Appendix F

The Bethlehem Orphan Care Society, another institution belonging to Hamas’ terrorism-supporting apparatus

Overview
The Bethlehem Orphan Care Society (Jam’iyyat Ri’ayad al-Yatim) is a Hamas institution working in collaboration with other Hamas institutions in the West Bank, such as the Islamic Charitable Society - Hebron. As a Hamas institutions it was outlawed by Israel in 2002.
A document found in Palestinian Preventive Security headquarters during Operation Defensive Shield (April 2002) surveys Hamas institutions in the Bethlehem region. The head of Palestinian Preventive Security for the Bethlehem district, Lieut.-Col. Majdi al-‘Attari, notes that the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society takes care of orphans and the children of Hamas shaheeds and prisoners. The Society’s administration, according to the document, is composed entirely of Hamas activists, most prominent among them the director, ‘Ghassan ‘Issa Muhammad Harmas -- considered the Hamas political leader of Bethlehem, who was arrested in the past by Israeli security forces.
Documents found in the Society’s offices in March 2004, presented below, confirm the Palestinian Preventive Security report stating that the Society’s activities are not conducted along abstract philanthropic principles and that financial support is given to the children of Hamas terrorist-operatives who died during the ongoing violent Palestinian-Israeli confrontation. The aid given to orphans of terrorists is another aspect of Hamas’ terrorism-supporting apparatus which directly and indirectly benefits the families of shaheeds, mainly those who belonged to Hamas.
Documents found in March 2004 show that the Society is supported by the Union of Good and designated Hamas-affiliated funds and foundations such as Interpal in Britain and the Al-Aqsa Fund in Holland and Germany (all organizations outlawed by Israel).

Appendix F (1)

Palestinian Preventive Security report (found during Operation Defensive Shield, April 2002) about the transfer of funds from abroad to Hamas institutions in the Bethlehem district. One of those mentioned was the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society1

 1. Other Hamas institutions which received funds were the Dehaishe Charity Committee (See Appendix G) and Al-Islah Charitable Society ( Bethlehem branch).

Translation

Palestinian National Authority

[PA emblem]

 

Preventive Security H.Q.

 

 

Bethlehem Office

 

 

In the name of Allah the all-merciful

[To:] Brother Lieut.-Col. Jibril al-Bakri, Operational Director, may Allah preserve him

Blessings of the homeland

To the issue at hand,

In re: The Beit Fujar Charity Committee

During the Al-Aqsa intifada2 and true as of this writing, the Beit Fujar Charity Committee was outstanding in its social-practical functioning with regard to everything related to external communications with the [financial] support-providing institutions, the acquiring of enormous sums of money and their distribution to Hamas institutions in the district. It should be noted that the person responsible for the Society, Dr. ‘Issa Thawabta, is trusted by the overseas contacts. In any case, the Society distributed sums of money to the movement’s [Hamas’] institutions in the district as follows:

2. Habbat Al-Aqsa in the original. Habbah means “a strong gust of wind” or “rise to action.”
1. The Bethlehem Orphan Care Society :3 $6,100

3. The organizations marked in blue appear in this appendices of this bulletin.
2. Al-Islah Charitable Society : $13,000
3. Al-Khidhr Charitable Society: $9,584
4. The Islamic Professional Association: $6,100
5. The Beit Sahour Charity Committee: $6,100
6. The Dehaishe Charity Committee : $6,100
7. The Beit Fujar Charity Committee: $9,500

In addition, the Committee distributed material aid and aid in the form of food to the villages, which was given to the imams4for distribution, such as Za’tarah, Al-Shawawirah, Marahrabah, Al-‘Aruj and Wad al-Nabas.

For your information
[Signature]
Political Security
Captain Sami al-Mu’ti

4. Distributing aid through the imams increases Hamas’ influence in the mosques.

[Signature]

[Signature]

[Signature]

National Security Directorate

Assistant Technical Director

Director of Bethlehem Directorate

Captain Hatem Talahmeh

Captain Hamdi Abu Kamil

Lieut.-Col. Madji al-Attari


Appendix F (1)

Original Document


Appendix F (2)

Correspondence concerning the transfer of funds from Interpal to the daughters of two high-ranking Hamas terrorist-operatives who until their deaths were responsible for Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel in the Bethlehem area

[Interpal emblem]

 

PO Box 3333

The Palestine Relief and Development Fund

Interpal

London , NW6 1RW

 

Helping Palestinians in Need

Tel: 0181 450 8002

 

 

Fax: 0181 450 8004

 

 

Email:info@interpal.org

 

 

Website: www.interpal.org

Ref: 892-MK-10-02

Tuesday 24.12.02

[Handwritten note:] Incoming [mail]: 455

In the name of Allah the all-merciful

Honorable brothers at the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society, may Allah preserve and guard you,

May peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and his blessings

We send you our heartfelt thanks of your interest in our orphans’ project. We pray that the omnipotent Allah bless your undertakings and receive you [with you deeds done] in sincerity to [exalt] his honorable name.
To the matter at hand,

Please provide us with 4 small pictures (passport size) of each of the [female] orphans whose name is listed below:

1. Du’aa’ Omar Ahmad Sa’adah (5657)
2. .Israa’ Taha ‘Issa al-‘Aruj (5661)
3. Shurouq Omar Ahmad Sa’adah (5658)

Please take care of the matter and send us the photos as soon as possible.

Please contact us at the [phone] number that appears on the letterhead if you are in need of clarification or information.

Yours sincerely

The Orphans’ Department

[Signed] A.M. ‘Abd Allah al-Malik (?)

