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Two attacks against Israelis were carried out by Palestinian terrorists in Jerusalem over the past weekend: the Friday January 27 Neve Yaakov synagogue massacre in which Khayri 'Alqam shot and killed seven Israelis, and the Saturday January 28 shooting attack near Jerusalem's Old City in which two Israelis were wounded.
Following the two attacks, several salafi-jihadi clerics and Iran-backed Shi'ite militant groups published comments on them.
Jordanian Jihadi Cleric Abu Qatadah Al-Filastini: These Operations Are Obligatory Reponses To Killing Of Muslims, Every Jew In Palestine Is A Legitimate Target
Jordanian jihadi ideologue Abu Qatadah Al-Filastini wrote in one of his Telegram channels shortly after the first attack that the operation was "a blessed response to the killing of Muslims, and a jihadi operation that makes every Muslim happy."[1]
In a post the next day, shortly after the second attack, Abu Qatadah wrote that the "continuation of these jihadi operations is obligatory according to Islamic law" and that every Jew in Palestine is considered a belligerent who is attacking Islam and the Muslims and must be fought and killed.[2]
HTS Cleric Abu Al-Fath Al-Farghali: Palestinians Cannot Be Defeated
Egyptian-born Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) cleric Yahya (Abu Al-Fath) Al-Farghali wrote a post on January 27 praising the perpetrator of the first attack, Khayri Alqam, and expressing his hope that Allah will accept him into Paradise.[3] He further wrote that such operations disorient the Israeli enemy, which realizes its folly in trying to "tame" the Palestinian leadership, since the Palestinian nation continues to birth new children. He wrote: "[This] nation was shaped by the Quran and is subject only to its [laws], and it cannot be defeated."
Independent Syrian Jihadi Cleric: Perpetrator's Name Predicted He Would Be Good For Islamic Nation, Bad For Its Enemies
Independent Syrian jihadi cleric Abu Yahya Al-Shami shared photos of the perpetrator of the first attack, Khayri Alqam, on his Telegram channel.[4] Noting that his name is derived from the Arabic word for "good" ("khayr"), Al-Shami said that the attacker was the bearer of good news for the Islamic nation, and that he fed the nation's enemies bitter food ("alqam"). In addition, he expressed hope that Allah will reward him by placing him among the martyrs in the highest levels of paradise.
Gaza-Based HTS Supporter: Attacks By 'Jerusalem Heroes' Follow Recent HTS Attacks Against Syrian Army In Idlib, Both Operations Avenged Blood Of The Oppressed
Gaza-based jihadi cleric and HTS supporter Ahmad Qanitah wrote on his Telegram channel: "The operations avenging the blood of the oppressed began recently in Idlib with the plucking of the heads of the soldiers from sectarian gang [i.e. the Syrian army]. This was done in a series of blessed inghimasi commando-style raids… Today, the heroes of Jerusalem take vengeance against the Jewish gangs that have defiled our sacraments, murdered our youth, and tortured our people. This was done in a series of heroic operations that shook the entity [i.e. Israel], dissolved its illusion of security, and exposed the false[ness] of its power."[5]
Jordanian Jihadi Ideologue Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi Criticizes Condemnation Of The Attacks By Arab Countries And Turkey
Jordanian jihadi ideologue Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi addressed the attacks indirectly, by referring to the Turkish Foreign Ministry's condemnation of them, following similar statements from a number of Arab countries, among them the UAE and Oman.[6] In a tweet published on January 28, Al-Maqdisi shared the official statement of condemnation by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, and commented, "The Arab tyrants were not the only ones to condemn the operation. Turkey also did so [and] described it as a 'terror attack'. Such operations expose all the sycophantic and twisted despots."
Hizbullah: Western Countries And Their Arab Allies Have Double Standards In Condemning Palestinian 'Defense' Operations In Jerusalem But Not Israeli Operation In Jenin
The Lebanese Shi'ite Group Hizbullah released a statement on January 28 praising the first attack and declaring it to be "a swift, decisive and daring response to the recent aggression and massacre committed by the Zionist enemy" in which several Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters were killed in clashes with Israeli forces in the Jenin refugee camp on January 26.[7]
Hezbollah expressed its full solidarity with the Palestinian people and criticized the West and Arab countries for their "double standards"—being silent about the "massacre" in Jenin while quick to condemn the "defensive operation" in Jerusalem. In addition, the group wrote that "the rifles of the resistance are the only response to the enemy's crimes."
Iran-Backed Militias In Iraq: We Stand With The Palestinian People In Its Struggle Against The Occupation
On January 28, 2023, the Iraqi Al-Nujaba Movement militia released a statement praising the recent terror attacks perpetrated in Jerusalem, attributing them to "the tragic circumstances that have been imposed on the oppressed Palestinian people."[8] The movement criticized the countries – including those in the Arab world – that condemned the attacks, asserting that the attacks highlight basic principles of the Palestinian struggle, such as the fact that "resistance is a concept, identity and culture that cannot be rooted out of the hearts which aspire to freedom and dignity," and that "this resistance won't die or be extinguished as long as blood flows in our veins."
Al-Nujaba warned that "the enemies should anticipate much more and every time their hands extend to perpetrate a crime or a violation – the response will be harsher and stronger." The statement also asserted that Al-Nujaba supports the Palestinian struggle in deeds, not only in words, and that it will not rest or be silent until "the criminal Zionist occupation is ousted from the entire territory."
In addition, Al-Nujaba shared a poster on its Telegram channel depicting Khayri 'Alqam, the perpetrator of the synagogue massacre in Jerusalem, and an armed operative attacking an Israeli soldier at the nearby Al-Aqsa Mosque. The poster's caption reads in Arabic: "Victory from Allah and a victory that's coming soon."[9]
The Iraqi Hizbullah Brigades militias also issued a statement on January 28 congratulating "the brothers in the Palestinian resistance and the jihadi Palestinian people for the acts of sacrifice which terrified the soldiers of the occupation and made the ground tremble under their feet…"[10] The statement described the attacks as "a brave response to the massacre perpetrated by the occupation forces in the Jenin refugee camp," and congratulated Jerusalem's "proud sons" for their "firm stand."
Alongside the praise, the statement declared: "We remind the governments on the Zionist-American axis and mainly their lackeys in the region, of the Israeli hostility to all the peoples of the region. The silence and the double standard toward the crimes of the Zionists only further embed the mark of Cain on the foreheads [of those governments] and allow them to continue with their nefarious deeds against the Palestinians and to kill them."
Another Iraqi Shi'ite group also celebrated the terrorist attack outside the synagogue in Jerusalem and described its perpetrators as "heroes who cast fear into the hearts of the Zionists."
The group issued a statement on January 28 contending that the attack proves the "fragility of the security system of the tyrannical entity," and called on all "the free people of the world" to stand by the side of the "oppressed people in Palestine." The group announced that it also stands with the Palestinians and will continue to support them until "their certain victory."[11]
[1] Telegram, January 27, 2023.
[2] Telegram, January 28, 2023.
[3] Telegram, January 28, 2023.
[4] Telegram, January 28, 2023.
[5] Telegram, January 28, 2023.
[6] Twitter, January 28, 2023.
[7] Alahednews.com, January 28, 2023.
[8] Telegram, January 28, 2023.
[9] Telegram, January 28, 2023.
[10] Telegram, January 28, 2023.
[11] Telegram, January 28, 2023.
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