Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S)

May 24 , 2006

 
 

Palestinian Islamic Jihad Internet sites and their Internet providers
(Updated to May 22, 2006)1
 

Overview

 
  • The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is today the most prominent terrorist organization in suicide bombing attacks in Israeli cities. It was responsible for the April 17 attack at the old Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv, which claimed the lives of 11 innocent people and wounded about 80. It is also one of the main organizations firing Qassam rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. The PIJ is supported by Syria and Iran , its activities are directed by its Damascus-based leadership and it is on the United States list of designated terrorist organizations.
 

The suicide bomber who carried out the attack in Tel Aviv ; the inscription reads “The operation in Tel Aviv.” The picture appeared on www.sarayaalquds.org .

 
  • The PIJ, like the other Palestinian terrorist organizations, makes extensive use of the Internet .2 It runs a number of sites in Arabic, which the leadership in Damascus uses to convey its political and propaganda messages – and sometimes operational instructions – to its Palestinian and Arab target audiences. The PIJ’s Internet sites are an important tool in spreading the organization’s terrorist and hate messages, particularly in view of the limitations placed on them by the Palestinian establishment media, which are under the control of Abu Mazen.
  • An updated examination of the organization’s sites, which often appear and disappear,3 showed that today the PIJ has a network of six main Internet sites . The survey, which was conducted on May 22, found that only four of them were active . A comparison with the previous survey, held in December 2005, showed that www.qudsway.com, one of the organization’s two leading sites, still had the same Iranian ISP. Three other sites use ISPs in the United States .
  • In our assessment, the exposure of the ISPs used by the PIJ led to steps being taken to close the organization’s sites, at least temorarily. (One of them, www.saraya.ps, blamed American Intelligence as being responsible for shutting it down.) Various companies in Malaysia , Romania and the United States which were mentioned in our December 2005 bulletin were no longer found to provide the PIJ with Internet services, and the only ISP still active is the Telecommunications Company of Iran , located in Teheran. However, it would seem that the PIJ has, in most cases, found alternative companies, including somein the United States, even though the organization appears on the US list of designated terrorist organizations (while the organization plays cat and mouse with law-enforcing agencies) .
 


Site No. 1: Qudsway.net

 

The site’s home page
 
  • Www.qudsway.net is one of the PIJ’s two main sites. It is regularly updated and has basic information about the organization as well as news, which includes reports on its latest suicide bombing attacks. It is rife with anti-Israel hate propaganda and encourages surfers to carry out acts of terrorism through the posting of announcements and praise for the shaheeds. It recently gave information about the suicide bomber who carried out the attack at the old Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv on April 17.
 

Examples of recently-posted information
(as of May 24)

 

Glorifying terrorism

 

Elias Ashqar, wanted senior terrorist from northern Samaria who was killed by the Israeli security forces at Qabatiya on May 14. He was behind terrorist attacks carried out in Israeli cities during the past year, including the suicide bombing attack at the old Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv on April 17.
 


Incitement against Israel by representing it as making the killing of Palestinians its daily agenda

 

A cartoon appearing on the site on May 23. It represents Israel as having a daily agenda of killing Palestinians. The to-do notes read, “Tomorrow morning, kill 5-15 Palestinians.”

 


Incitement against USA
 

A picture of the Statue of Liberty with a skull face
in an article entitled "The Senate ratifies the Palestinian Terrorism Law of 2006"

 
  • The following is the site’s technical information:

    A. IP 217.218.1.123

    B. ISP: Telecommunications Company of Iran, Teheran (no change since the previous examination).4
 


Site No. 2: Qudsnews.net

 

The site’s home page
 
  • Www.qudsnews.net is the PIJ’s other main site, and is relatively new. It contains regularly updated news, articles about the organization’s heads, pictures of suicide bombers and incitement to acts of terrorism. It has links to the organization’s other sites and to its official publications. It recently posted the following announcement, which ran for a number of days: “We are sorry, the page you are trying to reach is not available. Please contact the site director. We apologize for the inconvenience.” A short time ago the site was up and running again.
 


Examples of “information” recently posted on the site (as of May 22)

 

Glorifying terrorists

 

Poster commemorating the terrorist who carried out the suicide bombing attack in Tel Aviv on April 17. In the background are pictures from the scene of the attack, in which 11 people were killed, including one American citizen,5 and about 80 wounded.

