Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi & Hamas

Abstract

A pediatrician by trade, Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi was born in 1947, to a family of refugees from the city of Yavneh. He was a member of the group that founded Hamas at the end of 1987. Along with Salah Shehadeh, he was appointed by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin to establish the movement's military apparatus in the Gaza Strip. After Sheikh Yassin's death, Al-Rantisi remained the most well-known and popular Hamas leader inside the Palestinian Authority administered territories, owing to his extremism, his media prominence, and his impassioned oratory

Al-Rantisi, among other senior Hamas figures, is an active proponent of the movement's extremist line, aimed both against Israel as well as the Palestinian Authority. He shares similar views with Khaled Mash'al and the Hamas leadership outside the Palestinian Authority administered territories, views opposed to compromise of any sort in Hamas' policy of terrorist attacks. In the dialogue with the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian factions, Al-Rantisi was a staunch supporter of the extremist policy, urging Hamas not to make any concessions. From 1988 to 2001, these views earned Al-Rantisi several terms in Israeli prisons and prompted a number of arrests by the Palestinian Authority.

Having served as Sheikh Yassin's deputy in the Shura council, Al-Rantisi was chosen as leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip (March 23, 2004), at least until proper elections are held in the future. The quick election of Al-Rantisi testifies not only to his political determination but also to Hamas' desire to prove that the movement has regained its organizational capabilities despite the killing of Sheikh Yassin and that the leadership continues to exercise firm control over the movement's activities without leaving leadership void.. Al-Rantisi made it clear that Damascus-based Khaled Mash'al, chairman of the movement's “political bureau”, remained the top authority as far as Hamas' political agenda is concerned.

The choice of Al-Rantisi has three key implications :

Against Israel: A non-compromising policy of terrorist attacks, opposition to ceasefire, backing and coordinating the activities of operatives on the ground to perpetrate large-scale terrorist attacks in Israel proper, while encouraging cooperation between the various terrorist organizations.

The internal aspect: The reinforcement of the militant line of the Hamas leadership outside the Palestinian Authority administered territories. In our estimation, this will lead to greater unanimity than before with the leadership outside the Palestinian Authority administered territories and to greater understanding with operatives on the ground

Against the Palestinian Authority: Aggravation of the potential of friction between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority in view of Al-Rantisi's fundamental animosity toward it. It is to be expected that Al-Rantisi will seek to form understandings with the Palestinian Authority on administering the Gaza Strip and to incorporate Hamas into the Palestinian Authority's decision-making process, with lesser willingness than before for lenience in the Hamas' positions.

The bottom line: The choice of Al-Rantisi presents a potential for aggravation in all aspects of Hamas activity, although he should take into account a wide variety of constraints affecting the movement (Israel's activity, pressure from the Palestinian Authority, the position of the population, the regional and international contexts, etc).

Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi (Abu Muhammad): A Personal Sketch

Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi was born in 1947 to a family of refugees from Yavneh.
In 1948, his family fled to the Gaza Strip and settled in Khan Yunis refugee camp.

A pediatrician by trade, Al-Rantisi studied in Egypt (Alexandria) in the years 1965-1975, where he was in contact with the Muslim Brotherhood

After finishing his studies in Egypt, Al-Rantisi returned to the Gaza Strip and worked as a physician in clinics and hospitals. Furthermore, he served as lecturer in the Islamic University in Gaza City and, since the mid-1980's, has been known as a prominent extremist preacher in mosques.

Al-Rantisi was a member of the group that founded Hamas at the end of 1987. At the time of the movement's conception, he was responsible for the Khan Yunis area and, along with Salah Shehadeh, was appointed by Sheikh Yassin to establish Hamas' military apparatus in the Gaza Strip.

10.

From March 1988 to 1997, he served several terms in Israeli prisons. In 1992-93, he was deported, along with 400 Hamas operatives, to Marj al-Zahour in Lebanon. His knowledge of the English language granted him the status of the deportees' spokesman, and he has since become a known media figure.

11.

In April 1997, following his release from the Israeli prison, Al-Rantisi became one of the most prominent figures of Hamas who worked by Sheikh Yassin's side and one of the movement's senior representatives in contacts with the Palestinian Authority. In this context, he stood at the head of the Hamas delegation to the National Dialogue conference held in Gaza City in August, 1997.

12.

Hamas' relations with the Palestinian Authority: Al-Rantisi was a staunch supporter of a firm stance against the Palestinian Authority and attacked it for having chosen the path of the Oslo Accords. Consequently, in 1998-2001, he was arrested on several occasions by the Palestinian Authority. In April 1998, he was arrested by the Palestinian Authority for criticizing it over its investigation of the killing of Muhyi al-Din Sharif (March 1998), who was arrested by the Palestinian Authority for criticizing it. Likewise, Al-Rantisi has been arrested by the Palestinian Authority in the course of the current violent confrontation (April-May, 2001). In a dialogue held between the Palestinian factions in Cairo, Al-Rantisi was among those who insisted the Hamas movement should not make its positions more lenient.

13.

