Marketing the Two-State Solution over Gaza's Children's Bodies 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Political Follow-up - The Deception of the Two-state Solution and its Marketing over the Bodies of Gaza's Children

For decades, America has been promoting the so-called "two-state solution" project to tackle the effects of the Western colonial project that Britain began in the Muslims’ lands at the beginning of the last century. This solution, adopted by the US, ostensibly gives the Palestinians the right to an independent state alongside the criminal occupying state, considering that "Israel" only occupies the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In this sense, in addition to the deception, misleading, brainwashing, and obscuring of the truth, it is actually solidifying and legitimising the Zionist entity and settling the Palestinian issue at the hands of those who have assumed the role of the legitimate and sole representative of the Palestinian people.

The aim of this freak solution is to have it approved by the Palestinians themselves to recognise "Israel" as a state, and to officially and through international agreements give up their land occupied in 1948 and part of the West Bank, which is about 80% of Palestine's historical territory, and to give the Palestinians, the people of the entire country, no more than 20% of the land torn apart by major settlements, bypass roads, and the segregation wall that encroaches on fertile agricultural land. They will establish a state that is disarmed and without sovereignty, deluding the Palestinians into thinking that their issue will be solved through scattered pieces of land where they live as prisoners, and an authority whose primary function is legitimising the occupying entity, removing the occupation status from it, and to protecting it from Muslims who do not recognise it. This is the function exercised by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank through security coordination and the arresting and torturing of resistance fighters, extracting information from them, and handing them to the Jews, since it was brought to the West Bank following the doomed Oslo Accords.

This is a summary of the two-state solution that has become a constant topic among American politicians and world leaders since the beginning of Operation al-Aqsa Flood, aiming to present and solidify it in the conscience as a safe haven for both Jews and Palestinians. This solution takes advantage of the security breach that has affected the extremist entity and the tragic situation of the people of Palestine in Gaza and the West Bank, especially since al-Aqsa Flood has become like the shirt of Joseph (Yusuf a.s), restoring sight to Muslims and sparking a revolution in thinking and the search for a radical solution to this criminal Zionist cancer.

This explains the complicity of the US and the world, including the Arab regimes, in the brutal actions of the Jews against Gaza and its people, as well as their support for the Jewish entity as it represents their military colonial project in Muslims’ lands, and acts as a bulwark against the Muslims, which requires them to support, strengthen, and defend it, and ensuring that it retains a deterrent force not only for the people of Palestine but for all the people of the region. This was expressed by Geert Wilders, the Dutch MP known for his hatred of Islam and who is supported by American organisations promoting "Islamophobia", when he said, “If Jerusalem falls, Athens and Rome are next. This is why “Israel” is the central defence front of the West. It is not a territorial conflict, but an ideological one; a conflict between the reason of the West and the barbarism of Islamic ideology.”

Hence, American policymakers insisted on not allowing the resistance to prevail because the victory of the mujahideen is a victory over the Western project in the Middle East, and because it could awaken the general Islamic awareness from its coma, restore the value of Jihad, the virtue of sacrifice and resilience, generate an atmosphere for Islamic intervention in the Palestinian issue, and eliminate the pretext of the collaborating regimes for the path of capitulation. Consequently, this would undermine the colonial efforts to integrate the Zionist entity into the region, and normalisation and coexistence with it.

The majority of the Muslims have rejected capitulating solutions, including the two-state solution, for decades in accordance with religious principles, and have sacrificed everything to reclaim all of Palestine. Even the treacherous Palestinian Liberation Organisation, established in 1964 to liquidate the issue, claimed to be liberating the land occupied in 1948, as the West Bank had not fallen yet. It attracted the enthusiastic youth of the Ummah who sacrificed their lives for liberation, but it remained a colonial project, not the Ummah’s project of Jihad and the complete liberation of Palestine, and it eventually turned into a Zionist espionage apparatus.
Here we witness the people of Palestine resisting the occupier for 75 years without weakening or wavering in their determination, despite the occupier's brutality and the world's support, demonstrating their will and struggle to reclaim this dear part of the Islamic land, aspiring to become a united Ummah in a single state that implements Islam domestically and carries it as a message of guidance and mercy to the world. It possesses enough resources to establish a strong, politically, economically and militarily influential state that can impact international relations and at least repel the enemy’s onslaught on its lands and its children.

Dear Muslims,

The colonial Kuffar and their collaborators have conspired to exploit the sacrifices of the people of Gaza and the mujahideen in favour of the cheap two-state solution before the blood of the martyrs, children, and women dries. Since the aggression on Gaza began, they have been spinning the two-state solution, continuously linking the security of the people of Palestine to the security of the Jews and the region, especially in the midst of this brutal war, to imprint this deceitful solution in the awareness of Muslims and Jews as a safe haven. This serves the interests of the colonial Western powers whose economy and values are tied to dominating the Islamic region. Hence, it is imperative to clarify the Shari'ah position on this deceitful solution and safeguard the awareness of the Ummah from conspiratorial solutions under the pressure of reality.

It is no secret that the two-state solution requires surrendering land and recognising "Israel's" right to Palestine, including the territories occupied in 1948 and parts of the West Bank and al-Quds. The Palestine Liberation Organisation, which recognised the state of "Israel" in the midst of the alleged peace in 1993, colluded with this. This means there is no escape from recognising the rights of the Zionists to Palestine to achieve the two-state solution. Here lies the danger and deviation, as some try to portray the two-state solution as a temporary truce or a transitional solution, disguising surrender and compromise in the guise of Shari'ah and religion, relying on a tactic that has no place in this context. This was indicated by Imam Ahmad, as narrated by Muthanna al-Anbari, where he said, "The regulator (i.e., the regulator of deception and insinuation) is that everything that requires clarification, insinuation of it is forbidden, as it involves concealment and deception, and this includes the cases requiring acknowledgment of the truth... and the contracts in their entirety..." Political agreements fall under contracts and include acknowledgment of the truth for the Zionists, and deception or concealment is absolutely impermissible. Al-Nawawi added in his book Al-Athkar that scholars restricted insinuation so that it does not lead to falsehood. Surrendering al-Quds and the land of the Muslims through the "two-state solution" does not need any clarification. This is in addition to the fact that acknowledging the two-state solution is an obstacle to the future liberation of Palestine and the support of its people.

