleeper cells directed by Hamas leaders in Gaza. Only in late 2018, however, did Israeli officials uncover the method used by Hamas to direct its cells outside of the Strip.

In October 2018, Israeli security forces uncovered a Hamas-directed terror cell which had been plotting an attack on Israeli targets.

Over the next few months, members of the cell explained to Shin Bet agents during interrogation the methods used by Hamas to direct terrorists in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.

One of the cell members arrested in late 2018, 21-year-old Yattah resident Qutayba Al Nawaj'a, was first recruited via Facebook by Hamas agent Mohammed Arbid. Arbid put Al Nawaj'a in touch with a Hamas terrorist, who sought to enlist Al Nawaj'a in an upcoming attack.

Since the communications all took place online, Al Nawaj'a was unsure if he was in fact chatting with Hamas members.

To prove their identities, the Hamas terrorists told Al Nawaj'a to tell them which verse from the Quran to recite, then watch for it on a specific show on Al Aqsa the next day. As promised, the station aired a segment the next day, during which the host discussed the verse Al Nawaj'a had selected.

Once Al Nawaj'a had been recruited, Hamas agents said he would carry out a suicide bombing in the Israeli city of Lod. The attack would target a bus in the city, with Al Nawaj'a detonating an explosive belt hidden under his clothing.

Israeli security forces arrested Al Nawaj'a just days before the planned attack.

Other Hamas recruits told Shin Bet agents the Al Aqsa network had been used in a similar manner to verify their handlers' identities.

Bahaa Shuja'iya of Deir Jarir, 21, a student of religious studies at Abu Dis University, was the leader of Hamas's clandestine student cell at the university.

Shuja'iya was released from prison in May 2018 after two years' imprisonment. He had been convicted of involvement in terrorist activity carried out by a cell recruited by Hamas in the Gaza Strip to carry out shooting attacks and suicide bombings against Israelis.

Shuja'iya was detained for questioning on 16 December 2018. His questioning indicated that several months after his release from prison, Shuja'iya was contacted by a Gaza-based Hamas operative via Facebook. The Gazan operative offered Shuja'iya to participate in military activity, adding that people from the Al Aqsa channel proposed that Shuja'iya operate on behalf of Hamas.

The Gazan operative communicating with Shuja'iya was Moussa Alayan of Jabalya, 24, a Hamas member who identified as a journalist on social media.

Ahmad Abu Aysha of Nablus, 23, was detained for questioning on 26 December 2018. Abu Aysha's questioning indicated that he was approached by members of Hamas in the Gaza Strip with the aim of advancing military activity. He also received messages via the Al Aqsa TV channel using an MO similar to that described above.
Abu Aysha's questioning showed that after being approached by the Gazan operatives, he recruited Hamas operative Said Issa of Nablus, 24, to carry out a stabbing attack within Israel. This plan was inspired by the Itamar attack in 2011, in which five members of the Fogel family were killed.

Alaa Sharawna, 26, originally from Silwan, resided in eastern Jerusalem and possessed an Israeli ID card. Sharawna was detained for questioning on 8 January 2019. Sharawna's questioning indicated that he had been recruited by members of the military wing of Hamas in the Gaza Strip to establish a military cell.

According to Sharawna's questioning, members of Hamas's military wing – Mohammad Arbid, Mohammad Aqel, and Mohammad Abu Kweik – gave him tasks, such as filming points of interest in Jerusalem. They had also dispatched a courier from the Gaza Strip to Sharawna.

In another case, Hamas terrorists communicating with potential recruits used the Al Aqsa network to prove their credentials by having a host of a show perform specific actions. For instance, the Hamas agent said that the next day, the host would put down a coffee mug at the beginning of the show and recite lines from a specific song.

"This activity by Hamas's military wing is yet another one in the series of attempts by Hamas in the Gaza Strip to carry out terrorist attacks by recruiting operatives in Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem. All these have been disrupted by the ISA in recent years, leading to the arrests of dozens of young operatives in Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem," a senior Shin Bet officer said.

"Hamas's attempts to initiate this activity have failed again and again. Still, they shed light on the strategy chosen by Hamas to try to destabilize the situation in Judea and Samaria at any cost. Ongoing activity by the clandestine terrorist infrastructure run by senior operatives of Hamas in the Gaza Strip is a dangerous destabilizing factor that poses a significant and immediate threat to the situation in the region."

"Hamas operatives are particularly determined to recruit to military activity operatives from East Jerusalem with Israeli IDs, who have ready access to Israel. The discovery of this infrastructure highlights once again how relentlessly Hamas takes advantage of Judea and Samaria residents to carry out military activity on behalf of Hamas in the Gaza Strip."


2. SWEET HOME ALABAMA: AMBASSADOR FRIEDMAN JAMS WITH MIKE HUCKABEE
by David Rosenberg

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/258998

US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman took up a six-string and performed with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in Jerusalem on Tuesday.

