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Turkey Has Become ‘the Central Nerve Center for Hamas Abroad’
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a joint statement to the media in Baghdad, Iraq, April 22, 2024. Photo: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/Pool via REUTERS
JNS.org – A Hamas terror cell in Nablus that received instructions and funding from the organization’s overseas headquarters in Turkey was dismantled by Israeli security forces in recent weeks in what observers say is part of a broader pattern of Turkey serving as a permissive hub for Hamas’s terror operations.
According to a joint statement by the Israel Police and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) issued on March 25, “a terror cell from Nablus was thwarted, which acted under the guidance and funding of Hamas headquarters in Turkey to carry out shooting and explosive device attacks.” The statement added that “an M-16 rifle and tens of thousands of dollars in cash were handed over during the investigation.”
Six suspects from Nablus were arrested between January and February in a joint operation by the Shin Bet, the Israel Police Central Unit of the Judea and Samaria District and the Israel Defense Forces.
The investigation revealed that the suspects had received approximately $40,000 from Hamas in Turkey to carry out shooting and bombing attacks against Israeli security forces and other targets in Judea and Samaria.
The Shin Bet stated that “the investigation revealed that the cell operated under direct guidance from the Hamas terror organization in Turkey,” and that “significant evidence was gathered which not only thwarted the planned attacks but also enabled the indictment of all involved.”
One of the suspects led security forces to a hidden roadside bomb buried near a key junction in Samaria. The large metal container filled with explosives was destroyed in a controlled demolition by police sappers.
Col. (res.) Michael Milshtein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University and former head of IDF Military Intelligence’s Department for Palestinian Affairs, told JNS on Wednesday, “Turkey at this stage constitutes one of Hamas’s most important operational hubs abroad.”
Milshtein noted that “in Lebanon, there’s been a decline [of Hamas activities] since the war—and Hezbollah is angry at Hamas for trying to heat up the border with rocket fire. In Syria, there is still rebuilding [of Hamas] after Assad’s fall, but it remains limited. As a result, Turkey has become a central nerve center.”
Milshtein added that Istanbul is home to Zaher Jabarin, the successor of Saleh al-Arouri, the late Hamas deputy political bureau chief [eliminated in an airstrike in Beirut on Jan. 2, 2024] who was responsible for Hamas’s Judea and Samaria operations across a variety of fields. “Most operations in Judea and Samaria—especially military ones—are promoted from there,” said Milshtein.
He added, “I assess carefully that Hamas finds it very convenient to operate in Turkey. There’s freedom of action, though not the same intense support as from Iran or Hezbollah. As long as they don’t establish military bases like in Syria, they are allowed to work freely, and of course, it is known that their focus is on promoting terrorism.”
Milshtein said there had been several reports indicating that “it’s not just a free hand, but also training, mainly in intelligence and commando fields, by Turkish security elements.” And, he stressed, “Turkey is a central NATO member.”
Under Jabarin, the core of Hamas’s Judea and Samaria command is run by operatives deported as part of the 2011 Shalit prisoner exchange.
“A minority are in Qatar and Gaza—where a number of senior headquarters operatives were eliminated during the war—but the core is in Turkey, led by Mousa Dudin,” said Milshtein.
A number of these terrorists were involved in attacks such as orchestrating the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in 2014. Milshtein said that this network also continues to explore “breakthrough moves like undermining the Palestinian Authority’s hold on the West Bank,” a strategic vision led by Arouri until his elimination.
Regarding potential counteraction, Milshtein said, “The question of operating against the headquarters in Turkey is very complex, similar to operating against Hamas figures in Qatar. Against those in Lebanon or Syria, there has been no problem, but any assassinations, even quiet ones, in an arena like Turkey would mean friction with Erdoğan, especially now that Ankara is more deeply involved in Syria.”
He concluded, “I assume that as with Arouri and Haniyeh, there would be a theoretical possibility to act against Hamas operatives from Turkey if and when they leave the country for a more convenient arena, such as Iran or Lebanon.”
