update deskIsrael at War

Senior PA official calls Oct. 7 a ‘natural reaction to oppression’

The head of the Samaria Council, Yossi Dagan, demanded the arrest of Jibril Rajoub following the remarks.

Jibril Rajoub, a senior official in the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah faction, during an interview with MBC News. Source: X/screenshot.
Jibril Rajoub, a senior official in the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah faction, during an interview with MBC News. Source: X/screenshot.

The head of the Samaria Council, Yossi Dagan, is demanding the arrest of Jibril Rajoub, a senior official in the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah faction, after he expressed support for the Oct. 7 massacre and warned of a similar attack in Judea and Samaria.

Makor Rishon journalist Assaf Gibor on Tuesday tweeted the video of Rajoub’s interview with Egypt’s MBC News channel in which he made the inflammatory remarks.

“What happened on Oct. 7 was a natural reaction to oppression. Those who rule Israel are an example of neo-Nazis. The fascist occupation sinks its own swamp. Oct. 7 should be a turning point in our treatment of the occupation and its crimes,” said Rajoub.

“What happened on Oct. 7 did not happen in a vacuum. The occupation and its crimes are responsible for this. The event was part of the Palestinian defensive war. This is definitely the beginning of outbreaks. The next powerful outbreak will be in the West Bank,” he continued.

“Hamas was and will be an integral part of militant and national Palestinian political elements. This war will lead to Palestinian nationalist unity where the people and the leadership are united in the decision to achieve the goal to establish an independent Palestinian state on all the Palestinian land,” said Rajoub.

Makor Rishon journalist Shiloh Fried tweeted Dagan’s response:

“Rajoub must be arrested immediately, as was done recently with every supporter of terrorism and anyone who expressed support for the events of 7/10. It is not possible to give a concession to the leader of the terrorists. He is a Nazi terrorist and a senior terrorist, expresses support for terrorism and works internationally to boycott Israel.”

Rajoub serves as the secretary-general of Fatah’s Central Committee and heads the Palestinian Football Association.

JNS reached out to FIFA for a response to Rajoub’s remarks and has yet to receive a reply.

On Oct. 7, thousands of heavily armed Hamas terrorists broke through the Gaza border, rampaging across southern Israel, murdering 1,200 people, wounding over 5,000 others and kidnapping some 240 Israelis and foreign nationals.

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