Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

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The emblem of the Islamic Jihad Movement shows a map of Palestine superimposed on the images of the Dome of the Rock, two fists and two rifles.

The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine (Arabic: حركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين‎, - Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn) is a militant Palestinian group that is designated as a terrorist group by the United States [1], the European Union [2], the United Kingdom [3], Japan [4], Canada [5], Australia [6] and Israel. Their goal is the destruction of Israel and its replacement with a Palestinian Islamic state.

This group defines jihad as acts of war against Israelis. Palestinian Islamic Jihad also opposes many other Arab governments, whom they see as being insufficiently Islamic and too Western. The PIJ's armed wing, the Al-Quds brigades, has claimed responsibility for numerous militant attacks in Israel, including suicide bombings.

Islamic Jihad is significantly smaller than Hamas, and lacks the wide social network that Hamas has. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad was formed in the Gaza Strip during the 1970s by Fathi Shaqaqi as a branch of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. It receives some funding from Hezbollah, and some say it has virtually become a local branch of the movement.

1 Background and history
2 Militant activities
3 Notable members
4 Notes
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Background and history

The group is based in the Syrian capital, Damascus, and its financial backing is believed to come from there and Iran. The group operates primarily in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but has also carried out attacks in Jordan and Lebanon. Its main strongholds in the West Bank are the cities of Hebron and Jenin.

Fathi Shaqaqi led the organization for two decades. He was killed in Malta in October 1995 by an unknown party. Some people believe the party to be Israel, while others say other Palestinian groups killed him. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad often attempts to carry out attacks against Israeli targets on the anniversary of his death, although the identity of the assassins was never determined.

During the Al-Aqsa Intifada, beginning in September 2000, the PIJ committed many suicide bombing attacks against Israelis. Many of the attacks in 2001 and 2002 came from the PIJ in Jenin, headed by Mahmoud Tawallbe, Ali Sefoori and Tabeth Mardawi. The headquarters of the PIJ in Jenin and the West Bank was seriously damaged during Operation Defensive Shield: Tawallbe was killed by an IDF Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer while Sefoori and Mardawi were arrested by Israel security forces.

On February 20, 2003, University of South Florida computer engineering professor Dr. Sami Al-Arian was arrested after being indicted on 50 terrorism related charges. US Attorney General John Ashcroft alleged at a press conference that Dr. Al-Arian is the North American head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. On December 6, 2005, Al-Arian was acquitted on 8 of the 17 charges against him and the jury deadlocked on the rest 10-2. Then on March 2, 2006, Al-Arian entered a guilty plea to a charge of conspiracy to help members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in nonviolent activities, unrelated to the PIJ. Al-Arian was sentenced to 57 months less time (about 38 months) served, and will be deported upon completion of the remainder of the sentence.

Islamic Jihad is alleged to have used women and teens as suicide bombers. On March 29, 2004, 16-year-old Tamer Khuweir in Rifidia, an Arab suburb of Nablus was apprehended by Israeli security forces as he prepared to carry out a suicide attack. His older brother claimed he was brainwashed to do it by an Islamic Jihad cleric, and demanded the Palestinian Authority investigate the incident and arrest those responsible for it. [7]

After Shaqaqi's death, Palestinian Islamic Jihad has been led since 1995 by fellow founder Sheikh Abdullah Ramadan Shallah, aka Ramadan Abdullah Mohammad Shallah, who was then listed as a "Specially Designated Terrorist" under United States law on November 27, 1995, and subsequently was indicted on RICO charges, and consequently became one of the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists on February 24, 2006.

[edit] Militant activities

Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for many militant activities over the years. The organization is responsible for endless attacks including more than 30 "successful" suicide bomber attacks. Most recently a suicide bombing attack on a Tel Aviv felafel stand on April 17, 2006, which left 11 civilians dead, along with dozens injured.[8]

See List of Palestinian Islamic Jihad suicide attacks.

Islamic Jihad has also launched deployed its' own rocket similar to the Qassam rocket used by Hamas called the Al Quds rocket.

[edit] Notable members

Sheikh Abdullah Ramadan Shallah - founder, and current Secretary-General, lives in Damascus
Fathi Shaqaqi - founder, assassinated
Mahmoud Tawallbe - senior leader of Jihad in Jenin, killed during Operation Defensive Shield by IDF Caterpillar D9
Mahmoud Seader - leader in Hebron
Hanadi Jaradat - female suicide bomber, committed Maxim restaurant suicide bombing
Tamer Khuweir - a 15-year-old, lured by Islamic Jihad cleric to be a child suicide bomber^[1]
Mohammed Dadouh - senior commander in Gaza, assassinated by Israeli missile, 21 May 2006
Mahmoud al-Majzoub - member of the Shura Council, killed by car bomb, May 26, 2006
Husam Jaradat - senior commander in Jenin, cousin of Hanadi Jaradat. Assassinated in the Jenin refugee quarters on August 30, 2006.^[2]