Barkat, Glick vow to continue their work after exposé reveals Hamas planned to assassinate them
Likud MK and former Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat and former Likud MK Yehudah Glick pledged to continue their work for Israel after the British daily the Daily Telegraph revealed in a detailed exposé on Tuesday that Istanbul-based Hamas members have been plotting attacks on Israeli territory, including an assassination attempt against them and former Israel Police chief Roni Alsheich.
“For me, it is a compliment. It is no news that Turkey’s President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan is trying to gain a foothold in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount, and it is no surprise that Hamas operatives working there would plot such an attack,” Glick told The Jerusalem Post.
Glick is known for his activity advocating for the Jewish right to access and pray on the Temple Mount, which is currently limited. He said that his efforts are clearly disliked by Turkey and Hamas.
“We want Jerusalem to be in a situation of peace and quiet; they want it to be at war, to disrupt its stability,” he added. “They will not succeed. The presence of the Jewish people in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount is irreversible.”
The Daily Telegraph revealed that in addition to the assassination attempts, a Hamas official proposed to pay $20,000 to the family of any would-be suicide bomber.
After the report, Barkat called on the US to impose sanctions on Turkey.
“Turkey has once again been revealed as a haven for terrorist groups like Hamas and others who are actively working to harm Israel. The US must lead in enacting tough international sanctions that will effectively punish the Turkish regime for its clear defense of terrorism,” he said, speaking to US Ambassador David Friedman, according to a statement released on Wednesday.
“This is a government just like Iran that defends and promotes terrorism. Despite these threats, I will never be swayed in my work on behalf of the State of Israel both here at home and all around the world,” he added.
“Israel is extremely concerned that Turkey is allowing Hamas terrorists to operate from its territory, in planning and engaging in terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians,” the Foreign Ministry said, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Telegraph Middle East correspondent Raf Sanchez said that he accessed transcripts of Israeli police interrogations, as well as Israeli and Egyptian intelligence records. In addition, he interviewed several Palestinians living in Istanbul and examined relevant social media posts and accounts.
Turkey’s current administration is known to have warm ties with Hamas.