 

Picture of Muhammad Dahdur, a senior PIJ terrorist-operative who died in a targeted killing on May 20. The inscription on the rockets reads, “Quds medium-range [rocket].” The PIJ often fires such rockets at population centers in the western Negev .
 


Terrorism and anti-Semitism: a recommendation for an anti-Semitic book

 

The site recommended a book called The Torah and the Talmud Methods [ at work] in Zionism’s Attitude toward the Other [i.e., non-Jews]; Judaism faces the Zionist Arabs [a derogatory nickname for Arabs and Palestinians perceived as pro-Zionist]. The book claims the Jews are intrinsically murderous and that causes them to view Arabs as creatures unworthy of life, “based on instructions found in the Talmud, which urges the Jews to get rid of the Other [the non-Jew] because he is worth less than the Jews.” The book was written by Nasser Mahmoud al-Suhali and published by the Dar ‘Ebal Publishing Company in Nicosia , Cyprus .

 


Terrorism and anti-Semitism: an anti-Semitic cartoon

 

A cartoon apparently related to Al-Nakba Day (which marks the events of 1948). The key symbolizes the refugees’ desire to return to their houses in Israel . A stereotyped Jews looks out of the box. It was drawn by Hamas supporter Omaya Joha, who in the past has published many anti-Semitic anti-Israeli cartoons.

 
  • The following is the site’s technical information:

A. IP 216.177.89.7

B. The ISP used by the PIJ site: Savvis Communications, Town and Country, MO, USA6
 


Site No. 3: Saraya.ps

 

The site’s home page
 
  • www.saraya.ps is the official site of the Jerusalem Battalions, PIJ’s terrorist-operative wing . It shut down on May 11, blaming a Haganah website report. It reappeared with a new IP but continues using the same ISP .
 

The inactive site’s announcement: “The site is undergoing maintenance [work]… Please wait.” Below: An “explanation” claiming that American Intelligence closed the site and promising that it would reopen, should Allah so wish (site home page as of May 15).
 


Posters commemorating shaheeds and encouraging terrorism

 

Muhammad Dahduh, senior PIJ terrorist-operative who died in a targeted killing on May 20.

 

Poster commemorating Asa’ad Fathi Judeh, who was killed by the IDF while attempting to infiltrate via the road around the Gaza Strip in November 2004. The inscription above his picture reads, “You are still alive despite your death.” Left: a picture of his sister with a headband reading, “There is no god but Allah,” “We are coming [?] with the help of Allah’s victory.” The lower inscription reads, “The shaheed who loved only for the sake of Allah.” The background shows a map of “ Palestine ” and terrorists holding weapons.

 
  • The following is the site’s technical information:

A. IP 72.232.195.202

B. The ISP used by the PIJ site: Layered Technologies, Frisco, TX, USA7
 


Site No. 4: Rabdullah.net

 

The site’s home page featuring the organization’s leader, ‘Abdallah Ramadan Shalah.

 
  • Www.rabdallah.net is the site of ‘Abdallah Ramadan Shalah, who from his base in Damascus operates the PIJ’s terrorist groups to carry out deadly attacks in Israeli cities. The site contains a record of statements and activities and most of the texts of his speeches, sermons and articles.
  • The following is the site’s technical information:

A. IP 69.16.221.13

B. The ISP used by the PIJ site: Liquid Web, Lansing, MI, USA8

  • Note: The same ISP is also used by two other sites appearing at the same Internet address, which at the time of our examination (May 22) were inactive:

A. Sarayaalquds.org, the official site of the Jerusalem Battalions, the PIJ’s terrorist-operative wing. It is one of the organization’s leading sites, and has current information about terrorist activity and incitement to acts of terrorism. It is not regularly updated.

The site’s home page

B. Shikaki.net , the official PIJ site dedicated to the memory of its founder, Fathi Shqaqi. It mainly contains texts of his statements and descriptions of his actions.


 
1. For further information see our previous Information Bulletin “The Palestinian Islamic Jihad Internet infrastructure and its Internet Webhosts (December 2005),” at http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/internet2_e1205.pdf.
2. Although its infrastructure is of a lower technical quality and it is less widely accessed than that of Hamas.
3. Apparently as a result of pressures exerted on them by the various countries in which their ISPs are located.
4. According to the Haganah and Whois websites.
5. The American was Daniel Wultz, 16, from Florida, who died on May 14 after having been mortally wounded in the suicide bombing attack.
6. According to the Haganah and Whois websites
.7. According to the Haganah and Whois websites.
8. According to the Haganah and Whois websites.

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