This week’s editorial in the Islamic State’s al-Naba’ newsletter is fairly self-explanatory: calling on Muslims to kill the Jews in every place, stressing that the conflict in Palestine is a religious one and not a matter of nationalism or land. Rather, the events in Palestine are an extension of the Jews’ evil nature as described in the Qur’an: descriptions by God of the Jews that are intended to be lessons for the believers in every time and place. By extension those who side with the Jews are deemed part of the Jews (not in the literal sense, but rather those who are deemed ‘apostate’ by supporting/siding with the Jews have become part of the same out-group of disbelievers against the in-group of the believers).
Also of note is the editorial’s featuring of the picture of Eslam Faroukh, who carried out bus stop bomb attacks in Jerusalem in November 2022, resulting in two deaths and wounding 20. The Islamic State, to my knowledge, did not issue an official claim for the attack. However, Israeli media have subsequently reported on an alleged “affiliation” of Eslam with the Islamic State. Whether or not he had an organisational tie with the group, he at least seems to have been an Islamic State supporter. The editorial is implicitly making a point about how attacks against Israeli targets are viewed: they are commended if committed by supporters of Palestinian factions deemed ‘apostate’ by the Islamic State, but shunned if committed by supporters of the Islamic State.
Below is my translation of the editorial.
Kill the Jews
God Almighty has made clear the qualities of the disbelieving Jews in many verses of His wise Book, and He has described these people in exact detail. There is no doubt that the wisdom of this exact divine description is to heed the lesson and admonition, and be cautious and ready, such that the Muslim should steer clear of going the way of the Jews and following their customs or being loyal to them, and beware their scheming, and by necessity: the Muslim should be ready to make war on them and fight them.