Spotlight on a Hamas da’wah institution in the West Bank

Special Information
Bulletin

Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S)

January 2005

Spotlight on a Hamas da’wah institution in the West Bank: A file of Palestinian Preventive Security documents identified the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society as Hamas-affiliated. The file also contained reports of funds for the Society and Hamas coming from various external sources, including Interpal in Britain and the Islamic Movement in Israel.

The emblem of the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society: Despite its humanitarian image, the Society raises funds used, among other things, to finance Hamas and its terrorism-supporting apparatus.

Synopsis

During Operation Defensive Shield (April 2002) a file of documents dealing with the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society was found in Palestinian Preventive Security (PPS) headquarters in Bethlehem. They show that the Society was closely monitored by Palestinian intelligence. Although the Society claims to work to further humanitarian goals, PPS found it was run by Hamas activists in order to further the movement’s goals. PPS had completely infiltrated the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society and its intelligence sources reported that Hamas activists raised funds from various funds and foundations. Among them were Interpal in Britain (a Hamas-affiliated organization designated by American Executive Order 13224 as supporting terrorism) and the Islamic Movement, headed by sheikh Ra’ed Salah from Umm el-Fahm in Israel.

Overview of the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society

The Orphan Care Society is a Hamas institution in Bethlehem, founded in 1997. Its headquarters are located together with a library and print shop on Al-Saf Street within the precinct of the Salah Edeen mosque ( Salah Edeen Street) in Bethlehem.

In addition to its broad program of humanitarian activities, it also participates in Hamas’ terrorism-supporting apparatus, and raises money for both. All the Society’s chief functionaries are known Hamas activists and the Society itself works in conjunction with other Hamas institutions in the West Bank, such as the Islamic Charitable Society of Hebron. Because of its ties to Hamas it was outlawed by Israel in 2002.

A Palestinian Preventive Security document found during Operation Defensive Shield (April 2002) surveys Hamas institutions in the Bethlehem region (See below for a picture of the document). In it PPS head for the Bethlehem district, Lieut.- Col. Majdi al-‘Atari, noted that “the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society” takes care of orphans, the children of Hamas shaheeds and Hamas imprisoned members . The Society’s administration, according to the document, is composed entirely of Bethlehem Hamas activists, among them the Director, Dr. Ghassan Harmass, considered Hamas’ political leader in the Bethlehem area.

Dr. Ghassan ‘Issa Mahmoud Harmass (Abu Tayib) is the director of the Orphan Care Society and a high-ranking Hamas figure in Bethlehem. He was born in 1956, resides in Bethlehem and has an academic degree in Islamic law, in which he lectures. Spotlight on a Hamas da’wah institution in the West Bank: A file of Palestinian Preventive Security documents identified the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society as Hamas-affiliated. The file also contained reports of funds for the Society and Hamas coming from various external sources, including Interpal in Britain and the Islamic Movement in Israel.

Updated documents found in the Society’s offices in March and May 2004 confirmed the PPS reports issued during the late 1990s and showed that not all the Society’s activities were completely humanitarian and altruistic. They showed, among other things, that the Society financially supported the children of Hamas terrorist-operatives who had died during the ongoing violent Palestinian-Israeli confrontation. The “aid to orphans,” sons of Hamas terrorists, is another element in Hamas’ terrorism-supporting apparatus which provides aid, sometimes indirectly, to the families of shaheeds, mainly Hamas members. This support network is an extremely important factor in motivating suicide bomber terrorists. They known that if they die, are wounded or are captured, their families are assured ongoing financial support.

The Bethlehem Orphan Care Society is generously funded by extremist Islamic groups and by many organizations abroad designated by American Executive Order 13224 as supporting terrorism , and is considered the most well-established charitable society in Bethlehem. According to documents found in its offices (written in 2002 and 2004), the Society is supported by the Union of Good¹ and its Hamas-affiliated organizations, among them Interpal in Britain and the Al-Aqsa Fund in Holland and Belgium (all of them outlawed by Israel), and from radical Islamic organizations such as the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) in Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Movement in Israel (See below).

1. An umbrella organization for Hamas in the West and for Islamic funds and foundations all over the world, which was established in 2000 after the outbreak of the ongoing violent Palestinian-Israeli confrontation. It is headed by an extremist Islamic preacher from Qatar named Yussuf al-Qardawi.

