Palestinians walk at the compound that houses Al-Aqsa Mosque, known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem’s Old City May 21, 2021. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad

One mistake made by world leaders and even many Israeli leaders, is to see the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a secular Muslim leadership that rejects religious war for Allah — as opposed to Hamas. But this is a fundamental misreading of Palestinians and the conflict.

Fundamentally, the Palestinian Authority’s political leaders, like Hamas’ leaders, and like most of the Palestinian population, are religious Muslims first and Palestinians second.

The message of all PA religious leaders — some appointed by Mahmoud Abbas himself — is to deny Israel’s right to exist on religious Islamic grounds.

According to PA belief, Islamic law states that land that was once under Muslim rule must be liberated from the infidels as a mandatory religious obligation. Since the land of Israel was under Muslim Ottoman rule for four centuries, the PA is prohibited from making a permanent treaty with Israel that it intends to keep.

PA Shari’ah Judge Nasser Al-Qirem explained this “fact” to worshippers at a mosque in Ramallah during a Friday sermon that was broadcast by official PA TV:

PA Shari’ah Judge Nasser Al-Qirem: “The Shari’ah legal law of this land, for anyone who doesn’t know, is that it is a waqf land … from its [Mediterranean] Sea to its [Jordan] River, this is its Shari’ah law, from its sea to its river.

The laws of this waqf determine that its status cannot be changed, not by sale and not by purchase, not by collateral and not by exchange… not by addition and not by subtraction… As for the [end] date of this waqf: It is forever and ever, and for all eternity, until Allah inherits the earth and those on it.”  [emphasis added]

[Official PA TV, Feb. 14, 2025]

Following other PA religious leaders, Al-Qirem taught listeners that “Palestine” — including all of the State of Israel — is a waqf. A waqf is an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law.

Palestinians define all of Israel as waqf, and thereby Israel exists on Islamic holy land. Palestinian leaders have explained that under Islamic law Muslims are commanded to free the waqf from non-Muslims.

Similarly, PA Supreme Shari’ah Judge Mahmoud Al-Habbash, who is also PA leader Abbas’ Advisor on Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations, has taught that the Western Wall is exclusively Islamic — according to Allah -– and that Muslims are obligated to fight anyone who challenges this right:

Al-Habbash: “Islam is truth that is indivisible… The rights are indivisible – Give me 60% or 70% of my rights, and tell me: ‘That’s it, that’s yours, take it.’ Perhaps temporarily, yes. [But] strategically, no! … Our rights are non-negotiable. They want to negotiate over Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque – then by Allah, it is better [to be dead] in the belly of the earth than to be on its surface…

There is no negotiation on one millimeter of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, including the Al-Buraq Wall [i.e., the Western Wall of the Temple Mount[, which is an exclusive permanent Islamic waqf according to Allah’s decree… This is our right, and whoever fights us over our right is an oppressor, and it is a duty to resist the oppressors.” [emphasis added]

[Official PA TV, Jan. 20, 2023]

Repeating that Jews have no rights on Temple Mount, Al-Habbash encouraged the “Islamic nation” to “liberate Al-Aqsa with all means,” saying it was their “duty” because it is a waqf:

Al-Habbash: “The Al-Aqsa Mosque is a pure Islamic right. It is an exclusive Islamic waqf for Muslims (i.e., an inalienable religious endowment), and it is an exclusive right of the Muslims… At the UN podium, [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas spoke explicitly about the Muslims’ legal claim to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and [said] that non-Muslims have no right to it… [Israel] knows that it has no right to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and that the Jews have no right to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. But they are only fanning the fire of hostility and the fire of religious war…

The duty lies on the Islamic nation and the Arabs in general, with the governments, regimes, states, bodies, religious and popular sources of authority and [all] the peoples, to participate in defending the noble Al-Aqsa Mosque, starting with coming to it… and ending with liberating the Al-Aqsa Mosque by all possible means (i.e., including terror).”  [emphasis added]

[Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Facebook page, Oct. 1, 2024]

Already a decade ago, Palestinian Media Watch exposed that Al-Habbash considers all of Israel a waqf:

Al-Habbash: “The entire land of Palestine is [Islamic] waqf and is blessed land … It is prohibited to sell, bestow ownership or facilitate the occupation of even a millimeter of it.”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 22, 2014]

The author is the founder and director of Palestinian Media Watch. 

The post Not Just Hamas: PA Religious Leaders Agree That Islam Prohibits Israel’s Existence first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Rapper Kosha Dillz, dressed as Moses, leading a Passover seder at Coachella in 2022. Photo: @chrism_arts.

Antisemites in America — and especially in New York — are trying to make Jews feel fearful of going about their regular activities. One infamous video that went viral had anti-Israel protestors screaming that Zionists should get off the subway.

Jewish rapper Rami Matan Even-Esh — known as Kosha Dillz — decided to have a Subway Seder despite some negative comments he got last year when he did it. Dillz has visited Israel and performed for released hostages and families of hostages, as well as wounded soldiers.

