Threat erupts to take Jerusalem 'by force'

A Palestinian Islamic leader who appears regularly on Palestinian Authority television is warning that Muslims, if not given Jerusalem peacefully, will take it "by force."

The threat was captured by Palestinian Media Watch, which monitors and analyzes media reports in the Middle East.

The sermon was broadcast from the Al-Omari Mosque in El-Bireh. The speaker was not identified except that he was one of the "mosque's regular preachers."

Among his statements: "The Jews are an arrogant and tyrannical enemy, occupying Jerusalem and Palestine. … Allah willing, we will soon take what was taken from us, if not peacefully then by force."

PMW said the preacher called on Allah to help "drive out the Jews" from Jerusalem, using the Muslims to do so.

The preacher compared this to the way Allah helped drive out the crusaders who "left it humiliated and disgraced, dragging their tails behind them."

The speaker said: "The Jews are an arrogant and tyrannical enemy that is occupying the land of Jerusalem and the land of Palestine, and that they have no right to arrogance, tyranny, and occupation. ... Allah willing, we will soon take what was taken from us, if not peacefully then by force. ... How long did the European Crusaders live in this country? They lived here nearly 100 years, but by Allah's will, they left it humiliated.

"They left it humiliated and disgraced, dragging their tails behind them, because Allah inscribed for this [Islamic] nation eternity and victory. ... Allah, protect our Al-Aqsa Mosque and our Jerusalem for us, and return it to the rule and sovereignty of the Muslims. Allah, drive the Jews out of it, humiliated and disgraced, by means of those [the Muslims] who are monotheists, humble, and purified."

Palestinian Media Watch reported the same speaker in earlier broadcasts asked Allah to "punish the wicked Jews" and prayed for genocide.

"Allah, punish Your enemies, the enemies of religion, count their numbers and kill them to the last one, and bring them a black day," he said. "Allah, punish the wicked Jews, and those among the atheists who help them. Allah, we ask that You bestow upon us respect and honor by enabling us to repel them, and we ask You to save us from their evil."

In the more recent sermon, the speaker thanked Palestinian leaders for their position "regarding the decision of the failed American administration, which declared Jerusalem the capital of the state of the Jews and the capital of the Zionist entity."

President Trump in December enacted a decision Congress made in 1995 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. This month, the U.S. Embassy moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, prompting a number of other nations to make the same move.

The speaker said the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem "has no effect on our principles and values, and Allah willing we continue to walk in the path of our Prophet [Muhammad] and the path of his comrades ... and in the path of the great leaders from among the conquerors of the lands of Islam, such as Saladin Al-Ayyubi (i.e., founder of the Ayyubid dynasty), may Allah's mercy be upon him."