Note: The orphans referred to here are the daughters of Omar Ahmad Sa’adah and Taha ‘Issa Mousa al-‘Aruj. Both were high-ranking Hamas terrorist-operatives who planned terrorist attacks perpetrated by the Bethlehem organization until they were killed in targeted attacks (July 2001) . The two were mentioned in Bethlehem Palestinian Preventive Security documents as active in the Izzedine al-Qassam Battalions. In Israeli assessment, and based on documents in our possession, in this case, and in all probability in other cases as well, Interpal funds are used, among other things, to support the families of Hamas shaheeds under the heading “support of orphans.”5 The bottom line is support of terrorism, in that support of the families of shaheeds provides Palestinian terrorists with the motivation to perpetrate violent attacks against Israel with the assurance that their families will most likely be cared for after their deaths.
5. Examples of support of the families of shaheeds was also evident in the case of the Jenin Charity Committee.

Appendix F (2)

Original Document


Appendix F (3)

A continuation of the correspondence dealing with the transfer of funds to orphans of two Hamas terrorist shaheeds

Translation

[Interpal emblem]

 

PO Box 3333

The Palestine Relief and Development Fund

Interpal

London , NW6 1RW

 

Helping Palestinians in Need

Tel: 0181 450 8002

 

 

Fax: 0181 450 8004

 

 

Email:info@interpal.org

 

 

Website: www.interpal.org

Ref: 427-IIS-10-03

28.04.03

[Handwritten note:] Incoming [mail]: 84/2003

In the name of Allah the all-merciful

Honorable brothers at the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society, may Allah preserve and guard you,

May peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and his blessings

In re: Orphan’s picture

We hope that you are well and that Allah rewards your good deeds on Judgment Day.

Please provide us with 4 small pictures (passport size) of each of the orphans whose name is listed below:
1. Muhammad Jalal Mahmoud al-‘Asa
2. Shurouq Omar Ahmad Sa’adah (5658)
3. Israa’ Taha ‘Issa al-‘Aruj (5661)
4. Du’aa’ Omar Ahmad Sa’adah (5657)


Yours sincerely
The Orphans’ Department
The Palestinian Fund
London


Note: The orphans whose names appear as 2-4 are the children of two shaheeds, Hamas terrorists who were mentioned in the previous document.

Appendix F (3)


Original Document


Appendix F (4)

The names of orphans of two shaheeds (who were senior Hamas terrorist-operatives) appear in correspondence between Interpal and the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society

Overview
The following letter was sent by Interpal to the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society. It mentions, among others, the names of the children of Omar Ahmad Sa’adah and Taha ‘Issa Moussa al-’Aruj, two Hamas shaheeds who were senior terrorist-operatives in the Bethlehem area .
The children mentioned are Mus’ab Taha ‘Issa al-‘Aruj (number 800 in the enclosure to the letter) and Jumanah ‘Asar Ahmad Sa’adah (number 828 in the enclosure). They are children of the aforementioned terrorists who were not noted in previous correspondence. It can be assumed that each of their families received sponsorship It can be assumed that having received sponsorship from Interpal in the past for the children of shaheeds, the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society added more children to the list in the hope of receiving additional funds.

Translation

[Interpal emblem]

 

PO Box 3333

The Palestine Relief and
Development Fund

Interpal

London , NW6 1RW

 

Helping Palestinians in Need

Tel: 0181 450 8002

 

 

Fax: 0181 450 8004

 

 

Email:info@interpal.org

 

 

Website: www.interpal.org

Ref: 1/72-IIS-1O-04
9.2.2004
[Handwritten note:] Incoming [mail]: No. 48
In the name of Allah the all-merciful

[To:] The honorable brothers/ the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society – may Allah preserve you and shelter you with his protection
Orphans’ department

May peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and his blessings

In re: Examination of [information about] orphans
We hope you are well and that Allah may reward you for your good deeds [on Judgment Day].

Enclosed please find lists of the orphans for whom we care [who reached us] through your Society.

Please inform us as early as possible if there is any body or group sponsoring them.
Yours sincerely,
Iman
Orphans’ Department
The Palestinian Relive and Development fund
London

[Note: This letter was accompanied by a list of orphans whose files number ran from 800 to 829. See original document.]


Appendix F (4)

Original Document


Appendix F (4)

Original Document


Appendix F (5)

Payment Debit Confirmation

Correspondence regarding the transfer of L15,000 by Interpal to the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society through the Bethlehem branch of the Arab Bank ( January 13, 2004). The money was allocated for the care of orphan children and projects for Eid al-Fitr (2004)

Appendix F (6)

A letter and an enclosed Interpal questionnaire regarding the Islamic status of an orphan as one of the criteria for providing him with support

Overview
The following letter from Interpal to the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society deals with the possibility of cooperation in providing sponsorship for orphans. Enclosed with the letter was a sample of request forms including the criteria for Interpal’s sponsorship. The forms were to be filled out and sent along with the orphan’s request for sponsorship.
One criterion is the orphan’s Islamic profile: his participation in Islamic activities, the level of his family’s commitment to Islam, whether he prayed and memorized the Qur’an, whether his family taught him religion at home. The profile was aimed at orphans included in Hamas’ target population.6 It is worthwhile remembering that Hamas educates the orphans in the spirit of its own brand of radical Islam, which is pro-terrorism and teaches hatred of Israel and the Jewish people.

6. Hamas’ target population includes the orphans of shaheeds who died during the ongoing violent Palestinian-Israeli confrontation.

Appendix F (6)

Original Documents




 
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