The scholars of Islam have expounded the prohibition of relinquishing the land of Al-Israa and al-Mi'raj, or any part of it, or acknowledging the usurping entity, whether explicitly or implicitly. All of this is due to the sanctity of this land and its status as a trust for all Muslims. No individual Muslim, organisation, or ruler, even if they were the Khalifah of the Muslims, has the right to surrender or relinquish it, or acknowledge the enemy's ownership of it. Surrendering even an inch of Muslim land to the Kafir enemy is considered forbidden and treacherous. The scholars have unanimously agreed on the prohibition of relinquishing the land of Islam to the Kuffar and ruling over it with other than what Allah has revealed.

If someone were to argue that it is in the interest of the Muslims to accept a temporary solution until it becomes possible for them to reclaim all the lands that the Kafir enemy has usurped, we say to them, and to the Muslims and our mujahideen brothers in Palestine, beware of this dangerous slippery slope. In addition to its prohibition, the treacherous Palestine Liberation Organisation recognised “Israel” using a similar pretext, and the collaborationist Abbas authority accepted to be a watchdog for the Zionist entity.

Hamas and the al-Qassam Brigades must be warned of what America is planning for them through its agents in Egypt and Qatar. The Zionist enemy's radio station has reported, citing Egyptian sources, their vision for the post-war period, which includes "integrating Hamas into the Palestinian Authority and its security apparatus," and even accepting some of the displaced from Gaza. This is to turn it into a political movement and drag it into the quagmire of "peace."

We also warn against the malicious proposal presented by some in a seemingly benign manner: "The seated should not give fatwa to a mujahid." Jihad and sacrifice are incompatible with violating Shari'ah for a perceived or real interest and cannot be justified by it. Jihad was initiated solely to reclaim these lands, and not as an excuse to abandon them, or any part of them. It must be understood that accepting the two-state solution is a betrayal of the sacrifices and resilience of the people of Gaza and Palestine, and a relinquishment of the heroic actions carried out by the mujahideen, a betrayal of the blood of the wounded and the martyrs.

We must also perceive that Jihad is either victory or martyrdom, not just martyrdom alone. The Jihad of the people of Gaza and Palestine is not enough to achieve victory. It is a betrayal for Muslims to stand by as mere spectators to the displacement and massacre committed by the Zionists with the support of the colonial Kuffar until Jihad leads only to martyrdom. It is unjust for Muslims to expect the people of Gaza to achieve victory in an unequal war without supporting them in a way that goes beyond emotions, financial donations, and prayers. The Muslims must either force the collaborating regimes to move to support them, or overthrow them, which would ignite all fronts against the criminal entity and its supporters, and tip the balance of the conflict in favour of the Muslims and the people of Palestine. The repelling of the enemy and the elevation of the word of Allah (swt) in this war between the Zionist Jewish Kuffar and the Muslims is the duty of the entire Ummah, not just the Palestinians alone.

“O you who have believed! What is the matter with you that when you are asked to march forth in the cause of Allah, you cling firmly to the land? Do you prefer the life of this world over the Hereafter? The enjoyment of this worldly life is insignificant compared to that of the Hereafter * If you do not march forth, He will afflict you with a painful torment and replace you with other people. You are not harming Him in the least. And Allah is Most Capable of everything.” [at-Tawbah-38-39]

21 Jumada al-Oula 1445h
5 December 2023

hizbuttahrir.org

Political Analysis - Discrepancy in US Stance on War on Gaza 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Political Analysis - The Discrepancy in the US Standpoint vis-à-vis the War on Gaza

Several observers view the standpoint of the US vis-à-vis the vicious military operation in Gaza and the free rein it gave “Israel” to eliminate the Palestinian resistance, as well as its support for a “humanitarian ceasefire” and its aversion to the occupation of Gaza and the displacements of the Palestinians as perplexing. In reality, and despite the apparent conviction within the American military establishment that uprooting the resistance is impossible, the US has, however, allowed “Israel” to pursue its aggression in Gaza. This decision stems from political pragmatism, domestic political considerations, the strategic value of “Israel” in the region, and other factors that may inflict harm on Netanyahu's government, deepening its domestic weaknesses and international isolation, and thus, deterring and regulating its behaviour.

As Netanyahu remains stubborn and persistent on his brutal course, the US approach may lean towards the belief that if “Israel” succeeded in eliminating Hamas and the resistance, it could nullify its pretext regarding security. This, in turn, would pave the way for a gradual two-state solution, involving a transitional technocratic government overseeing reconstruction, entirely sidelining the resistance, holding Palestinian elections, obtaining international recognition for the Palestinian state, and shaping global public opinion pressuring “Israel” to acknowledge the fragmented 'Palestinian state,' especially if the US managed to bring down Netanyahu, oust his hardline allies from the government, and diminish their influence on “Israeli” politics. This call was echoed by opposition leader Yair Lapid, who recently urged Netanyahu's resignation, attempting to divide the ranks of Likud by proposing the transfer of government leadership to another Likud member and forming a national unity government that would exclude the rightwing religious bloc.

As for Netanyahu, he will not recognise the Palestinian state. He is banking on the belief that allowing him to eliminate the resistance, reshape the authority in Gaza, and destroy its infrastructure to the point of making the territory uninhabitable, along with tightening the screws on Palestinians in the West Bank, will lead to saving his political future. He sees such an achievement as a triumph, potentially prompting a wave of migration due to the suffering for a significant portion of Palestinians (as articulated by Smotrich two days ago). Netanyahu is also counting on the fact that the reality he has generated in Gaza will occupy Palestinians for years in terms of reconstruction and addressing the complex domestic affairs amid the divergence of positions and orientations of Palestinian political forces. Simultaneously, he hopes for a change in the US administration and Trump's return to the presidency. Thwarting the rise of a Palestinian state is part of Netanyahu's phased strategy, as he stated when justifying allowing Qatari financial support for Hamas, "Anyone who wants to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state must support Hamas."