Michael Barak, senior researcher at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) and a specialist on radical Islamist and jihadist movements, told JNS on Tuesday, “Turkey is a base for the Muslim Brotherhood. There are networks there that help Hamas with funding, support, religious rulings, and logistics. Turkey has become a reception point for Brotherhood members.”
Barak confirmed that “a Hamas headquarters still exists there—in Istanbul and Ankara—and it is integrated into educational institutions, including universities.”
He cited the example of Professor Sami Al-Arian, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad financier in the 1990s who was deported from the United States and now operates from a university-affiliated think tank in Ankara. “There he hosts Hamas figures,” Barak said. “Al-Arian maintains ties with Hamas, runs webinars with them on Zoom, and manages Brotherhood-Hamas links, including in India.”
Barak emphasized: “All of these Muslim Brotherhood assets in Turkey assist Hamas—whether through dawa [Islamic outreach], financing, or religious rulings.”
He added that Turkey has become “a reception point for Muslim Brotherhood figures from Libya, Iraq, and Yemen.”
On March 30, during a Ramadan prayer service, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared, “May Allah, for the sake of his name … destroy and devastate Zionist Israel.”
He also prayed for “mercy upon the martyrs” of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad and wished a “speedy recovery” to their wounded terrorists.
Erdoğan has intensified his anti-Israel rhetoric since the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre in southern Israel, comparing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler and asserting that “Turkey is a country that speaks openly with Hamas leaders and firmly backs them.” Throughout the conflict, Erdoğan has met openly with Hamas officials and even threatened military action against Israel, according to the Washington D.C.-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Tyler Stapleton, director of congressional relations at FDD, warned, “Erdoğan’s call for the destruction of Israel should force the United States to begin an escalatory ladder of responses to hold Turkey’s leadership accountable.” He said the US should reassess arms sales to Turkey, warning that “Turkey’s ability to purchase advanced fighter aircraft like the F-35 should trigger congressional review.” He added that Washington “should continue to outline restrictions on foreign military financing and the exclusion of Turkey from NATO exercises” as initial steps to address Erdoğan’s hostility against Israel.
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Iran, China, Russia to Hold Expert-Level Consultations on Tehran’s Nuclear Program
Chinese Foreign Minister Wag Yi stands with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazeem Gharibabadi before a meeting regarding the Iranian nuclear issue at Diaoyutai State Guest House on March 14, 2025 in Beijing, China. Photo: Pool via REUTERS
Iran, China, and Russia will hold expert-level consultations on the Iranian nuclear program in Moscow this week, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday, amid growing regional tensions in the Middle East and continued US pressure on Tehran to reach a nuclear deal.
The announcement follows US President Donald Trump’s recent threat to bomb Iran and impose secondary tariffs if Tehran does not reach an agreement to curb its nuclear program with Washington.
Last week, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that Moscow remains committed to finding solutions to Iran’s nuclear program that respect Tehran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy.
“The use of military force by Iran’s opponents in the context of the settlement is illegal and unacceptable,” Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the ministry, told reporters. “Threats from outside to bomb Iran’s nuclear infrastructure facilities will inevitably lead to an irreversible global catastrophe. These threats are simply unacceptable.”
While Iran has continuously rejected direct talks with Washington, it has said it will consider indirect negotiations through Oman, a longtime channel for communication between the two adversaries. Tehran has also stated that the country’s missile program would be off limits in any such nuclear discussions.
During his first term, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and several world powers, which had imposed temporary limits on Tehran’s nuclear activites in exchange for sanctions relief.
In response to the White House’s recent military threats, Iran has issued notices to Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, and Bahrain, warning that any support for a US attack on Iran — including the use of their airspace or territory by American forces — would be considered an act of hostility.
Last month, China and Russia called for an end to the “unlawful sanctions” imposed on Iran and urged all “relevant parties to refrain from taking any action that would escalate the situation” or undermine diplomatic efforts.
The countries also “emphasized that the relevant parties should be committed to addressing the root causes of the current situation and abandoning sanction, pressure, or threat of force,” calling such actions “unacceptable” and highlighting the risks of regional escalation.
