Everything about Sheikh Ahmed Yassin totally explained
Sheikh Ahmed Ismail Yassin (1937–) (
Arabic: ) was the co-founder, with
Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, of
Hamas, a militant
Palestinian political organization. Yassin served as the
spiritual leader of Hamas, an
Islamist Palestinian group that has often been characterized by western states as a terrorist organization.
Yassin, a
paraplegic who was nearly
blind, had been confined to a
wheelchair since a sporting accident at the age of 12. He was assassinated by an Israeli
helicopter gunship in 2004. His killing, in an attack that claimed the lives of as many as nine bystanders, precipitated much criticism of
Israel, as many observers abroad suggested that the act would negatively impact the peace process.
Early life
Ahmed Yassin was born in
al-Jura, a small village near the town of
Majdal (today
Ashkelon City) in then
British Mandate of Palestine. His date of birth isn't known for certain: according to his Palestinian
passport, he was born on
1 January,
1929, but he claimed to have actually been born in
1938. He and his family moved to
Gaza after his village was destroyed in 1948 during the
1948 Arab-Israeli War.
Involvement in the Israel-Palestinian conflict
Yassin subsequently became involved with a Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. In 1987, during the
First Intifada, Yassin co-founded
Hamas with
Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, originally calling it the Palestinian Wing of the
Muslim Brotherhood, and becoming its spiritual leader.
Yassin became disillusioned with the
peace process with the
Israelis and was skeptical that it would ever actually lead to peace. He instead supported resistance against Israel, and was very outspoken in his views. He asserted that
Palestine is an Islamic land "consecrated for future Muslim generations until
Judgment Day" and that no Arab leader had the right to give up any part of this territory. Yassin's inflammatory rhetoric was often scrutinized in the news media. On one occasion, he opined that Israel "must disappear from the map".
In 1997 Yassin was released from Israeli prison as part of an arrangement with
Jordan following the failed assassination attempt of
Khaled Mashal, which had been conducted by the Israeli
Mossad in Jordan. Yassin was released by Israel in exchange for two Mossad agents who had been arrested by Jordanian authorities, on the condition that he refrain from continuing to call for suicide bombings against Israel.
Following his release, Yassin resumed his leadership of Hamas. He immediately resumed his calls for attacks on Israel, using tactics including
suicide bombings, thus violating the condition of his release. He also sought to maintain relations with the Palestinian authority, believing that a clash between the two groups would be harmful to the interests of the
Palestinian people.
Yassin further promised that Hamas would teach Israel an "unforgettable lesson" as a result of the assassination attempt. Yassin made no attempt to guard himself from further attempts on his life or hide his location. Journalists sometimes visited his Gaza address and Yassin maintained a routine daily pattern of activity, including being wheeled every morning to a nearby mosque.
Reem Raiyshi's suicide bombing at the
Erez crossing on
January 14,
2004, which killed four civilians, was believed by the Israeli military to have been directly ordered by Yassin. Yassin suggested that the suicide bomber was fulfilling her "obligation" to make
jihad, and Israel's Deputy Defence Minister responded by publicly declaring that Yassin was "marked for death". Yassin denied having any involvement in the attack's planning. They accused him of being behind all the attacks perpetrated by
Hamas against Israel. According to an Israeli government website:
Yassin was the dominant authority of the Hamas leadership, which was directly involved in planning, orchestrating and launching terror attacks carried out by the organization. In this capacity, Yassin personally gave his approval for the launching of Qassam rockets against Israeli cities, as well as for the numerous Hamas terrorist bombings and suicide operations. In his public appearances and interviews, Yassin called repeatedly for a continuation of the 'armed struggle' against Israel, and for an intensification of the terrorist campaign against its citizens. The successful operation against Yassin constitutes a significant blow to a central pillar of the Hamas terrorist organization, and a major setback to its terrorist infrastructure.
Assassination
Ahmed Yassin was killed in an Israeli attack on
March 22 2004. While he was being wheeled out of an early morning prayer session, an Israeli helicopter gunship fired
Hellfire missiles at Yassin and both of his bodyguards. They were killed instantly, along with nine The reports also indicate that more than a dozen people were injured in the operation, including two of Yassin's sons. The operation was a part of an ongoing Israeli action against Hamas-sponsored operations.
Israel said the targeted killing was in response to dozens of
suicide attacks by Hamas against
Israeli civilians, and meant to thwart further attacks on Yassin's orders. Yassin's supporters, as well as various heads of state, condemned the assassination.
The Israel Defense Forces issued the following statement regarding the operation:
» This morning, in a security forces operation in the northern Gaza Strip, the IDF targeted a car carrying the head of the Hamas terror organization, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, and his aides. Yassin, responsible for numerous murderous terror attacks, resulting in the deaths of many civilians, both Israeli and foreign, was killed in the attack.
Reaction to assassination
Kofi Annan, UN General secretary, condemned the killing. The UN Commission on Human Rights passed a resolution condemning the killing supported by votes from 31 countries including the
People's Republic of China,
India,
Indonesia,
Russia, and
South Africa with 2 votes against and 18 abstentions. The
Arab League council also expressed condemnation, as did the
African Union.
A draft resolution condemning the extrajudicial execution of Yassin and six other Palestinians, as well as all terrorist attacks against civilians was brought before the
United Nations Security Council and vetoed by the
United States, with
United Kingdom,
Germany, and
Romania abstaining. The United States explained that the draft resolution should have condemned
Hamas explicitly following its sponsored suicide bombings in
Ashdod the
week before.
Palestinian
The
Palestinian Authority declared three days of mourning and closed Palestinian schools. Hamas official
Ismail Haniyeh suggested, "This is the moment Sheikh Yassin dreamed about". The Hamas leadership said
Ariel Sharon had "opened the gates of hell." Hamas called for retaliation against Israel. About 200,000 people took to the streets of the Gaza Strip for Yassin's funeral as Israeli forces declared a national alert.
Shimon Peres, then leader of the Labour opposition, was critical of the assassination, suggesting that it "could lead to an escalation of terror".
In response to a question about the killing on 23 March 2004, U.S. President
George W. Bush responded,
As far as the Middle East, it's a troubled region, and the attacks were troubling. There needs to be a focused, concerted effort by all parties to fight terror. Any country has a right to defend itself from terror. Israel has the right to defend herself from terror. And as she does so, I hope she keeps consequences in mind as to how to make sure we stay on the path to peace.
US ambassador to Iraq
John Negroponte stated that the USA was "deeply troubled", and characterized Yassin as "the leader of a terrorist organization [...] who preached hatred, and glorified suicide bombings of buses, restaurants, and cafes."
Notes and references
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