However, now that the resistance poses a threat to him and adversely affects the “Israeli” elections and following “Operation al-Aqsa Flood” which constituted an existential threat to his entity, party, and future, Netanyahu found it necessary to crush it. He turned the crisis into an opportunity to impose a new reality, involving an attempt to displace as many inhabitants of Gaza as possible. This strategy aims to continue evading a downfall and resisting the two-state solution project, especially as recent opinion polls conducted by the “Israeli” newspaper Maariv reveal a decline in the strength of the ruling Likud party to 17 seats in the Knesset, with the Blue and White party led by Benny Gantz gaining strength to reach 42 seats.

However, Netanyahu cannot succeed in uprooting the resistance (Hamas and Islamic Jihad) given the army's inability to make substantial progress. Furthermore, the Zionist entity has lost the ability to bear the economic and security costs and the attrition war if it were to occupy Gaza with the aim of sweeping it, ending the resistance, and generating a new secure environment in the northern part of the Strip. This plan would also force the displaced in the south to migrate again towards Sinai on the Egyptian border.

It is likely that Netanyahu will continue the war for as long as possible to buy time in search of an image of victory to salvage his position and return to square one. However, all of this is uncertain in the face of the unprecedented resilience of the people of Gaza, the courageous resistance, and the domestic and foreign pressures. This war is expected to jeopardise his political future and hinder the displacement process; military data in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip corroborate his persistence in pursuing this strategy up until now.

After the displacement of the northern Gaza residents under the pretext of uprooting the resistance, there has been talk about Hamas’ leadership taking refuge in the south, as recently mentioned by Olmert. The “Israeli” army has started calling on residents of neighbourhoods in Khan Yunis in the southern part of the Strip to evacuate their homes. Additionally, there are unprecedented efforts by Ben Gvir to arm settlers, along with the continuation of “Israeli” escalation in West Bank cities through raids, killings, arrests, and provocations aimed at luring broader escalation, including targeting Fatah figures. This was demonstrated by the bombing of its offices in the Balata Camp on Saturday, 18 November, after Ben Gvir's recent call to deal with the West Bank like Gaza.

Furthermore, there are attempts to lure the resistance in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nablus to militarise the relationship with the West Bank, expand the war, and prolong it to provide conditions for displacement in the West Bank towards the Jordan Valley. This prompted Jordan to send a field hospital to Nablus, in addition to the surgical stations in Jenin and Ramallah, as a precautionary measure for the expansion of the “Israeli” military operation and to avoid the embarrassment and risks of transporting the wounded and displaced to Jordan. This explains the deployment of the Jordanian army to the border with the criminal entity, with its mission limited to preventing the potential wave of migration rather than confronting the Jewish massacres.

As for the political course on the Palestinian side and regional normalisation, it is expected to remain unchanged even if Yair Lapid or Benny Gantz came to power. Given the political division and extreme extremism in “Israeli” society, the most they can do is initiate negotiations with the Palestinians, address the economic downturn, and handle the security file through calming measures for media consumption. All of this is aimed at undermining the influence of the Zionist religious movement in the Jewish state.

As for the US stance, it is summarised in Biden's previous speech before the pro- “Israel” lobbying group J Street, where he stated: "I firmly believe that the actions taken by the Israeli government over the past several years—the relentless and systematic expansion of settlements, legitimising settlement outposts, and seizing land—move Israel in the wrong direction." He indicated that they are pushing towards a one-state reality, which he described as "serious." Biden affirmed the US commitment "to push them as hard as we can towards what they intuitively know is the only ultimate solution, a two-state solution," which is the "absolute guarantor of their security," as he described it. Secretary of State Blinken reiterated this during statements made after the G7 Foreign Ministers' Summit in Tokyo a few days ago, saying, “But we’re very clear on no reoccupation, just as we’re very clear on no displacement of the Palestinian population.” He added, “And, as we’ve said before, we need to see and get to, in effect, unity of governance when it comes to Gaza and the West Bank, and ultimately to a Palestinian state.”

Therefore, what America is keen on is preserving the distorted framework of the "two-state solution" and opposing Netanyahu's attempts to expand the war, displace the people of Gaza, escalate the tension in the West Bank and the region. It seeks to deter him from continuing the massacres that have stirred global public opinion and provoked the Arab and Islamic streets against the ruling regimes and the United States. These actions have also caused fractures within the Democratic Party, raising concerns about Biden's chances in the elections. Consequently, the US is trying to exert pressure through proxies, such as Josep Borrell and some European countries (Spain, Norway, Ireland, Belgium), as well as Brazil, South Africa, Djibouti, and several Latin American countries. They also exploit the Russian and Chinese positions, which call for ending the war, although their motives aim to improve their image in the eyes of Muslims.

The US is attempting to pressure Netanyahu by influencing global media, as seen in CNN's report that “Israel” "may have rearranged weapons" at Shifa Hospital. The BBC published a report refuting “Israeli” claims about the Shifa Medical Complex, contrary to its previous stance, which endorsed the “Israeli” narrative. Notably, the misinformation about Hamas leadership being present at the Shifa complex, which put the “Israeli” leadership in domestic and foreign embarrassment, was supplied by the US. In addition to this, the US is pressuring Netanyahu through the United Nations, international agencies, and the Security Council, which did not object to its recent resolution on the "extended humanitarian ceasefire." It also opened humanitarian corridors in all areas of Gaza, delivering aid to its residents. Furthermore, the US warned Netanyahu about destroying Gaza's infrastructure, which establishes the groundwork for population displacement, deepens the one-state trajectory, undermines the purported two-state solution, and involves “Israel” seizing gas off the Gaza coast. This resource is expected to be saved by America to ensure financial support for the Palestinian Authority. Therefore, differences between the US administration and Netanyahu are expected to widen, with NBC reporting that officials in the US administration indicate increasing disagreements regarding the attack on Gaza and Netanyahu's political future. They suggested that "establishing a buffer zone in Gaza means reducing the area of the sector, which we consider unacceptable."

