Sheikh Bilal Abu Hassan, a mosque preacher from Jenin, was surprised last week to receive a letter from the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Waqf and Religious Affairs informing him of the decision to fire him.
Abu Hassan lost his job because of a khutbah (sermon) he recently delivered during Friday prayers at one of Jenin’s mosques and in which he heaped praise on the Palestinian factions, including Hamas, in the Gaza Strip.
Referring to the
Israel-Hamas war last May, Abu Hassan applauded the “Joint Operations Room,” which consists of various Palestinian factions that operate as a quasi-army against Israel. “Our Joint Operations Room has unified the Palestinians,” he said from the minbar, a pulpit in a mosque where the imam (leader of prayers) stands to deliver sermons. “This is the true meaning of Palestinian national unity.”
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The PA is being forced to toe the line and join the Palestinian public’s campaign of solidarity with the fugitives and the other prisoners because it does not want to be seen as sitting on the fence or, worse, being in collusion with Israel. The PA has long been facing severe criticism for its ongoing security coordination with Israel. Moreover, it regularly comes under attack for failing to secure the release of prisoners.
This week, at the Jenin refugee camp, home of Zakaria Zubeidi, the only Fatah member among the fugitives, even prominent Fatah activists were critical of Abbas because of his alleged rapprochement with the Israeli government and the Biden administration. The activists accused the PA leadership of “abandoning” its supporters in the Jenin area, especially the armed men who are wanted by Israel.
To ensure that the mosque preachers abide by the instructions, the PA security forces regularly deploy informants to the mosques to listen to the sermons and report to their handlers.
As far as the PA is concerned, criticism of senior Palestinian officials, especially during Friday prayers, is a crime that can even land the perpetrator in prison. The same applies to any preacher who dares to heap praise on Hamas or other groups opposed to the policies of the PA leadership.
The PA is not opposed to mass demonstrations in the West Bank in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners. But the PA leaders also know that an escalation could deteriorate into another all-out war with Israel, something that is likely to further undermine the PA’s credibility and standing and boost the popularity of Hamas and PIJ, as was the case after the last Israel-Hamas confrontation in May.
There are two issues that are considered the most explosive and sensitive among the Palestinians: Security prisoners and Al-Aqsa Mosque. If the Palestinians decide to launch another intifada, it will be over one or both of these issues.
The dismissal of Abu Hassan and the continued crackdown on Hamas and PIJ members is yet another sign of mounting tensions between the PA and Hamas.
The latest tensions began immediately after the last war in the Gaza Strip, when thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in the West Bank to celebrate Hamas’s “victory” over Israel. Scores of Palestinians have since been arrested or summoned for interrogation for participating in the pro-Hamas demonstrations or voicing support for the Islamist movement on social media platforms.
The PA crackdown marks the end of a short-lived honeymoon with Hamas that began more than a year ago. The two parties have been at loggerheads since 2006, when Hamas won the Palestinian parliamentary election. The crisis reached its peak in the summer of 2007, when Hamas seized control of the entire Gaza Strip after toppling the PA.
(full article online)
PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS: This week’s startling jailbreak from Gilboa Prison by six convicts is seen by many Palestinians as an embarrassment not only for Israel, but for the PA as well.
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