IDF arrests Islamic Jihad tsuspects
IDF arrests Islamic Jihad tsuspectsIDF Spokesperson

Ideologically and factually, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is one of the most central Palestinian Arab terrorist factions grown in the Gaza Strip. From its origin in the early 1980’s to today, Palestinian Islamic Jihad is part of the IRGC’s terrorist network. Factually, it is established and developed based on Islamic terrorism and depends on the destructive ideology of Khomeinism. It is heavily influenced by the 1979 revolt of terrorists in Iran.

PIJ was founded as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood and was influenced by Khomeinism, which is an ally of Muslim Brotherhood and has a mutual ally, Hamas. In the recent decade, since 2014, the internationally recognized terrorist organization PIJ was strengthened and expanded by supporting Iranian regime.

In doing so, with its own functions and missions, PIJ is in parallel with the terrorists of Hamas. And both terrorist groups have moved closer to the criminal mullahs in Tehran.

Incontestably, Iranian mullah’s regime remains a key source of turmoil in the region and funding for the terrorist military confrontation with Israel to this day. The dream of these thugs is eliminating Israel through aggression and terrorism, while the main aim of this notorious Palestinian Arab terrorist group is pleasing the mullahs in Tehran.

Recently, Salami, the chief commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) terrorists in Tehran stated that “Big Events are just around the corner”. He praised the Palestinian Arab terror attacks and said repeatedly: “We are witnessing America and Israel’s collapse”. Concurrently, the message is clear, another part of the terrorist Shiite Movement is in the region as the Iranian regime’s version of fundamentalist Islam tries to make a headway. Clandestinely IRGC and the Ministry of Intelligence of Iran (MOIS) made strenuous efforts to widen their influence and circle of players to the Palestinian Arab scene.

IRGC and PIJ are the two sides of the same coin in Islamic terrorist (Jihad), antisemitism and enmity toward Israel, but their type of Islamism is different. From that point onward, IRGC is a Shiite and an oppressive instrument in the hand of the mullah octopus, but PIJ is an icon of the Sunni terrorist group.

Since the 1979 revolt in Iran, the terrorist connection among IRGC and its affiliated transnational terrorist network is a subject of research for my colleagues in Counterterrorism in the Mossad and CIA. In many cases, the FBI and CIA in the US tracked terrorists related to PIJ. Thus, the political aspect of the cooperation between IRGC and the PIJ, cannot be considered a marginal matter.

There remains the ideological impact and mullah’s influence on the Palestinian Arab terrorist militia which has become more and more noticeable.

With regard to this political and ideological outlook, PIJ, as a fundamentalist group, is a mirror of the Iranian regime’s terrorism, the so-called Islamic Jihad. This point should add parenthetically here that IRGC and MOIS are behind all Islamic Jihad terror operations, transferring money and military equipment.

Logistically, the organic connections among Hezbollah, Hamas, PIJ and PKK are under the radar of the IRGC Quds Force for suicidal terror attack missions. What is known is that regular working meetings among these ferocious terrorist network partners continue to take place. For instance, on 4 May 2023 in Damascus, Iran’s Raisi – the butcher of Tehran- meets with top Hamas and PIJ officials with this specious prophecy ”the collapse of the Zionist regime very close”. It means that in any diplomatic meetings, Iranian mullah’s regime has been a main supporter of terrorist groups, supplying them with weapons, financial assistance, and income.

Israel Defense Force (IDF), met PIJ's hundreds of missile attacks on Israel by pinpointing and eliminating leaders until a ceasefire was declared. PIJ, as a terror proxy of IRGC, has no faith in any peaceful solution. In essence, PIJ wants to continue raining missiles and carrying out suicide bombings, firing rockets and digging offensive terror tunnels, increasing terror center in the 'West Bank', and killing innocent Israelis. PIJ planned various suicide bombings in Israel and assassinated innocent Israeli civilians.These are the main missions of this terrorist organization which has intense ties with the thugs of IRGC.

Actually, there is no rational relation between the Palestinian Arab issue and the sovereignty and destiny of the Iranian people. At the same time, the mullah’s Islamic republic is not the representative of the Iranian people, instead it is the supporter of terror organizations around the globe. PIJ seeks Israel’s destruction, but rememer that the cat dreams of mice.

Based on geostrategic and ideological factors, the recent attacks on Israel can be illuminated as PIJ partnered with IRGC’s terrorist network to carry out joint operations against Israel. The root of this chaos and crisis is the mullah’s regime in Iran.

PIJ is a rotten fruit of Khomeinism, and it is time to let criminal PIJ fade into the dustbin of history where it belongs. Thanks go to Israel for a courageous step in that direction.

Erfan Fardis a counter-terrorism analyst and Middle East Studies researcher based in Washington, DC. He is in Middle Eastern regional security affairs with a particular focus on Iran, counter terrorism, IRGC, MOIS and ethnic conflicts in MENA. He graduated in International Security Studies (London M. University, UK), and in International Relations (CSU-LA). Erfan is a Jewish Kurd of Iran, and he is fluent in Persian, Kurdish, Arabic and English. / Follow him from this twitter account @EQFARD / The newly published book of Erfan Fard is: “The gruesome mullah” , which has been published in the USA. His website is www.erfanfard.com