Mosab Hassan Yousef
Encyclopedia
Mosab Hassan Yousef is a Palestinian
and son of a Hamas
founder and leader Sheikh
Hassan Yousef. From 1997 to 2007, he worked undercover for Israel's internal security service Shin Bet, which considered him its most valuable source within the Hamas leadership.
According to Israeli sources, the information Yousef supplied prevented dozens of suicide attacks and assassinations of Israelis, exposed numerous Hamas cells, and assisted Israel in hunting down many militants, including Yousef's own father . In March 2010, he published his autobiography entitled "Son of Hamas". .
Yousef has since converted to Christianity and moved to California. His request for political asylum in the United States
was granted pending a routine background check on June 30, 2010.
, a city 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of Jerusalem. His father, sheikh Hassan Yousef, was a Hamas founder and leader who spent many years in Israeli prisons. He is the oldest of six brothers and two sisters.
According to Yousef, when he was growing up he wanted to be a fighter because that was expected of Arab children in the West Bank. Yousef was first arrested when he was ten, during the First Intifada
, for throwing rocks at Israeli settlers. He was further arrested and jailed by the Israelis numerous times. As his father's eldest son, he was seen as his heir apparent and became an important part of the Hamas organization.
Yousef was held by Shin Bet agents in 1996. He claims that while in prison, he became appalled as he compared the Shin Bet's interrogation methods to how imprisoned Hamas operatives tortured suspected collaborators. He decided to accept a Shin Bet approach to become an informant. Since his release from prison in 1997, Yousef was considered the Shin Bet's most reliable source in the Hamas leadership, earning himself the nickname the "Green Prince" – using the color of the Islamist group's flag, and "prince" because of his pedigree as the son of one of the movement's founders. The intelligence he supplied Israel led to the exposure of a number of Hamas cells as well as the prevention of dozens of suicide bombings and assassination attempts on Israeli figures. He has claimed that he did not inform for money but rather that his motivations were ideological and religious, and that he only wanted to save lives. In order to thwart any suspicions of collaboration, the Shin Bet staged an arrest attempt, telling the Israel Defense Forces
to launch an operation to arrest him, and then provided him intelligence allowing him to escape at the last minute, after which he went into hiding for the rest of his career.
Yousef has stated that he supplied intelligence only on the condition that the "targets" would not be killed, but arrested. This led to the detention of several key Palestinian leaders, including Ibrahim Hamid, a Hamas commander in the West Bank, and Marwan Barghouti
. Also, Yousef claims to have thwarted a 2001 plot to assassinate Shimon Peres
, then foreign minister
and now President of Israel
.
"Many people owe him their lives and don't even know it", says his former Shin Bet officer.
by a Christian tourist. He left the West Bank for the United States in 2007 and lived some time in San Diego, California
, where he joined the Barabbas Road Church.
In August 2008, Yousef publicly revealed his conversion to Christianity and renounced Hamas and the Arab leadership, thereby endangering himself and exposing his family in Ramallah to persecution. Yousef has also claimed that his aim was to bring peace to the Middle East. He still hopes to return to Israel/Palestine when there is peace.
Sheikh Hassan Yussef, Mosab's father, while in an Israeli prison, disowned his son for spying for Israel .
report on Yousef was described by Hamas MP Mushir al-Masri as "psychological war being waged against the Palestinian people...[it] did not deserve a response."
was denied, since statements in his book about working for Hamas were "interpreted as providing material support to the US-designated terrorist organization," despite Yousef's explanation that they were "intended to undermine the group." His case then proceeded to the deportation stage, despite Yousef’s advocates warning that he would likely be executed by the Palestinian Authority if deported to the West Bank
.
On June 24, 2010 Shin Bet handler Gonen Ben-Itzhak, who for 10 years worked with Mosab Hassan Yousef under the cryptonym "Loai", revealed his own identity in order to testify on behalf of Yousef at an immigration hearing in San Diego. Itzhak described Yousef as a "true friend" and said "he risked his life every day in order to prevent violence."
Partially as a result of this, Judge Rico J. Bartolomei ruled, on June 30, 2010, that Yousef will be allowed to remain in the United States after he is fingerprinted and passes a routine background check.
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
and son of a Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
founder and leader Sheikh
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
Hassan Yousef. From 1997 to 2007, he worked undercover for Israel's internal security service Shin Bet, which considered him its most valuable source within the Hamas leadership.
According to Israeli sources, the information Yousef supplied prevented dozens of suicide attacks and assassinations of Israelis, exposed numerous Hamas cells, and assisted Israel in hunting down many militants, including Yousef's own father . In March 2010, he published his autobiography entitled "Son of Hamas". .
Yousef has since converted to Christianity and moved to California. His request for political asylum in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was granted pending a routine background check on June 30, 2010.
Early life
Yousef was born in RamallahRamallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
, a city 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of Jerusalem. His father, sheikh Hassan Yousef, was a Hamas founder and leader who spent many years in Israeli prisons. He is the oldest of six brothers and two sisters.
According to Yousef, when he was growing up he wanted to be a fighter because that was expected of Arab children in the West Bank. Yousef was first arrested when he was ten, during the First Intifada
First Intifada
The First Intifada was a Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories. The uprising began in the Jabalia refugee camp and quickly spread throughout Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem....