As for the expansion of the war to include Hezbollah and Iran, the Iranian Foreign Minister stated in an interview with the Financial Times that communications between the United States and Iran have been ongoing through the American section of the Swiss embassy in Tehran for the past forty days.

Several indicators suggest that agreements have been reached between the US and Iran to ensure they do not slide into war and to prevent Netanyahu from expanding it. The Iranian Foreign Minister said in an interview with CBS News, "We do not want the scope of this crisis to widen at all, but the US is intensifying the war in Gaza with its strong support for Israel." Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations also stated to Reuters that Tehran would not engage in a direct conflict with Tel Aviv unless “Israel” launched an attack on Iran. Another indicator of the understanding between the US and Iran is Hezbollah's commitment to limited engagement rules with the Zionist entity. Additionally, on 14 November the US signed an extension of Iraq's exemption from sanctions imposed on Iran for 120 days to settle payments for electricity imported from Iran. According to the Washington Free Beacon, the US may allow Iraq to transfer $10 billion from frozen Iranian assets to Iran's accounts in Europe and Oman by extending Baghdad's exemption from sanctions against Tehran.

Therefore, it is not expected that Iran or Hezbollah will initiate an expansion of the war unless Netanyahu escalates it in a way that warrants an Iranian response leading to its expansion. One of the key indicators that Iran has decided not to enter the war is the praise from former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for the leader of Hezbollah and the Iranian Supreme Leader for their "wise stance of not joining the war against Israel." He pointed out that "Israel wants to drag Iran into the war, but Iran will not do so," affirming that "our support for Hamas does not include fighting alongside it."

In conclusion, the issue of Palestine today faces three options: The only option for the Zionist entity is a single Jewish state. Former “Israeli” Prime Minister Menachem Begin informed Biden, then a senator in Congress in 1982, of “Israel's” principled position on the Palestinian issue, stating: "If you ask us at any time to abandon a principle we believe in while being threatened with cutting aid, we will not abandon the principle we believe in."

As for the only option for the Arab regimes, it is to sell out Palestine through the distorted "two-state solution" gate in exchange for the thrones of the rulers.

As for the only solution for Muslims, it is the one embodied in Operation al-Aqsa Flood: "And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you." [al-Baqarah-191] This is the Shari'ah and correct solution, described by rulers as, "The alternative to peace is extremism and terrorism." With this description, Arab regimes openly acknowledge that they are the security and ideological shield for the Zionist entity and the protective barrier between the Ummah and the criminal Jewish entity.

What we all must understand is that this malignant entity is nothing but the shadow of these treacherous regimes in the lands of the Muslims. If these regimes are removed, its shadow will disappear with the leave of Allah (swt). Then, through the determination, patience, sacrifice, of the Muslims, their religion will prevail.
“He is the One Who expelled the disbelievers of the People of the Book from their homes for the first banishment. You never thought they would go. And they thought their strongholds would put them out of Allah’s reach. But the decree of˺ Allah came upon them from where they never expected. And He cast horror into their hearts so they destroyed their houses with their own hands and the hands of the believers. So take a lesson, O people of insight.” [al-Hashr-2]

5 Jumada al-Oula 1445h
19 November 2023

Arab-OIC Summit in Riyadh 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Political Comment - Arab-OIC Summit in Riyadh

After 36 days of comprehensive destruction, forced displacement, and brutal Zionist massacres against the people of Gaza, along with killings, humiliation, and arrests in the West Bank, the leaders of Arab and Islamic countries at the Riyadh Summit, comprising 57 nations, called for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, breaking the siege, delivering aid, and holding “Israel” accountable for its crimes at the International Criminal Court. They also called for an international conference for 'peace' according to 'international legitimacy' and the 'Arab initiative for a two-state solution,' which Sharon had dismissed as not being worth the ink it was written with, and Netanyahu buried under settlements, Judaisation, and efforts of displacement.

There is no surprise in the positions of this ruling clique that represents the real defence force for the criminal entity, may Allah curse them. Throughout their dark history of betrayal and conspiracy, they have only produced disappointment and letdown which infuriates Muslims and fills their hearts with resentment. Among them is what the Saudi Minister of Investment, Khalid Al-Falih, said at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum on November 8 amid Zionist massacres, cutting off electricity, water and medicine, and starving the people of Gaza, 'The normalisation file is on the table... and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will continue its attempts to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel!'

This summit and its decisions are a manifestation of the functional role assigned by the coloniser to the rulers of Muslims. Despite coming amidst the collapse of the Zionist deterrent system and the inability of the brutal entity and its sponsors to defeat a group of believers who lack weapons, unlike the armies of these cowardly rulers, the international popular sentiment against the criminal entity, and the domestic and foreign popular outrage towards the Biden administration for siding with the children killers, and the brutal Zionist massacres overwhelming the alleged Western values, and despite the entire Ummah being prepared for jihad, the cowardice of Muslim rulers led them to persist on banking on the fragile entity and remaining in its trench and ranks. They even warned the West that the alternative to peace is 'extremism and terrorism,' fuelling Muslim hatred for the West and its values that have been eroded due to the Western bias towards the brutal Zionist practices! They decided to provide it with the support and means to continue its massacres instead of investing in the resilience and resistance of their people and the steadfastness of Gaza. They could have mobilised the material strength of the Ummah including wealth, manpower, oil and weapons to protect the people of Gaza and at least halt the Zionist aggression. However, they tied their survival to its survival and their fate to its fate. They do not rely for their authority on their Ummah, nor do they represent her will. Instead, they represent the will of the coloniser who empowered them to rule, primarily to protect its interests, including the subjugation of the masses and the protection of the occupying entity.

