Palestinians stroll on the compound that homes Al-Aqsa Mosque, identified to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem’s Previous Metropolis Might 21, 2021. Photograph: REUTERS/Ammar Awad
One mistake made by world leaders and even many Israeli leaders, is to see the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a secular Muslim management that rejects spiritual conflict for Allah — versus Hamas. However this can be a basic misreading of Palestinians and the battle.
Basically, the Palestinian Authority’s political leaders, like Hamas’ leaders, and like many of the Palestinian inhabitants, are spiritual Muslims first and Palestinians second.
The message of all PA spiritual leaders — some appointed by Mahmoud Abbas himself — is to disclaim Israel’s proper to exist on spiritual Islamic grounds.
In line with PA perception, Islamic regulation states that land that was as soon as underneath Muslim rule have to be liberated from the infidels as a compulsory spiritual obligation. Because the land of Israel was underneath Muslim Ottoman rule for 4 centuries, the PA is prohibited from making a everlasting treaty with Israel that it intends to maintain.
PA Shari’ah Choose Nasser Al-Qirem defined this “truth” to worshippers at a mosque in Ramallah throughout a Friday sermon that was broadcast by official PA TV:
PA Shari’ah Choose Nasser Al-Qirem: “The Shari’ah authorized regulation of this land, for anybody who doesn’t know, is that it’s a waqf land … from its [Mediterranean] Sea to its [Jordan] River, that is its Shari’ah regulation, from its sea to its river.
The legal guidelines of this waqf decide that its standing can’t be modified, not by sale and never by buy, not by collateral and never by alternate… not by addition and never by subtraction… As for the [end] date of this waqf: It’s ceaselessly and ever, and for all eternity, till Allah inherits the earth and people on it.” [emphasis added]
[Official PA TV, Feb. 14, 2025]
Following different PA spiritual leaders, Al-Qirem taught listeners that “Palestine” — together with the entire State of Israel — is a waqf. A waqf is an inalienable spiritual endowment in Islamic regulation.
Palestinians outline all of Israel as waqf, and thereby Israel exists on Islamic holy land. Palestinian leaders have defined that underneath Islamic regulation Muslims are commanded to free the waqf from non-Muslims.
Equally, PA Supreme Shari’ah Choose Mahmoud Al-Habbash, who can be PA chief Abbas’ Advisor on Non secular Affairs and Islamic Relations, has taught that the Western Wall is solely Islamic — in accordance with Allah -– and that Muslims are obligated to battle anybody who challenges this proper:
Al-Habbash: “Islam is fact that’s indivisible… The rights are indivisible – Give me 60% or 70% of my rights, and inform me: ‘That’s it, that’s yours, take it.’ Maybe quickly, sure. [But] strategically, no! … Our rights are non-negotiable. They wish to negotiate over Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque – then by Allah, it’s higher [to be dead] within the stomach of the earth than to be on its floor…
There is no such thing as a negotiation on one millimeter of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, together with the Al-Buraq Wall [i.e., the Western Wall of the Temple Mount[, which is an exclusive permanent Islamic waqf according to Allah’s decree… This is our right, and whoever fights us over our right is an oppressor, and it is a duty to resist the oppressors.” [emphasis added]
[Official PA TV, Jan. 20, 2023]
Repeating that Jews haven’t any rights on Temple Mount, Al-Habbash inspired the “Islamic nation” to “liberate Al-Aqsa with all means,” saying it was their “responsibility” as a result of it’s a waqf:
Al-Habbash: “The Al-Aqsa Mosque is a pure Islamic proper. It’s an unique Islamic waqf for Muslims (i.e., an inalienable spiritual endowment), and it’s an unique proper of the Muslims… On the UN podium, [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas spoke explicitly in regards to the Muslims’ authorized declare to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and [said] that non-Muslims haven’t any proper to it… [Israel] is aware of that it has no proper to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and that the Jews haven’t any proper to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. However they’re solely fanning the fireplace of hostility and the fireplace of non secular conflict…
The responsibility lies on the Islamic nation and the Arabs normally, with the governments, regimes, states, our bodies, spiritual and standard sources of authority and [all] the peoples, to take part in defending the noble Al-Aqsa Mosque, beginning with coming to it… and ending with liberating the Al-Aqsa Mosque by all attainable means (i.e., together with terror).” [emphasis added]
[Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Facebook page, Oct. 1, 2024]
Already a decade in the past, Palestinian Media Watch uncovered that Al-Habbash considers all of Israel a waqf:
Al-Habbash: “All the land of Palestine is [Islamic] waqf and is blessed land … It’s prohibited to promote, bestow possession or facilitate the occupation of even a millimeter of it.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 22, 2014]
The creator is the founder and director of Palestinian Media Watch.
