Senior Fatah Official Jibril Rajoub Statements: Praise For Hamas Leaders, Justification Of October 7 Attack

Jibril Rajoub is secretary-general of the Central Committee of Fatah (the ruling party in the Palestinian Authority (PA), headed by Mahmoud Abbas), and also heads the Palestinian Football Association, the Palestinian Olympic Committee and the Palestinian Scout Association. Since Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel, he has frequently spoken in praise of Hamas and its leaders and has even justified this attack, in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 were taken hostage.

On August 6, 2024, he told the Al-Mayadin channel, identified with Hizbullah, that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, recently appointed as the new head of the moveent's political bureau instead of Isma'il Haniya, is "a pragmatist, a patriot and a realist," with whom Fatah can reach a national reconciliation agreement, and that Israel is "demonizing" him although he can be "a partner in a [political] solution based on establishing a Palestinian state."

This praise and description of Sinwar as a "pragmatist"[1] was sufficiently at odds with the usual discourse in the PA to evoke a response from the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, which implicitly criticized it in an editorial. 

Jibril Rajoub (Image: Facebook.com/PalSportAgency/photos)

This report reviews Rajoub's recent statements in praise of Sinwar and the reaction to them in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, as well as Rajoub's previous statements condoning Hamas and its leaders and justifying its October 7 atrocities.

Jibril Rajoub To Al-Mayadin: I Am Personally Acquainted With Sinwar; He Is A Pragmatist, A Patriot And A Realist

In an August 6 interview with Al-Mayadin, Rajoub said:  "I am personally acquainted with the brother and the leader Abu Ibrahim [Yahya Sinwar] and [know him to be] a pragmatist, a patriot and a realist, who can be party to a national reconciliation agreement [between Fatah and Hamas]. In the years we [in Fatah] were in direct friction with them [with Hamas], this was a matter of principle for him. The Israelis try to demonize him because they target any Palestinian [leader] who is respected by Palestinian society and can be a partner in a [political] solution based on establishing a Palestinian state…"

To view a MEMRI TV video of Sinwar's statements, click below:

Editorial In PA Daily Implicitly Criticizes Rajoub For Praising Sinwar As A "Pragmatist"

As noted, Rajoub's remarks to the Al-Mayadin channel, in which he praised Sinwar, elicited veiled criticism in an editorial published two days later in the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida. The editorial emphasized that Yahya Sinwar's positions are well known and that he is hardly a pragmatist or a realist. It stated: "...Let us hope that all the opinions suggesting that Sinwar is ultimately a pragmatist, a realist and a diplomat will [turn out to] be plausible. Speaking on Al-Jazeera two days ago [on August 6], [Hamas official] Osama Hamdan made a considerable effort to market Sinwar as a negotiator, claiming that this is evident from his participation in negotiations over the deal [between Hamas and Israel]... Unfortunately, the popular saying that 'the title of the letter reflects its content' continues to be relevant in this context."[2]

Rajoub: The October 7 Attack Was A "Natural Response" To Israel's Crimes

As mentioned, since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Rajoub has frequently praised Hamas and justified its October 7 attack. The following are several examples.

In a November 22, 2023 interview with the MBC Egypt television channel, Rajoub said: "What happened on October 7 did not come out of nowhere. The ongoing crimes of the occupation are to blame for it, because it was part of the Palestinians' defensive war… The explosion of October 7 was a natural reaction to this terror [by Israel], for the leaders of Israel represent a new Nazi model."

Asked about the chances of reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, Rajoub answered: "First of all, I say to everyone that blood is thicker than water. Hamas is and will remain part of the [Palestinian] national fabric, part of the [Palestinian] struggle and the Palestinian political fabric."

Rajoub later shared this interview on his Facebook page, and wrote: "…What happened on October 7 was not terror but a natural reaction to the Israeli occupation."[3]

Al-Rajoub made similar remarks to Kuwaiti journalists during his November 2023 visit to that country. The Kuwaiti daily Al-Nahhar quoted him as saying: "October 7 was an earthquake in every respect. It was an unprecedented event. From the very first day it was evident that this was a significant juncture that must not be misconstrued, and that [the attack] was part of a defensive war that the [Palestinian] people have been waging for 75 years. This event is part of a path, of battles, and heroic acts that the [Palestinian] people have been leading for 75 years. This event must be understood in the context of a defensive Palestinian [war], and responsibility for it rests with the Israeli aggression against all the Palestinian territories and Muslim and Christian holy places… We recognize the fact that [the movements of] political Islam, headed by Hamas, are part of the fabric of our struggle and of our social and political fabric, and believe that their participation does not harm [this fabric]..."[4]

Over the subsequent months Rajoub repeated these points on various media. In December 2023, for example, he called the October 7 attack "a response to the international community's silence over Israel's crimes and its disregard of international law," and in March 2024 he said that "the events of October 7 were a cry intended to remind the world of the Palestinian's catastrophe."[5]

Rajoub Praises Slain Hamas Officials As Great National Leaders 

Rajoub also eulogized Saleh Al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, who was killed in January 2024, and Isma'il Haniya, the head of the movement's political bureau, killed in July 2024. He called the former a "brave warrior" and praised his activity and sacrifice for the sake of Palestine, and described the latter as a "great national leader" who served his homeland and people and fought for their freedom and independence.[6]

Rajoub's eulogy for Hamas political bureau head Isma'il Haniya