Both Beijing and Moscow have defended Tehran’s nuclear program, emphasizing that the country’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy should be “fully” respected.
“We believe that our Iranian friends have the right to develop a peaceful nuclear energy industry in their country,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a statement. “Russia is actively involved in this and is assisting our Iranian friends in this regard.”
Iran’s growing ties with China and Russia come at a time when Tehran is facing increasing sanctions by Washington, particularly on its oil industry, as part of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at cutting the country’s crude exports to zero and preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Iran and Russia, which recently signed a pact to deepen their defense ties, have also been working on an initiative to form an international alliance against US sanctions.
Even though Tehran has denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has warned that Iran is “dramatically” accelerating uranium enrichment to up to 60 percent purity, close to the roughly 90 percent weapons-grade level.
Tehran has repeatedly claimed that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes rather than weapon development.
However, Western states have said there is no “credible civilian justification” for the country’s recent nuclear activity, arguing it “gives Iran the capability to rapidly produce sufficient fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons.”
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Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia Removed From African Union’s Rwandan Genocide Conference After Members’ Objections
Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia Avraham Neguise. Photo: Screenshot
Israel’s Foreign Ministry released a statement on Monday slamming the decision by Djibouti’s Mahmoud Youssouf, chairperson of the African Union Commission, to eject Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia Avraham Neguise from an annual event commemorating the 1994 genocide of 800,000 Tutsis in Rwanda.
At the African Union (AU) headquarters in Ethiopia, Youssouf removed Neguise following other participants’ refusal to continue if he remained present. Youssouf, 59, began leadership of the African Union in February, after working as Djibouti’s foreign minister since 2005.
“It is outrageous that at an event commemorating the victims of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda, to which the Israeli ambassador in Addis Ababa was invited, [Youssouf] chose to introduce anti-Israel political elements,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry stated. “This unacceptable conduct first and foremost dishonors the memory of the victims and reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the histories of both the Rwandan and Jewish peoples.”
The ministry said it would “take the necessary diplomatic steps with the relevant parties to clarify the seriousness with which we view this incident.”
The Monday event at the AU’s Nelson Mandela Hall featured prayers from multiple religious traditions, the lighting of a remembrance flame, the screening of a documentary on the genocide, and a moment of silence. The African Union said that the event sought to bring together individuals “from the African Union Commission, African Union Member States, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, African Union Organs, Regional Economic Communities, Religious Institutions, Human Rights Institutions, Intergovernmental organizations, Civil Society Organizations, UN Agencies, Think Tanks, International Organizations, Schools and Academic Institutions in Ethiopia as well as the Rwandan Community in Addis Ababa.”
On Feb. 20, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) granted the AU’s request to join South Africa’s suit charging Israel with genocide in Gaza.
On social media, Youssouf has made clear his sympathies in the Gaza conflict. On Nov. 9, 2023, he wrote on X in French that he was “in Riyadh to prepare for the extraordinary summit of the Arab League on Gaza and the ongoing genocide.”
“The decision of the ICJ which demands Israel to stop its genocide against Palestinians will be tabled at the UNSC, then we will see on which moral ground member countries stands: on the side of good or evil: there is no 3rd option,” Youssouf wrote on Jan. 26, 2024.
“Displaced, expelled from their land and homes, when they resist the oppressors, they are labeled terrorist, now, victims of mass murder, organized starvation and even inpatients are not safe: guess who they are?” Youssouf asked three days later. “Today I am posting this message to express my outrage about the attempt by the Israeli occupier and their supporters to disqualify UNRWA: the last stage of their attempt to dehumanize Palestinians.”
On March 11, 2024, he lamented that “humanity is torn apart in Gaza, Humanity is starved to death in Gaza, Humanity is dehumanized in Gaza, But right is right and wrong is wrong no matter what it takes Palestine will be free.”
On May 10, 2024, Youssouf praised that “the member states at the UNGA [UN General Assembly] voted massively today in favor of the membership of the state of Palestine (Y 143 /A25/ N9). The resolution is going to be sent back the UNSC. What an achievement!!!” That day he also wrote that “the carnage underway in Gaza is not going to suppress the legitimate right of the people of Palestine to a statehood” and explained how “Djibouti has always advocated for a two states solution living in peace side by side. It is possible, but, it takes history makers to step forward: we are still waiting for them.”