Documents found in the offices of the PPS in Bethlehem revealed past conflicts (2001) over the distribution of contributions from abroad. Dr. Ghassan Harmass, head of the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society, determined that “the receipt of contributions [for the Society] was a matter to be dealt with exclusively by the Hamas directorate in Bethlehem, and that any intervention in the matter was out of the question” (a reference to ‘Issa Thawabtah, also a senior Hamas member in Bethlehem (See Appendix P).

A Palestinian Preventive Security report found during Operation Defensive Shield (April 2002) relating to the transfer of funds from abroad for Hamas institutions in the Bethlehem area, among them the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society (first name on the list).

The Palestinian Preventive Security file containing documents relating to the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society

During Operation Defensive Shield (April 2002) a file with intelligence reports belonging to the Bethlehem directorate of the PPS was found, relating to the activities of the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society between 1997-1999. The Society was monitored as part of a comprehensive PPS intelligence investigation of Hamas’ civilian infrastructure (da’wah) in the PA-administered territories; the infrastructure was perceived as a hostile factor challenging the PA’s authority. According to the documents, despite the Society’s stated humanitarian objectives, the PPS definitely found it was a Hamas-affiliated established institution operated by the movement to further its own goals and interests.

Some of the material in the files, based on PPS intelligence sources, relates to the Society’s Hamas affiliation, its activity and staff. Some of the documents deal with its stated objectives as a charitable society (theoretically) under the jurisdiction of the PA and working to further humanitarian issues. Some of them specifically relate to fundraising by Hamas activists for the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society and show that some of the funds are leaked to Hamas movement itself. The contributors are also noted, among them Interpal ( Britain), WAMY ( Saudi Arabia) and the Islamic Movement ( Israel).

The following documents (translations and originals) come from the PPS files found in Bethlehem (Appendices A-P):

Appendix A : Intelligence report dealing with funds raised by Hamas activists in Israel with the aid of sheikh Ra’ed Salah for the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society and the Hamas movement in Bethlehem. The report notes a meeting between two Hamas heads in Bethlehem with the sheikh, who was then mayor of Umm el-Fahm, to ask for his aid in collecting contributions [1999].

Appendix B : Intelligence report dealing with funds raised by the treasurer of the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society, a known Hamas activist, among members of the Islamic Movement in Umm el-Fahm and other locations in Israel, and transferred to Hamas in Bethlehem [1998].

Appendix C : A report dealing with contacts between Hamas activists, representatives of the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society and of the Islamic Charitable Society in Hebron, and organizations abroad for the purpose of raising funds. The report mentions the Hamas-affiliated designated funds Interpal in Britain and WAMY in Saudi Arabia [1999].

Appendix D : A PPS document (addressed to Jibril Rajoub, former PPS head for the West Bank) about the structure, objectives and sources of funding of the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society [undated].

Appendix E : A PPS report with additional information about the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society [1998].

Appendix F : A report dealing with the distribution of “offerings” [portions of meat] to Hamasmembers in the Bethlehem area for Eid al-Adha (the feast of the sacrifice). The meat was donated to the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society by funds and foundations outside the PA-administered territories, among them Interpal in London [1999].

Appendix G : Memorandum from Interpal regarding the donation of “offerings” [portions of meat for] Eid al-Adha to the Bethlehem Charitable Society through the Hamas-affiliated Islamic Charitable Society of Hebron [1999].

Appendix H : A report dealing with the transfer of $35,000 from Saudi Arabia for the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society without its informing the PA Ministry of Religious Endowments [1999].

Appendix I : PPS report about the distribution of “offerings” [portions of meat] by the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society to Hamas supporters instead of to the poor and needy [1998].'

Appendix J : Report about activities organized by the Women’s Hope League, a branch of the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society, including the participation of female students belonging to Hamas [undated].

Appendix K : A report about the activity of Hamas’ Women’s Hope League [1999].

Appendix L : Another report about the activity of Hamas’ Women’s Hope League [1999].

Appendix M : Personal information about Ahmad al-Sharuf, Hamas activist and assistant director of the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society [1997].

Appendix N : Bethlehem Orphan Care Society assistant director Ahmad Muhammad ‘Abdallah al-Sharuf’s personal file, according to which both he and his sons are Hamas members [2000].

Appendix O : PPS report about Hamas activity in Bethlehem, mentioning the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society [1999].

Appendix P : Two PPS reports from one file found in their offices in Bethlehem.² The reports deal with conflicts with Hamas in Bethlehem regarding contributions received from supporting institutions abroad.

2. Documents found during Operation Defensive Shield (April 2002).

Appendix A