The ongoing war in Gaza and Lebanon, initiated by Hamas and Hezbollah and instigated by Iran, is center stage in our national strategic consciousness. However, we cannot neglect malicious activity within our capital city of Jerusalem, which if not addressed, will impact peace-loving Jews, Muslims, Christians, and others. Two of the main players in this ongoing problem are Qatar and Turkey, whose anti-Israel stances are well-known.
The Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy (JCAP) is therefore currently investigating Qatari and Turkish activities in Jerusalem and elsewhere.
The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) has renewed its activities in eastern Jerusalem, after a several-year-long shutdown by Israel. Acting under the auspices of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, TIKA works closely with the Yunus Amra Cultural Center in Jerusalem. Their agenda is to delegitimize Israel, support the “resistance” (aka terrorism), and cultivate anti-Israel cultural events and activists. At least two other Turkish bodies – the Turkish Culture Association, and Miratana, directed by senior Hamas figure Jihaad Yaamour – are also supporters of the “resistance” against Israel. These are essentially fronts for Hamas activities in Jerusalem.
In 2021, Qatar announced that it was renewing its “solidarity” activities with eastern Jerusalem Arabs, via its Permanent Qatari Committee to Jerusalem. Members of this body include senior Palestinian Authority and Fatah figures. Another Qatari organization is the Jerusalem Support Foundation, founded by the emir of Qatar when he took office in 2013 – apparently as part of his policies tilting towards the Muslim Brotherhood, Iran, and Turkey, at the expense of Egypt and Saudi Arabia. A billion dollars were allocated towards this foundation.
When Arab Palestinians are encouraged to believe that their opposition to Israel’s existence has foreign political and financial support, they will not aim for peaceful coexistence with Israel.
The Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem are rife with tensions between the locals. Some favor tranquility so that they can go to work and support their families, and others favor agitation and anti-Israel activities, such as protests and terrorism. It is in Israel’s interest to cultivate moderate local leadership, but the Qatari and Turkish interventions undermine reconciliation and prevent the social and political integration of many Arabs into Israeli society.
These actions are strengthening extremist Islamic elements, such as Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, Tahrir, and extremist Muslim clerics.
Unfortunately, it seems that Turkish and Hamas operatives, together with terrorists released in the Gilad Schalit deal, are working to establish terror cells by exploiting local charities, nonprofit organizations, and family connections.
Considering only these few examples of the anti-Israeli activities in Jerusalem, we must figure out what can be done to improve the lives and the future of all good residents.
To mitigate extremism
Wisely implemented action on local and national levels will significantly mitigate the damage from extreme elements and will encourage the participation of responsible leaders and community cooperation. Therefore, we propose taking the steps detailed as follows.
• Any organization that is linked to terrorism must have all its financial resources legally seized.
• Incitement to violence and hatred should be addressed consistently and systematically, by judicial means.
• A proactive campaign against all anti-Israeli propaganda must be ongoing.
• The promoters of malicious and deceptive propaganda must be exposed by sharing broadly truthful and well-documented information. Hopefully, once people understand that they are being exploited by self-serving bad operatives, they will act responsibly.
• Malicious and deceptive material being used for incitement to violence must be confiscated and its promoters must be challenged legally for incitement.
• The Israeli government must constantly update its lists of terror-supporting organizations and prevent their local and/or foreign funding.
• The state of Israel passed a law in July of 2018 mandating withholding tax monies owed to the PA in the amount equal to the sum of money used by the PA to pay terrorists. However, this law was enforced only selectively. With the onset of the current war, the transfer of money to the PA became even more contentious. The government will have to reevaluate this policy periodically.
• Due to the abuse of foreign funds by bad operatives, serious consideration must be given to limiting or controlling funds that pour into eastern Jerusalem, particularly from Qatar and Turkey.
• Israeli Intelligence has obtained documents revealing assets and companies owned by Hamas in various countries. This half-a-billion-dollar investment fund finances Hamas activities. The existence and nefarious use of these funds must also be addressed.
• While several countries have announced a halt to their funding of UNRWA following revelations of its corruption and involvement with Hamas terrorism, this organization must be replaced.
We must be proactive in supporting law-abiding citizens from all backgrounds. The ideas listed above are some first steps that will help create a healthier environment for peaceful coexistence in Jerusalem and in the rest of the country.
Ultimately, a peaceful Jerusalem will be to the benefit of the free world.
Dr. Shmuel Katz served as an officer in the Six Day War, has double-board certification in surgery, and is a fellow of the Israeli Surgical Society and of the American College of Surgeons and other medical societies. He is on the board of many pro-Israel organizations, including JCAP.
Chaim Silberstein is the founder and chairman of the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy (JCAP) and the Keep Jerusalem – Im Eshkachech public diplomacy organization.