A recent news report revealed connections between a member of Naftali Bennett’s coalition and Hamas but further investigations reveal even more such cooperation. One expert suggested that were it not for the political ramifications endangering Bennett’s coalition, the police would already be investigating.

Channel 13: Hamas thanks Arab MK for his help

A news report by Channel 13 News journalist Ayala Hasson on Friday night revealed that funds provided by the coalition government led by Naftali Bennett went to Gaza. Though tagged for “humanitarian purposes”, a Hamas official thanked the organization run by Razi Issa, a senior member of the Ra’am party, for the aid. 

In the report, Hasson interviewed  Razi Issa, a senior member of the Ra’am party, asking him about a photo of an event in Gaza in which Razi Hamed, a senior Hamas official, is seen praising Issa.

In addition to being an MK for the Ra’am party, Issa is also the Chairman of the General Assembly of the Islamic Movement, Member of the Shura Council, and CEO of the 48 Aid Association, an allegedly humanitarian organization that operates in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. As the head of the 48 Aid Association, Issa received special permission to travel to Gaza. Hasson presented a video in which Hamed is seen thanking him personally and his association.

In her news program, Hasson asked Issa what Hamed was thanking him for.”What do you think he is thanking me for” Issa asks. She insists that the question is simple. Issa tries to deflect, asking Hasson to send her questions to him via Whatsapp. Hasson insists that the question requires an answer.

Issa replied: “All of Gaza is grateful for our treatment of widows and orphans.” Hasson responded: “Widows and orphans I understand, but what’s a senior Hamas official thanking you for?”

“Who is a senior Hamas official?” Issa asked. “Who are you talking about?”

“Razi Hamed is not a senior Hamas official?” Hasson asked.

At which point Issa dodged: “How should I know?”

Hasson noted that the aid given to Gaza by Issa’s organization was reportedly humanitarian but there is currently no information either supporting or challenging that claim. It has been documented that much of the humanitarian aid given to Gaza by international groups and other nations has been usurped by Hamas for use in terrorism against Israel.The Channel 13 report was based on an investigation that had been conducted by the Ad Kan group, together with the Choosing Life Forum of Israeli bereaved families.

Ad Kan CEO Gilad Ach issued a statement saying, “For the first time in the history of the State of Israel, the Israeli taxpayer is funding a terrorist organization responsible for the murder of Israelis. The state budget must not be passed in its current form in which it injects billions into the Islamic movement. We call on the Zionist elements that are still in the coalition to stop this demonic dance and take action to rectify the situation. It’s not too late.”

Dr. Kedar: Where is the police investigation?

Dr. Mordechai Kedar, a senior lecturer on Arabic culture at Bar-Ilan University who served for 25 years in IDF Military Intelligence, stated that were it not for their role in the coalition, the 48 Aid Organization would be under immediate police investigation.

“In 2003, Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the outlawed northern branch of the Islamic Movement, was thrown into jail because he gave money to Hamas in Jenin,’ Dr. Kedar pointed out. “These people from Ra’am gave money to Hamas in Gaza and they are in the Knesset. The only difference is that these people are part of the coalition with Bennett so no one does anything about it.”

“After what Ayala Hasson revealed, the police should have gone immediately to the offices of the organization and loaded up all the files onto trucks and begun an intensive investigation. The police did nothing. What is this?”

“It is a crime to move money to an entity that is ruled by Hamas. This is illegal in Israel. But the Ra’am party will leave the government if the police investigate their possible connections to Hamas. Our security is being sacrificed in order that the coalition should stay together.”

Ra’am issued a statement saying: “The association is registered and recognized by the United Nations as an organization that provides humanitarian services to the poor, the needy, and the victims of wars and disasters all over the world, regardless of race, sex, nationality or religion.

“The director of the association, Razi Issa, had nothing to do with the negotiations on the formation of the coalition, and his presence was together with many individuals from all the parties that wanted to be in the historic moment of signing the coalition agreements.

“The association provides assistance to the poor and needy in the countries of the world and also in the West Bank and Gaza, and is the same association that helped during the huge fires in Nof HaGalil, the same organization that established a situation room during the Carmel fire and assisted residents, as was reported by Israeli media.

“The organization has an office in Gaza, which operates according to the law to ensure that all aid is transferred to the needy and orphans directly and without intermediaries. The association’s staff takes great care not to conduct any political dialogue with anyone, and it deals with one goal which is humanitarian aid.

“The association, for the sake of transparency, took care to photograph and publish the event itself, and the association has nothing to hide in the matter.”

MK Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionism party, requested that the Registration Authority for NGOs open an investigation into all NGOs that are linked to the United Arab List and to the 48 Aid Association. Smotrich cited Clause 3 of the NGO law which states that “an NGO shall not be registered as such if its purpose is to negate the existence of the State of Israel or to oppose its democratic character, or if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the NGO will serve as a cover for illegal operations.”

Smotrich noted that one of the stated goals of the 48 Aid Organization was “to reach out to hundreds of children of shahids [Islamic martyrs], orphans, and widows.”

Arab MK praises Hamas rockets

At the same time, the Kol Hayehudi website reported that Ala Aladin Jabarin, a senior official within the United Arab List and sixth on the party’s list, made posts on his Facebook page in June 2018 praising Hamas rocket fire. The posts came ten days after Hamas fired 200 rockets targeting Israeli cities.

“We have no solution other than victory or death as martyrs,” the post read.“Dear Shahid [martyr] … we will break our fast in Jerusalem … the capital of Palestine … We have no other solution than either victory or death as martyrs,” read the captions to the video, which shows terrorists carrying rockets to their launching sites and then firing them into the Israeli communities bordering Gaza.”