by Khaled Abu Toameh
• August 21, 2015 at 5:00 am
- The terror group
Islamic State has become extremely popular among Palestinians in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip. Four recent public opinion polls show that at
least one million Palestinians support the Islamic State.
- The Palestinians'
two governments, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA), have good
reason to be worried about the Islamic State. In recent weeks, Islamic
State spokesmen have issued threats against both the PA and Hamas,
accusing them of "collaboration" with the "Zionist
entity."
- Christian
activist Sam Butrous noted that the widespread support for Islamic State
among Palestinians is a sign of increased extremism and a denial of
Christians' rights to the Holy Land.
- The PA and Hamas
can only blame themselves for the surge of Palestinians joining the
Islamic State. The two governments allow anti-Western incitement in
their mosques and media outlets. Their leaders regularly glorify and
endorse Palestinians who carry out terror attacks against Israelis,
encouraging others to follow suit. If these Palestinians are unable to
attack Israel from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, they travel to
Syria and Iraq to join the jihad against Israel's allies, namely the
U.S. and other Western countries.
- Palestinian leaders
cannot evade responsibility for inspiring dozens of Palestinians to join
the Islamic State. The fiery rhetoric of these leaders and ongoing
incitement against Israel and the West are further radicalizing
Palestinians and driving them into the Islamic State's open arms.
Palestinians waving Islamic State flags attempt to storm
the French Cultural Center in Gaza City, in January 2015. (Image source:
ehna tv YouTube screenshot)
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Hardly a week passes without another report of a Palestinian killed
while fighting for the Islamic State terror group.
The reports have raised deep concern among many Palestinians living in
the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A recent report estimated that some 100
Palestinians have already joined Islamic State. Other reports claim that the
number is much higher.
According to the report, most of the Palestinians who joined the Islamic
State in Iraq and Syria are from the Gaza Strip. Another 1000 Palestinian men
are believed to be preparing to join Islamic State, but have been unable to
fulfill their dream for various reasons, the report revealed.
It is no surprise that most of the Palestinians who have joined the
Islamic State are from the Gaza Strip, which has been under the control of
Hamas since 2007.
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