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Hamas Activities in Turkey Against Israel

(Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies) Omer Dostri - In the reconciliation agreement between Turkey and Israel signed in June 2016, Turkey committed itself to ending terror activities against Israel from its territory. Yet Ankara and Hamas continue to maintain a close relationship. Turkey's assistance to Hamas stems from a shared ideology. Hamas and President Erdogan's political party are "spiritual descendants" of the world-wide Muslim Brotherhood movement. Erdogan views himself as the leader of Sunni Islam and aspires to restore Turkey to its former Ottoman Empire glory. Cooperation with Hamas positions Erdogan as the protector of Jerusalem and the Palestinians. It also undermines Jordan's status as protector of the holy sites on the Temple Mount. Hamas invests much effort in recruiting Palestinian students who study abroad, specifically in Turkey. These students are sent for military training in Lebanon or Syria and then return to the West Bank to organize terror attacks against Israel. In addition, Hamas in Turkey uses workers and activists belonging to Turkish humanitarian organizations who operate in Gaza. Hamas has a headquarters in Istanbul which works to mastermind terror attacks.
2018-08-24 00:00:00
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