Joining Huckabee's band for a rendition of Lynyrd Skynard's classic 1973 song "Sweet Home Alabama", Ambassador Friedman played guitar alongside Huckabee on bass guitar.

"Was a joy and a thrill to perform tonight with Governor Mike Huckabee and his band from the Holy City of Jerusalem," tweeted Friedman. "No worries, I am keeping my day job!"

This isn't the first time Huckabee's band has performed the song in Jerusalem. In 2017, the band played the song at a barbeque in the Israeli capital, with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu' son, Yair, in attendance, along with former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci.

Ambassador Friedman was also reportedly present at the 2017 event, but did not join in the performance.

Huckabee served as Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007, before making two bids for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016.

Since 1996, Huckabee has been a member of the band Capitol Offense.

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/258998


3. NETANYAHU JOINS ARAB LEADERS AT CONFERENCE ON IRANIAN THREAT
by David Rosenberg

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu landed in Warsaw, Poland Wednesday morning, ahead of a two-day Middle East security conference in the Polish capital set to begin Wednesday afternoon.

The meeting, hosted by the Polish government and the US, is expected to draw leaders from more than 60 countries, including representatives from across the Arab world.

While the gathering will address the prospects for peace and security in the Middle East generally, Iran's nuclear program, missile development, and proxy wars in Syria and Yemen are expected to be the primary focus, leading Russia to denounce the conference as "anti-Iran".

As he departed for Warsaw, Netanyahu explained the importance of coordinating the international response to "Iranian aggression" and Tehran's aspirations for a nuclear weapons capacity.

"This is a very important international conference in Warsaw. The focus is Iran. This brings together Israel, the US, and countries in and beyond the region. There will be interesting meetings there," Netanyahu said.

"Iran threatens us on the 40th anniversary of the revolution. They threatened to destroy Tel Aviv and Haifa, and I said that they would not succeed but if they try then I repeat that this will be the last anniversary of the revolution that they celebrate, this regime."

The prime minister alluded to Israel's military strikes in Syria against Iranian forces there, and noted Iran's links to terrorism outside of the Middle East.

"We operate very many means and very many elements against the Iranian aggression, against their attempt to arm themselves with nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Time and again we have exposed their terrorist actions in Europe. Time and again we have blocked their attempts to entrench in Syria, day after day."

Netanyahu is expected to meet with US Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Polish Premier Mateusz Morawiecki.

Before his departure, Netanyahu warned Iran and proxy groups like the Hezbollah terrorist organization that Israel's military capabilities placed them within reach.

"The missiles you see behind me can go very far, against any enemy, including Iran's proxies in our region."

On Tuesday night, Netanyahu expressed hope that European powers would move away from the position of the European Union, and towards that of the United States vis-à-vis Iran, saying the conference would bring "US policy to Europe."

Last month, European Union foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said she would not be attending the conference, citing scheduling conflicts.

The EU has maintained support for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, hoping to salvage the sanctions relief provided by the deal despite the Trump administration's decision to reimpose comprehensive sanctions.

In late January, the EU said it would soon launch a conduit for conducting business with Iran, allowing companies to avoid American sanctions.

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/258996


4. 1 OUT OF 5 HAREDI VOTERS WON'T BACK HAREDI PARTIES
by Arutz Sheva Staff

One out of five haredi voters is planning to back a non-haredi party in this year's Knesset election, according to a poll published Wednesday morning.

The poll, conducted by Dialcom on behalf of the Kav Itonut chain of local newspapers, surveyed 675 haredi voters on how they plan to vote in the April 9th election.

While the overwhelming majority said they planned to vote for one of the haredi parties, 20.1% said they would not.

Of the roughly 80% who said they would vote for a haredi party, 47.3% said they would vote for the United Torah Judaism party, while 30.5% said they would vote for the Sephardic Shas party, with just 20.4% backing former Shas chief Eli Yishai's Yahad party or some other haredi faction.

Among those respondents who said they would not vote for a haredi party, most (55.7%) said they would back the Likud, with just 7.2% favoring the New Right, and a similar number backing the Jewish Home-National Union list.

Nearly a fifth (19.5%) said they would vote for Otzma Yehudit, while only 4.6% said they would vote for former IDF chief Benny Gantz's Israel Resilience Party.


5. TRUMP: REP. OMAR SHOULD RESIGN FROM CONGRESS
by Elad Benari

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/258981

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday called on Rep. Ilhan Omar, the Democratic congresswoman from Minnesota, to resign from Congress following her anti-Semitic tweets.

"Anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress," Trump told reporters at a White House Cabinet meeting.

"It's terrible what she said and I think she should either resign from Congress, or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee," he added.

Trump also rejected Omar's apology for her remarks and described it as "lame".