The aim from Arab and Muslim leaders in light of the defeat inflicted upon the criminal entity is to showcase their cowardice and incapacity in order to re-instate the image of “Israeli” deterrence, save the Zionist entity from collapse, prevent support for the fighters, and dismantle the legendary resilience of the people of Gaza and Palestine in every sense of the word. This involves containing the sentiments of the Muslims and channelling them into the sewage channels that lead towards "peace" and the alleged two-state solution, erasing the image of sacrifice and jihad depicted by the fighters in Gaza from the conscience of Muslims, and altering the equation of the struggle against the oppressive enemy. This explains the statement of Zionist leaders that their savage goal in Gaza is to "prevent the recurrence of the black day" when Hamas took the initiative and swept across the borders of Palestine, shattering the myth of the "invincible army" in a matter of hours. It also explains the threat from the “Israeli” Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, to Hezbollah about a fate similar to Gaza in Beirut. Additionally, it explains the panic of the US and the hostile West in their efforts to save the criminal entity despite their stance against its religious Zionist government that hinders their plans.

Dear Muslims,

It is not sufficient to know that the demands of the Arab-Islamic summit reflect the will of the US and the occupying entity whether in terms of protecting the occupied entity and continuing to settle the Palestinian issue through "peace," or in terms of pressuring Netanyahu and his government which rebels against the American agenda regarding the alleged "two-state solution." It is not enough for the Ummah to express her sympathy and feelings, which will subside after the war ends, or due to the desensitisation resulting from being accustomed to the scenes of killing and torment in Gaza. Relying on a shift in global public opinion and the major powers distancing themselves from the brutal military operation carried out by "Israel" for long-term strategic interests and personal, partisan, domestic, and electoral calculations is also not enough, especially now that Biden's unconditional support for “Israel” threatens his chances in the US elections, a stance seized upon by his competitor Trump, who criticised “Israel” yesterday. All of this is insufficient to support Gaza and halt the aggression as an urgent priority.

The duty is to achieve the support of Muslims for their Muslim brothers, as Allah the Almighty has commanded, “And if they seek your help in religion, it is your obligation to help them, except against people bound with you in a treaty” [al-Anfal-72].
This involves repelling the enemy's aggression through defensive jihad, which does not even require permission from the legitimate ruler, let alone from those who deceptively assume the attribute of jihad with the collusion of the profligate “scholars”.. This can only be achieved by removing the obstacles represented by these traitorous regimes through a collective, productive effort—organising the Ummah and leading her towards the goal. Genuine and sincere efforts from political parties, scholars, those with power and influence, transcending intellectual leadership to actual leadership that mobilises the masses to positions of power and governance, are necessary for uprooting and establishing the Islamic State that triumphs for its children and dignity. Nothing can halt the projects of the Zionist entity and its Western sponsors except the great project of Islam with its Aqeedah, system, and state.

Dear Muslims,

Do not be deceived by the standpoints of your rulers calling for a ceasefire, even if they were sincere. Their standpoints revolve around their personal interests rather than the will of the Ummah, and they are consistently aligned with the US and its interests and projects, not with the interests of the Muslims and their causes. There is no clearer evidence of this than their shaky positions at the beginning of the war and their calls for a ceasefire after the American stance shifted for domestic and foreign reasons perceived by every political observer. After America urged them to express its position and will, do not accept anything less from them than ending normalisation, expelling the ambassadors of the criminal entity, stopping both secret and public relations with the Zionist criminals, forcing the Egyptian regime to open the crossings with Gaza and breaking the siege by force, not by seeking permission from the Zionist entity or appealing to the 'international community' to absolve them of their responsibilities.

Do not accept anything less than the threat to halt oil supplies and declare a general mobilisation if they are sincere in stopping the aggression on Gaza and its people, instead of selling illusions and false statements.

You ought to realise that what will stop the war is not the hesitant stance of the rulers, the impact of global protests, or even the repercussions of the war on Western countries and their rulers. It is not even Netanyahu's submission to America or his achievement of a prisoner exchange deal that gives him a lifeline and a victorious image. All of these are secondary factors. What will truly stop the aggression is the unparalleled courage of the fighters in our history and the heroic resilience of the people of Gaza despite the killings, displacement, and destruction.

Dear Muslims,

We remind you of the saying of Allah the Almighty, “Never think of those martyred in the cause of Allah as dead. In fact, they are alive with their Lord, well provided for * rejoicing in Allah’s bounties and being delighted for those yet to join them. There will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve. * They are joyful for receiving Allah’s grace and bounty, and that Allah does not deny the reward of the believers. * Those who responded to the call of Allah and His Messenger after their injury, those of them who did good and were mindful ˹of Allah˺ will have a great reward. * Those who were warned, “Your enemies have mobilized their forces against you, so fear them,” the warning only made them grow stronger in iman and they replied, “Allah is sufficient for us and is the best Protector.” * So, they returned with Allah’s favours and grace, suffering no harm. For they sought to please Allah. And surely Allah is ˹the˺ Lord of infinite bounty. * That was only Satan trying to prompt you to fear his followers. So do not fear them; fear Me if you are believers.” [Aal-Imran-169-175]

Hence, let the will for change and jihad be alive within us, and let us all work to turn it into a flood that sweeps away the systems of Kufr and betrayal if we hope for Allah and the Hereafter. Jihad is the path to victory, honour, and salvation for those who comprehend the saying of Allah the Almighty, “And if they seek your help in religion, it is your obligation to help them, except against people bound with you in a treaty.” [al-Anfal-72], and the statement of the Prophet ﷺ:

'When you engage in usury transactions, take hold of the tails of cattle, are satisfied with agriculture, and abandon jihad, Allah will impose on you humiliation that will not be lifted until you return to your religion.' Also, the saying of Ali ibn Abi Talib, 'Jihad is a door among the doors of Paradise, opened by Allah for His special friends. It is the garment of piety, Allah's impregnable shield, and His secure fortress. Whoever abandons it out of aversion, Allah will clothe him in the garment of disgrace, encompass him with inflictions, and subject him to degradation. He will be talked about with contempt by the young and the old, his heart will be struck with confusion, and he will be deprived of the truth due to neglecting jihad. He will bear the mark of shame, face the danger of sinking, and be denied the right path.'

