Mosab Hassan Yousef, once known as the “Green Prince,” is the son of Hamas co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef.
During a conversation at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs, where he is a visiting fellow, Yousef spoke with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News and, among other topics, was asked if he ever considered converting to Judaism following the process he has undergone, from being a member of the Hamas terrorist organization, the son of one of the organization's senior officials, through his service as a Shin Bet agent, to the war he is conducting in international media in favor of Israel.
Yousef responded, “No, not interested. I’m not interested in following religion. Of course, the Jewish people are very, very dear to me and I’m not the savior of the jews. And I don’t have to be Jewish to understand the Jewish struggle now.”
“Even though I don’t want to follow religion, I appreciate Judaism as a faith and all those who actually have the discipline of Judaism, because I appreciate and I respect people who have discipline, who have a moral compass, who contribute to life, not only to the Jewish people, but also to the rest of humanity. This is what inspires me.”
“I appreciate Israel as a democracy. I appreciate Israel as a nation and I get lots of inspiration from the Jewish people and their story of survival against so many odds.”
“So that’s fundamental in me. Does that make me Jewish? I don’t know. Do I want to be Jewish? It doesn’t matter. What really matters is that I can see, because in fact I don’t see the difference, the distance between me and the Jewish people.”