"What she said is so deep-seated in her heart that her lame apology, and that's what it was, it was lame and she didn't mean a word of it, was just not appropriate. I think she should resign from Congress," said the president.

Omar, a Muslim, caused an uproar on Sunday after she responded on Twitter to a threat two days earlier by Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to take action against her because of her past statements on Israel by saying, "It's all about the Benjamins baby", a reference to $100 bill featuring Benjamin Franklin.

Her seeming implication that McCarthy was attacking her at the behest of the pro-Israel lobby was made clear with her subsequent response to a tweet by Batya Ungar-Sargon, an editor at The Forward, who tweeted, "Would love to know who @IlhanMN thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel, though I think I can guess."

"AIPAC!" Omar replied.

Democratic leaders blasted Omar for her comments, as did Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton, who said, "We should expect all elected officials, regardless of party, and all public figures to not traffic in anti-Semitism."

Jewish organizations, including the National Council for Young Israel and the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, also denounced Omar.

In an attempt to do damage control, Omar on Monday apologized for the tweets.

At the same time, she said she reaffirms "the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA or the fossil fuel industry. It's gone on too long and we must be willing to address it."

Trump's comments on Tuesday marked the second time he has criticized Omar's tweets. On Monday night, he described her remarks as "a terrible statement" and added, "I think she should be ashamed of herself. And I don't think her apology was adequate."



6. "I WISH IVANKA, JARED HADN'T COME TO MY FATHER'S FUNERAL"
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late Arizona Senator John McCain, slammed Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump for attending her father's funeral last year saying the couple were not only uninvited, but their presence there was unwelcome and even disturbing.

During an interview with Stephen Colbert Thursday night, McCain said that no one from the Trump family should have attended the funeral, and that she resented the presence of the president's daughter and son-in-law.

"I thought that my family had made it clear, or at least I had, that the Trumps are unwelcome around me, and that my father had been sort of very clear about the line between the McCains and the Trumps," said McCain.

The View cohost even expressed hope that her eulogy during the funeral, in which she denounced "cheap rhetoric from men who will never come near the sacrifice [John McCain] gave so willingly", made Ivanka and Jared feel uncomfortable.

"I was surprised when they were there. And it made me uncomfortable, and I hope I made them uncomfortable, honestly, with everything."

"I wish they had chosen not to, out of respect, if nothing more, for me."

Leading up to and during the Republican primaries, President Trump and Senator McCain traded jabs, beginning with McCain's criticism of Trump's comments on immigration in June 2015 and culminating with the senator dropping his support for the 2016 Republican nominee in the general election.

The feud escalated during the summer of 2015, with McCain mocking Trump's supporters as "crazies", and then-candidate Trump responding with a tweet labelling McCain a "dummy".

"Graduated last in his class at Annapolis--dummy!"

While McCain endorsed Trump following his nomination in 2016, he withdrew support in October.

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7. TERRORIST WHO CONFESSED TO MURDERING TEEN APPEARS IN COURT
by David Rosenberg

A Jerusalem court extended the arrest of the Palestinian Arab terrorist taken into custody in connection with the rape and murder of an Israeli teenager last week.

Twenty-nine-year-old Arafat Arafiah, a resident of Hevron, was brought before the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Monday for an extension of his arrest. While police had requested that the arrest be extended for the duration of Arafiah's trial, Justice Oren Silverman granted a 10-day extension at the closed-door hearing.

Police and officials from the Shin Bet internal security agency say they plan to charge Arafiah with oen count of murder committed on nationalistic grounds and one count of rape.

Arafat Arafiah in court Monday Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Last Thursday, 19-year-old Tekoa resident Ori Ansbacher was found in the Ein Yael forest in south Jerusalem. Her remains were found stripped naked, with multiple stab wounds in the upper torso.

Israeli security forces later arrested Arafiah, who confessed to raping and murdering Ansbacher – which, investigators say, were committed out of nationalistic motives as a terrorist attack.

Arafiah reenacted the murder for Israeli investigators Sunday and, according to the Shin Bet internal security agency, clearly implicated himself in the murder.


8. INVESTIGATION: BULLET HIT HELMET OF SOLDIER WOUNDED IN TRAINING
by Arutz Sheva Staff

An investigation into the incident last night, in which a Paratrooper combat soldier was wounded during a training exercise, revealed that the shooting was carried out by another soldier in a detachment situated behind him who apparently did not recognize that the detachment in front had moved forward.

The soldier, who was evacuated in moderate condition to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, was wounded by shrapnel. In addition, a hit to the soldier's helmet was identified.

The IDF Spokesperson's Office said that the circumstances of the incident would be examined.

Soroka Medical Center reported that the soldier was operated on during the night and is currently hospitalized in the orthopedic department in light-to-moderate condition. He is expected to undergo further surgery in the coming days.