28 Rabi’ al-Akhir 1445h
12 November 2023

Hizb ut-Tahrir

hizbuttahrir.org
 

Perceiving the Political Approaches of the Struggling Sides in the Barbaric Genocidal War on Gaza 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Political Observation - Perceiving the Political Approaches of the Struggling Sides in the Barbaric Genocidal War on Gaza

It is well known that the Israeli standpoint is based on the Zionist theoretical idea of "a land without a people for a people without a land," which necessitates cleansing the land from Palestinians. This idea is adopted by Netanyahu and the religious Zionist rightwing governing “Israel” and is translated into the barbaric genocidal war on Gaza. As for the liberal Zionist forces, they do not differ significantly from the religious Zionist rightwing except for their willingness to accept Palestinians as subjects and accept the concept of a Palestinian "state" that lacks sovereignty over the land.

Therefore, Netanyahu adopts a strategy in managing his conflict with the Palestinians that involves imposing a fait accompli and perpetuating the conflict. This is in contrast to the US standpoint that seeks to achieve the security of the Zionist entity and US national security through "peace and stability" and the so-called "two-state solution." Adding complexity to the situation is Netanyahu's hijacking of power within the Jewish entity through the religious Zionist rightwing that dominates public opinion, making his personal security a focal point. This security requirement for his continuance in power comes amidst legal pursuits against him and his narcissism, which refuses to accept defeat in the face of what his supporters have labelled him, such as "King Bibi," "Lord of Security," and "Lord of the Economy." Therefore, Netanyahu's achievement in this war that is tied to public opinion is a crucial matter across various ideological, existential, political, economic, strategic, and personal levels. Thus, he operates on the basis of "losing the foreign arena is less detrimental than losing the domestic arena." He wages a genocide war against the residents of Gaza, citing his "sacred book," without regard for world public opinion, international laws and norms, and the official regional stances. He dismissed the Turkish President, Erdogan's statements during 2022 by saying, "Erdogan used to call me Hitler every three hours, and now it's every six hours. But thank God, trade with Türkiye has increased!" Erdogan's positions during this brutal war did not differ from his previous traditional positions. Azerbaijani oil continues to flow to “Israel” through Türkiye despite Iran's demands for Türkiye to cut off oil to the occupying entity with the aim of embarrassing Erdogan.

Netanyahu exploits the brutality and heart-wrenching massacres to generate a rift between Hamas and its popular base and to pressure them into releasing prisoners in exchange for a ceasefire, thus achieving an unprecedented accomplishment in front of public opinion. This is why he refuses to stop the war and employs the most terrible means of killing and tormenting the people of Gaza and the West Bank because he believes that a ceasefire without any achievement, except for massacres against civilians, represents a loss for him, his party, government, and his project. It is also a victory for Hamas, the people of the region, and the Islamic civilisational approach. He recently emphasised this in an article in The Wall Street Journal. Therefore, the Likud and the religious Zionist right line up firmly behind him, as their destiny and political future are closely tied to his.

He also resists the disguised US pressures through the positions of the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, some international standpoints, and certain Arab regimes. He takes advantage of the strategic colonialist value of the Zionist entity in the region and Biden's need for the "support for Israel" card in the election season, given the recent public opinion polls that show Trump ahead of Biden. This is in addition to his exploitation of concerns about the expansion and spread of the war in the region and its implications for US international priorities related to China and Russia.

Contrary to what some may consider foolishness on Netanyahu's part, these factors are what encouraged him to set military goals that are difficult to achieve, such as crushing Hamas, destroying its military capabilities, and freeing civilian and military prisoners. In other words, he did not set these goals for their own sake but to prolong the war and gain time while tightening the siege on Gaza and generating a security environment that necessitates a party to protect “Israel” from Gaza, similar to how the Abbas authority protects the Zionist entity's security in the West Bank.

However, despite the passage of nearly a month since his heinous aggression, he has not achieved any of these goals. On the contrary, he has lost what was left of “Israel's” international reputation, as its image has become associated with the brutal massacres it committed in Gaza and throughout Palestine. Netanyahu continues to hope that by prolonging the war, he can repair his image and restore deterrence through blockade, destruction, and massacres, which have gained acceptance among the “Israeli” public, charged with a spirit of revenge. However, these actions have begun to have negative consequences both domestically and internationally.

In this context, Blinken's visit comes to regulate Netanyahu's behaviour. However, it is evident that he failed to convince Netanyahu to agree to a "humanitarian ceasefire," not out of concern for the children of Gaza as much as it is an attempt to contain the divisions within the Democratic Party, restore America's image in the region and the world, and to confuse Netanyahu's stance and push him into domestic confrontations. This visit aims to confront what might result from his return to genocide after the ceasefire due to international pressure and isolation.

It is expected that Netanyahu will escalate the brutality of the military campaign against the people of Gaza, driven by his desire for revenge, restoring deterrence, and improving his domestic image, despite knowing that breaking the resilience of the people of Gaza and crushing Hamas is impossible. He hopes that Hezbollah and Iran will be pushed into a war to silence criticism and opposition and mobilise domestic support, especially since his retraction after accusing the military and security leadership of failure did not stop the scathing attacks against him.

Furthermore, he hopes that by prolonging the war and involving Hezbollah and Iran in it, he can embarrass the Biden administration, which has no choice but to pledge its commitments to “Israel's” security. He aims to draw the administration into the war with him to ensure victory and escape from the spectre of domestic accountability.

As for Hezbollah's approach, it has been clearly articulated by Hassan Nasrallah who stated that all options are on the table. He has also stated that America bears the responsibility for ending the war, using the phrase "heal your wound lest it should deepen." Nasrallah understands the American position and Netanyahu's stance well. He knows that America is harnessing the war to undermine Netanyahu domestically, weaken the entire Zionist rightwing project, and alter the American public opinion, which confines its pressure or criticism to the Zionist entity. This has been evident in recent public opinion polls in the US which have shown that more than half of American youth view the operations carried out by al-Qassam Brigades against the occupation as justified. Therefore, the United States' silence over Netanyahu's atrocities, which have shaken his international support and increased his isolation, can be understood in this context.