Policy of terrorism: Al-Rantisi is considered to be an extremist figure of the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip, sharing similar views with Khaled Mash'al and the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip, who oppose any sort of compromise in the movement's policy of terrorist attacks. Thus, in 2003 Al-Rantisi was one of the chief opponents of the various initiatives to instate a temporary ceasefire ( hudna ) and opposed those who sought to restrain Hamas' policy of terrorist attacks.

Al-Rantisi as a prominent inciter in the Palestinian Authority administered territories:
Pro-terrorism rhetoric combined with anti-Semitic and anti-American themes

14.

In recent years, Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi gained a reputation of the most prominent inciter in the Palestinian Authority administered territories. In his frequent speeches, he repeatedly denies the path of the Oslo Accords, calls upon his followers to perpetrate terrorist attacks against Israel, and preaches to jihad (holy war) and istishhad (acts of suicide for the sake of Allah) until the Jews are driven away from the “last millimeter of Palestine.”

15.

It is Al-Rantisi's custom to embellish his rhetoric of incitement with anti-Semitic attacks against the Jewish people. He uses anti-Semitic motifs rooted in Islam. In his speeches, Jews are blamed for murdering the prophets, the State of Israel and Zionism are accused of atrocities worse than those committed by Hitler and the Nazis; furthermore, he denies the Holocaust and accuses the Zionist movement of cooperating with the Nazis during the Holocaust.

16.

Incitement to terrorism and anti-Semitism: After being elected as leader, Al-Rantisi made a series of belligerent and hateful statements against Israel and the Jewish people. In a eulogy for Sheikh Yassin published by Al-Rantisi after his election as leader of Hamas, he called upon Palestinian men and women to unite under the banner of suicide bombing attacks (Hamas website, March 25, 2003). The eulogy was riddled with blatant anti-Semitic incitement, describing the Jews as “murderers of the prophets,” “human scum,” and “loathsome apes”.

17.

Blatant incitement against America and President Bush is a recurring theme in Al-Rantisi's frequent tongue-lashing against Israel and the Jewish people. For example, in a speech held at the Islamic University in Gaza City, Al-Rantisi pointed out he was not surprised that the US had vetoed a UN resolution condemning the killing of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. “We knew that Bush is the enemy of Allah, the enemy of Islam and Muslims. The US has declared war on Allah. Sharon has declared war on Allah, and Allah has declared war on the US, Bush and Sharon,” said Al-Rantisi ( Associated Press report from Gaza City, March 28, 2004).

Suicide attacks set stage for public criticism against Al-Rantisi

18.

In the course of the violent confrontation, Al-Rantisi has come under public criticism, claiming that he sent his son abroad in order to prevent him from taking part in military actions and risking his life, while at the same time preaching to sacrifice the lives of other young men in suicide attacks.

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Such criticism is echoed in a document seized by IDF forces in the course of Operation Defensive Shield.

Palestinian National Authority
Police General Administration

Public Relations Division

Emblem of the Palestinian Authority

No.: …
Date: July 10, 2001
Appendices: …

Stamp:
Highly important
Police General Administration
Bethlehem District Police
Administration Division
Incoming [mail]
Date: July 11, 2001
No.: 219/832

Attn: Police Chief [Ghazi al-Jibali], may Allah protect him
Greetings,

Subject: Condolences [on the death of] the fallen Nafed Aish al-Nadar of Jibalia,
who carried out the attack at Kisufim

We hereby inform you that during the visit of the Hamas delegation, headed by Dr. Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi and Dr. Mahmoud al-Zahar, to the martyr's mourning house in Jibalia camp, when Dr. al-Rantisi was giving a speech, the martyr's [paternal] uncle attacked him and told him: “Why do you send our sons to explode – send your own! We have already sacrificed three martyrs.” It seems that anger and sorrow prevail in the family of the martyr.

CC:

Best regards,

‘Aqid (Colonel) Ya'qub As'ad Rahma

Police Public Relations manager

[signature]

Comments on the bottom of the page:

CC:

1. Al-Tayyeb Abd al-Rahim [Secretary of the Palestinian Authority Presidency]

2. Liwa' Al-Majaida [Head of the General Security directorate and chief of National Security in the Gaza Strip

3. Announcement ought to be distributed to the police

[signature]

Muqaddam (Lt. Col.) Jasem (?)

Unit commanders

Commanders of branches (?)

…

What is necessary must be done

July 15, 2001

Original document

20.

Faced with such criticism, Rasha al-Rantisi, the wife of Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi, appeared on the Arab media and stated that she was educating her children to resistance and jihad (holy war). “It is my hope,” she added, “that myself, my husband, and our children will be granted the shahada (martyrdom for the sake of Allah) to prove that we are the first to sacrifice our children for Allah's sake. Allah is kind to us for our children die as warriors; we, too, constantly look forward to joining them in martyrdom for Allah's sake” ( Al-Bayan, June 17, 2003).

Rasha al-Rantisi ( Al-Jazeerah, June 14, 2003): Emphasizing the message of educating young Palestinians to martyrdom for the sake of Allah in response to criticism against Al-Rantisi