On Aug. 10, 2024, Youssouf wrote on X that “the war in Gaza must stop now, hostages from both sides should be released: no one can remain indifferent to the ongoing slaughter of innocent civilians daily by hundreds.”
On Jan. 16, in response to the agreement of a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas, Youssouf wrote on X: “Cease fire at last in Gaza: I hope this will be the beginning for lasting peace on the basis of a 2 states solution.” He predicted that “the release of Israeli hostages and the Palestinian militants and political prisoners will pave the way to a peaceful negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis.” Youssouf wrote that “there will never be a solution based on the obliteration of one party or even erasing whole cities will not bring peace to anyone: compromise and negotiation are the only way.”
Djibouti does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. President Ismail Omar Guelleh, an ally of Youssouf, said in 2020 that “the conditions aren’t ripe” and “we take issue with the Israeli government because they’re denying Palestinians their inalienable rights.”
On Oct. 8, 2023, one day after Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages during their invasion of southern Israel, Djibouti released a statement in response to the terrorist attacks which Youssouf shared.
“The Republic of Djibouti expresses deep concern over the evolving situation in the occupied Palestinian territories,” the statement read. “It holds the State of Israel responsible for the ongoing escalation due to its continued aggression and constant violations of the rights of the Palestinian people and their holy sites, including the repeated incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli police.”
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Jewish ‘Catfish’ Host, Producer Nev Schulman Runs Jerusalem Marathon in Support of Visually Impaired Athletes
Nev Schulman arrives for the New York premiere of “Poor Things” at DGA New York Theater in New York, New York, on Dec. 6, 2023. Photo: Gabriele Holtermann-Gorden/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Jewish American television host and producer Nev Schulman competed in the 14th International Jerusalem Winner Marathon on Friday.
Schulman, who hosts the MTV series “Catfish” and was the runner up in season 29 of “Dancing With the Stars,” ran in support of the Israeli organization Eye Contact, which provides runners who are blind or visually impaired the opportunity to train and compete in races with the assistance of sighted guides. Schulman’s wife, Laura Perlongo, also competed in the marathon, which has a route that passes through historical sites in Jerusalem. Schulman, 40, shared a video from the race on Instagram and wrote in the caption that it was “amazing” to run through “5,000 years of history” in the Israeli city.
Schulman has previously competed in several marathons around the US – including in Boston, Los Angeles, and Miami – and has served as a sighted guide for disabled runners.
A total of 42,000 people – more than ever before – ran in the International Jerusalem Winner Marathon on Friday morning, organizers said. This year’s race was themed “Am Israel Run,” which is a nod to the phrase “Am Israel Chai” (Long Live Israel). The winner was 39-year-old Bogdan Simanovich from Ukraine with a time of 2:22:47. Second place went to Luai Malaka, 27, with a time of 2:23:05, while 31-year-old Yona Amitiai came in third with a time of 2:23:18.
Born into a Jewish family in New York, Schulman has shared photos and videos on social media in the past about his faith and efforts to keep Jewish traditions alive with his wife and three children. In December 2024, he posted on Instagram a video of his family singing the Hebrew prayer for lighting a menorah in honor of Hanukkah.
Last month, Schulman spoke at the UJA Generosity Gala, an annual event for young Jewish leaders that is organized by the UJA-Federation of New York, about experiencing fear in being Jewish at a time of rising antisemitism.
“I think, like a lot of other Jews, I’m afraid. It’s a scary time to be Jewish, especially in the public eye,” he said. “[But] I come to this event, and I’m reminded how strong the Jewish community is. It’s been a tough year to be Jewish, [but] nights like this are a perfect opportunity to come together as a community and remind ourselves that we don’t need to be afraid. We can be together, and we can be strong and brave.”
Schulman’s father and grandfather were both volunteers for the UJA Federation. He said his family is “a long-term, proud member of the New York Jewish community.”
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