In this sense, Hezbollah is waiting for the right moment to intervene, ensuring that the US does not object to its entry into the war. This moment would be when America is desperate for Netanyahu to respond to its demands, and condemnation of “Israeli” crimes increases, along with criticism of the American position on the war. This is how Hezbollah can expand its military operations while strengthening its justification for the existence of the "Axis of Resistance," its influence and its popular base. It will also deter “Israel” from any adventures targeting the party and Iran, as well as their proxies in the region, and prevent “Israel” from eliminating Hamas, which would signal the elimination of Hezbollah and the resistance factions in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Hence, Hezbollah's approach is closely tied to the facts related to Netanyahu's progress in the military operation, which will have repercussions on all the resistance factions. It also depends on the American position and its effectiveness in influencing Netanyahu in his deceptive war on Gaza. This is particularly relevant because the US does not accept the prolongation and expansion of the war in a way that disrupts the strategic balance in the Middle East and diverts its international priorities from China and Russia, which benefit from the redirection of American and European military and financial resources towards the Middle East. This is in addition to capitalising on the repercussions of the war on gas and oil prices which benefit Russia, and taking advantage of Western double standards that were exposed during the aggression on Gaza to expose the West and undermine its value-based global leadership.

As for the US, now that Netanyahu has failed to either end or weaken Hamas in Gaza, which Washington had wanted to exploit its defeat to weaken other Iran-backed factions within the Resistance, and to regain the deterrence required for the Zionist role in the region, it is expected that the US will adjust its positions by increasing pressure on Netanyahu through covert means to shift international stances regarding the aggression on Gaza. This will involve forming an Arab pressure front in the upcoming summit against Netanyahu, despite the complicity of Arab leaders and their desire to eliminate Hamas which exposes and troubles them, placing them in a difficult domestic position. Hamas has been breathing life into the Islamic orientation in the region with every operation it carries out.

Therefore, the US is pushing in secret to increase criticism and domestic and foreign pressure on Netanyahu and the Zionist rightwing. America is banking on the high cost incurred by the “Israeli” army in its incursion into Gaza and its implications for “Israeli” society and leadership. This is in addition to the pressure from the families of “Israeli” prisoners held by Hamas and the economic and security repercussions on the entire Zionist entity.

As for the Arab rulers, they continue to base their approaches on what serves their personal interests. They are indifferent to the suffering of the people in Gaza and are unconcerned about their own people's anger and distress. This is because they are confident in the submission and verbal interaction they have received from their own people. They also rely on the paralysis, impotence, and cowardice they have observed in the various forces of the Ummah. This has made these rulers reluctant to speak the truth and take productive actions that would lead them to change their positions.

In light of this situation, it is the duty of Muslims, both as individuals and groups, to exert pressure on those in power to use their influence to support the people of Gaza. They should confront the rulers and politicians, and they should approach scholars, leaders, and influential figures with determination and contempt, urging them to fulfil their responsibilities and play their roles. These individuals should use their influence and power to rectify the situation. Each Muslim should sever ties with those who support tyrannical regimes and only follow those who demonstrate awareness, sincerity, a clear vision, and a righteous purpose in their actions. This is to ensure that the word of Allah the Almighty prevails and influential forces align with the will of the Ummah.

21 Rabi’ al-Akhir 1445h
4 November 2023

hizbuttahrir.org 

Political Dimensions of the Criminal Entity’s Barbarism in Gaza 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Political Observation - The Political Dimensions of the Criminal Entity’s Barbarism in its Onslaught on Gaza

Operation “al-Aqsa Flood”, which has overfilled the Islamic Ummah with pride and the scent of victory, has come at the peak of the criminal entity and its savage hordes’ arrogance, under an extreme rightwing government, and amid an official Arab standpoint marked by conspiracy and a rush toward alliance and normalisation, all in an attempt to restore jihad to the equation of the conflict despite the capitulation, and even prostration, of the normalisers . This operation has achieved a glorious triumph by restoring the confidence of the Muslims in jihad as a lever for Islam and a muzzle for the aggressors. As Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (ra)said, "No people abandon jihad except that they are humiliated." It also came in the context of efforts by Netanyahu and the US to resume the Abraham Accords, with a top priority being Saudi-Israeli normalisation, which is racing against time to secure “Israel” and the interests of the US. This massive operation occurred amid political and societal divisions within “Israel”, and Netanyahu's need for a diversion to shift focus away from domestic criticism and his pending legal trial while also breaking his foreign isolation.

Despite “Israeli” cowardice and the heroism of al-Qassam, information has converged regarding Netanyahu's personal knowledge of Hamas's preparations for a major operation since 2016, according to a recently leaked document authored by Avigdor Lieberman. Netanyahu had prior knowledge of the operation days before it occurred, based on what was suggested in the tussle of leaks between Netanyahu's office and security agencies. This suggests that Netanyahu saw an opportunity in the Hamas operation to divert his domestic crisis and attempt to implement the Likud plan to deport the people of Gaza to Sinai. Several reports revealed this during the war, notably the recommendations made by Israeli Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel on 13 October, which were first published by a local Israeli news site called "Sicha Mekomit." Netanyahu's office responded by calling them "mere conceptual papers," implying that he did not deny their existence and the Zionist ideas and projects they reflected.

The truth is that what is happening on the ground in the battlefield and the converging evidence indicates that the displacement project has been set as one of the goals of the war on Gaza. Netanyahu's determination to implement it became evident through the direct response of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to the German Chancellor, rejecting the displacement. There are reports suggesting that Netanyahu requested some European leaders (not American ones) to mediate with al-Sisi to accept the displacement of the people of Gaza to Sinai.

One of the clear pieces of evidence of Netanyahu’s determination to displace the people of Gaza, in addition to his pursuit of restoring deterrence and reducing Hamas’s power and voiding the resistance of its substance in the Islamic collective awareness and changing the security environment in Gaza, is the brutality of the massacres and the widespread destruction that he committed in his onslaught on Gaza and its people. It is true that his bombing of northern Gaza aims to pave the way for the ground incursion, but destroying large areas of the sector aims at revenge, deterrence and displacement. In the last few days, and until now, Gaza witnessed the most violent bombing by land, sea, and air since the beginning of the war, which resulted in thousands of martyrs and wounded, especially since the brutal bombing targeted towers and residential blocks crowded with residents, and affected all areas of the sector such as al-Rimal, al-Zaytoun, al-Shuja’iya, Al-Karama, al-Mashtal, Beit Hanoun, Jabalia and its camp, al-Shati camp, Al-Zahra city, Khan Yunis and others. This caused severe damage to about 200 thousand housing units, and the targeting of shelters for the displaced who lost their relatives and homes, such as schools, mosques and hospitals, such as the Baptist Hospital and al-Quds Hospital, which shelter about 14000 refugees, in addition to targeting civil defence personnel, doctors, journalists and dozens of government facilities, and chasing Gazan residents and committing more than 60 massacres during the past two days only to terrorise them and push them to emigrate.