“I love doing the Subway Seder because it was a breath of fresh air and some people joined in who weren’t having their own Seders,” Dillz told me in an interview.

He said his group did it on the Q train at Union Square in Manhattan at about 6 o’clock on Friday.

“People are glued to the Internet waiting for bad news, so it was nice to do something like this,” he said, adding that he dressed as Moses. “There were Black and Hispanic community members who asked what we were doing and they were receptive that we were taking pride.”

Dillz showed the Jewish pride that we all should, and he was unbowed by the threats he faced. He said showing Jewish pride and fearlessness is important in the wake of rising antisemitism.

“Last year, someone gave me the middle finger,” he said. “This year, we had no problems. Though, of course, online people will do their thing, and someone commented that we were colonizing the train. You have to laugh at them.”

Despite the Passover seder being mentioned prominently in the Christian Bible, Dillz said that many people asked him what Passover was and were unfamiliar with the holiday. He also rapped as part of the event.

“We gave the people dinner and a show,” he said, adding that there was both matzah and gefilte fish. “I think there were some worried about safety but we didn’t have one negative comment at all.”

Dillz, who will soon be releasing a documentary called Bring The Family Home about his trips to Israel since October 7 said the Israeli hostages often get forgotten in discussions, and he hopes they will somehow be returned.

Dillz, who has been a cast member of Wild ‘N Out and performs both music and comedy, said whenever possible, people should look at the bright side of things.

“I think as Jews, when we embrace our culture, we show that we are united and we’re not gonna run away in fear as our enemies might like,” he said.

Dillz, who made a music video against Kanye West when he went on an antisemitic rant, said that there should have been more outrage over the arson attack against Jewish Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence on Passover.

The rapper has taken to the streets recently not only to rap, but also to ask questions of people at anti-Israel rallies, where he calmly asks their opinions, often revealing that they have little knowledge of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Dillz said that he is genuinely curious to know what they think, but at times people responded by showing ignorance and at other times, they would simply respond with chants designed to intimidate.

As for his Subway Seder, covered by Fox 5 New York, he said it was a success.

“It was really great we could do this,” he said. “When we show our positivity and joy, it’s something that I think is really powerful.”

The author is a writer based in New York.

The post This Jewish Rapper Should Be Praised for His Passover Pride first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Andrei Koslov in studio with some of his artwork that will be on display in his solo exhibition “So-Real Surreal.” Photo: Provided

Andrei Koslov, a Russian-Israeli artist who was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, and rescued in an Israeli operation last year, will have a solo art exhibition in New York City next month that will feature 12 original pieces heavily inspired by his time in captivity.

The invitation-only exhibit is titled “So-Real Surreal: An October 7th Survivor’s Story” and will take place on May 8 at Lux Contemporary, located in Chelsea.

Koslov, 28, was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has always had a passion for art, specifically painting and drawing in acrylic, oil or just a pencil and paper, he recently told The Algemeiner. He moved to Israel in August 2022 and on Oct. 7, 2023, he was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists during their deadly rampage at the Nova music festival, where he was working as a security guard, and across southern Israel. Koslov was held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip for eight months and one day until he was rescued by the Israel Defense Forces, along with three other hostages, during a daring IDF operation on June 8, 2024. Upon his return to Israel, Koslov took a few months to rest and recovery from the trauma he faced in Hamas captivity, but then picked up the paintbrush once again, he told The Algemeiner.

“I started to paint again and I figured out that I have something to show people, first of all about my experience,” he said. “It’s really close to my heart to paint.”

Koslov met Jewish art dealer and gallerist Emanuel Friedman during a trip to New York, and together they assembled the solo exhibit that will take place at Friedman’s Lux Contemporary. 

Some of Koslov’s artwork that will be on display are inspired by thoughts and emotions he has about his time in captivity. “I have been influenced by this experience on my soul and on my mind,” he said. He has also drawn various scenes he remembers from his experience. He said some of the artwork are based on memories and “looks real,” while the experience “was so surreal.”

He also painted “little things that I remember, most of all, that gave me hope during captivity,” he added. “By accident, I put my hope and faith into these little things. For example, I saw a lot of times, two months before I was rescued, a little bird behind the window and I was able to just see its shadow. Or it was a little electronic candle that the terrorists gave us, to be able to see something in the completely dark room. And on the day when they brought us to Gaza, I saw a couple of times pictures on the wall, just maybe it was posters, with the cartoon Bambi.”

Friedman told The Algemeiner they hope to display Koslov’s artwork in museums and exhibitions around the world.

Andrei Koslov in studio with his artwork that will be on display in his solo exhibition “So-Real Surreal.” Photo: Provided

The post Former Hamas Hostage, Nova Survivor to Debut Artwork Inspired by Captivity in NYC Solo Exhibit first appeared on Algemeiner.com.