A Hamas Front in Jerusalem?
Hamas, recognized by many countries as a dangerous terrorist org, is seeking a foothold in Israel’s front yard – namely, the Arab suburbs of Jerusalem. Israeli intelligence helped arrest six terrorists about to run a day camp steeped in Hamas ideology.
The Hamas terrorist organization was thwarted this week in an attempt to open a summer day camp in the greater Jerusalem area. The ramifications of the concrete plans made to open the camp, as well as the fact that they almost succeeded, are extreme.
Jerusalem Police intelligence work led to the discovery of a bus filled with kids, counselors, and terrorists on its way to the camp in the Jericho area. Police stopped the bus in mid-trip, arrested six of the organizers for planning a Hamas day camp, and confiscated the bus.
The Hamas Covenant reads, inter alia, “Israel will rise and will remain erect until Islam eliminates it as it eliminated its predecessors… our struggle against the Jews [emphasis added] is extremely wide-ranging and grave… until the enemies are defeated and Allah’s victory prevails.”
Hamas has a long history of murdering many hundreds of Israelis. In 2007, it violently took over the Gaza Strip, and then began attacking Israel even more earnestly, with hundreds more suicide bombings, shootings, stabbings, ramming attacks – and balloon agro-terrorism.
Even more dangerous are Hamas’ ties with Iran. It was reported this that Hamas will open a war front against Israel from Gaza in the event of hostilities between Israel and Iran’s allies Hizbullah and/or Syria.
Hamas today has footholds in several neighborhoods of eastern Jerusalem, and is seeking even more.