All of this corroborates Netanyahu’s intention to displace the people of Gaza; which explains the panic of the Jordanian regime and its rejection of the displacement and the one Jewish state that leads to emptying the West Bank of its population and throwing their weight on Jordan, whose king is still engaged in a domestic struggle with the forces rejecting the resettlement of Palestinian refugees. Therefore, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi stated that “all indicators point to the worst coming” and that “any attempt to displace the Palestinians from the West Bank is a declaration of war.” As for the American standpoint, despite its absolute support for the criminal entity, it has hinted at its reservations vis-à-vis Netanyahu’s and the religious Zionist right’s intentions to displace the people of Gaza within the project of the one Jewish state, and to demolish the alleged two-state solution. In this context, President Biden said, “When this crisis ends, there must be a vision for what will come after that, and from our point of view there must be a two-state solution.” In his call with al-Sisi recently he also stressed the need not to displace the people of Gaza to Sinai. In a message that implies a warning to Netanyahu about the displacement that America has noticed in the brutality of the “Israeli” aggression, which indicates Netanyahu’s insistence on the policy of imposing a fait accompli, Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, asked “Israel” to distinguish between fighting Hamas and innocent civilians. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is expected to arrive in “Israel” on Friday to discuss plans and goals for the military campaign on Gaza according to the US State Department, while Defense Secretary Austin referred to talks he had with “Israeli” officials to urge them on the need to protect civilians, saying, “I clearly repeated to Israeli leaders that protecting civilians in Gaza is a moral duty and a strategic necessity.” The meaning of “strategic necessity” is not to provoke the people of the region for what it entails in terms of risks for the regimes affiliated with the US.

Therefore, the American standpoint of rejecting displacement, and pretending to care about civilians and providing humanitarian aid to them, does not fall within a moral framework or a wake-up call of “conscience”, as much as it falls within the framework of political approaches related to US national security. However, America and Europe refused to call for a ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas stops posing a threat to “Israel”, especially since Operation al-Aqsa Flood has immersed an entire Muslim generation in the issue of the conflict with the Zionist entity and revived the meanings of pride, dignity and jihad in the sons of the Ummah, and revitalised the Islamic orientation that presses on the rulers of the region. This is what the Arab leaders have always warned against under the pretext of “terrorism”, but their insolence, conspiracy and hatred for Islam and its people reached the point that they remained silent if they did not support the extermination of Gaza and the uprooting of the resistance. This was revealed by the American diplomat Dennis Ross, who said, “In the past two weeks, when I spoke with Arab officials in different parts of the region whom I have known for a long time, each one of them told me that Hamas must be destroyed in Gaza.” And he quoted them as saying that “if Hamas is considered victorious, it will legitimise the ideology of rejection adopted by the group, give influence and momentum to Iran and its collaborators, and put their governments in a defensive position.”

As for the hybrid stance of the regional countries, in addition to their participation in the Zionist crime through their silence, and even sending American weapons to the criminal entity, and receiving Zionist delegations in their capitals, not to mention the preoccupation of some others with concerts of revelry and debauchery, their rejection of the displacement of the Gazans and their request to open the Rafah crossing are nothing more than an expression of their blessing for the slaughter of Hamas and the people of Gaza, and an apology to Netanyahu for not approving the idea of displacement, which violates the American approach to the two-state solution and undermines their domestic situation. Therefore, they have set a date for an emergency summit in Riyadh on 11 November to pave the way for Netanyahu to exercise his brutality on the children of Gaza and destroy the power of al-Qassam Brigade, which exposed their true faces.

It is not expected that their actions will result in anything but deepening the wounds of the Ummah because this is their function, and because their trembling hands are too cowardly to mark a standpoint for the sake of Allah the Almighty or for history. This includes Türkiye and Iran, which are absorbed in a struggle for roles, influence, competition, and trading in the blood of the people of Gaza and Palestine. While we have not seen the Arab armies move except to suppress the uprising in the "Arab Spring," the Turkish and Iranian armies have fought wars everywhere except in Palestine. This is because Palestine is not in Iran's national and sectarian agenda, nor in Türkiye’s agenda, which is fundamentally based on economic and national interests in its foreign policy. In the midst of this sea of blood in Gaza, Iran is trying to preserve Hamas as part of its competition with “Israel” in the region, while Türkiye is trying to attract Hamas and provide it with political cover for domestic and regional consumption, as part of its competition with Iran. What we fear is that the international and regional powers will use the struggle of our Ummah and the blood of our children as fuel in a major regional game that appears to be taking shape in the competition between Russia and China on one side and the US and Europe on the other.

Based on the aforementioned, the standpoints of the Arab regimes, as well as Türkiye and Iran, are worse than the positions of the West itself. If the resilience of the people of Gaza and Palestine thwarts the displacement plan, with the leave of Allah the Almighty, then Muslims should not rely on the Arab regimes, Turkey, or Iran. Instead, they should continue to exert pressure on them until they are overthrown, and the equation is turned in favour of Islam, which Netanyahu declared as the civilisational challenge to “Israel” and the entire West.
Muslims should understand that what qualifies them for victory is their adherence to the Islamic Aqeedah and its Shari'ah, and the establishment of a state based on it, to prepare for jihad and liberation. Until then, every Muslim should work in their capacity and within their means, following the Prophet's saying, "Whoever among you is able to benefit his brother, let him do so."

18 Rabi’ al-Awwal 1445h
2 November 2023

hizbuttahrir.org