, for throwing rocks at Israeli settlers. He was further arrested and jailed by the Israelis numerous times. As his father's eldest son, he was seen as his heir apparent and became an important part of the Hamas organization.
Working for the Shin Bet
Yousef claims that his doubts about Islam and Hamas began forming when he realized Hamas' brutality, and that he hated how Hamas used the lives of suffering civilians and children to achieve their goals.Yousef was held by Shin Bet agents in 1996. He claims that while in prison, he became appalled as he compared the Shin Bet's interrogation methods to how imprisoned Hamas operatives tortured suspected collaborators. He decided to accept a Shin Bet approach to become an informant. Since his release from prison in 1997, Yousef was considered the Shin Bet's most reliable source in the Hamas leadership, earning himself the nickname the "Green Prince" – using the color of the Islamist group's flag, and "prince" because of his pedigree as the son of one of the movement's founders. The intelligence he supplied Israel led to the exposure of a number of Hamas cells as well as the prevention of dozens of suicide bombings and assassination attempts on Israeli figures. He has claimed that he did not inform for money but rather that his motivations were ideological and religious, and that he only wanted to save lives. In order to thwart any suspicions of collaboration, the Shin Bet staged an arrest attempt, telling the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
to launch an operation to arrest him, and then provided him intelligence allowing him to escape at the last minute, after which he went into hiding for the rest of his career.
Yousef has stated that he supplied intelligence only on the condition that the "targets" would not be killed, but arrested. This led to the detention of several key Palestinian leaders, including Ibrahim Hamid, a Hamas commander in the West Bank, and Marwan Barghouti
Marwan Barghouti
Marwan Hasib Ibrahim Barghouti is a Palestinian political figure. He is regarded as a leader of the First and Second Intifadas. Barghouti at one time supported the peace process, but later became disillusioned, and after 2000 went on to become the main figure behind the Al-Aqsa Intifada in the...
. Also, Yousef claims to have thwarted a 2001 plot to assassinate Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
, then foreign minister
Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel
The Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The position is one of the most important in the Israeli cabinet after Prime Minister and Defense Minister...
and now President of Israel
President of Israel
The President of the State of Israel is the head of state of Israel. The position is largely an apolitical ceremonial figurehead role, with the real executive power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister. The current president is Shimon Peres who took office on 15 July 2007...
.
"Many people owe him their lives and don't even know it", says his former Shin Bet officer.
Conversion to Christianity
In 1999, Yousef met a British missionary who introduced him to Christianity. Between the years 1999 and 2000, Yousef gradually embraced Christianity. In 2005, he was secretly baptized in Tel AvivTel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
by a Christian tourist. He left the West Bank for the United States in 2007 and lived some time in San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he joined the Barabbas Road Church.
In August 2008, Yousef publicly revealed his conversion to Christianity and renounced Hamas and the Arab leadership, thereby endangering himself and exposing his family in Ramallah to persecution. Yousef has also claimed that his aim was to bring peace to the Middle East. He still hopes to return to Israel/Palestine when there is peace.
2010 revelation about spying for Israel
Yousef's autobiography, Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices (ISBN 1-4143-3307-2), written with the assistance of Ron Brackin, was published in March, 2010 by Tyndale House., making public his spying activity.Family reactions
Ouwais Yousef, Mosab's brother, denounced the report of his brother's activities, saying "It was full of lies – it's all lies"; he also revealed that the last contact between his family and Mosab took place over a year before the news of his spying.Sheikh Hassan Yussef, Mosab's father, while in an Israeli prison, disowned his son for spying for Israel .
Hamas
The HaaretzHaaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
report on Yousef was described by Hamas MP Mushir al-Masri as "psychological war being waged against the Palestinian people...[it] did not deserve a response."
Deportation and political asylum
For a time, Mosab Hassan Yousef was threatened with deportation after his request for political asylum in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was denied, since statements in his book about working for Hamas were "interpreted as providing material support to the US-designated terrorist organization," despite Yousef's explanation that they were "intended to undermine the group." His case then proceeded to the deportation stage, despite Yousef’s advocates warning that he would likely be executed by the Palestinian Authority if deported to the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
.
On June 24, 2010 Shin Bet handler Gonen Ben-Itzhak, who for 10 years worked with Mosab Hassan Yousef under the cryptonym "Loai", revealed his own identity in order to testify on behalf of Yousef at an immigration hearing in San Diego. Itzhak described Yousef as a "true friend" and said "he risked his life every day in order to prevent violence."
Partially as a result of this, Judge Rico J. Bartolomei ruled, on June 30, 2010, that Yousef will be allowed to remain in the United States after he is fingerprinted and passes a routine background check.
External links
- Son of Hamas: the book's official website
- Escape from Hamas Fox News interview about his journey to Christianity (Jan. 2009)
- al-Qaida's reaction to Mosab's ApostasyApostasy in IslamApostasy in Islam is commonly defined in Islam as the rejection in word or deed of one's former religion by a person who was previously a follower of Islam...
(August 2008) - Magazine article from Haaretz (Feb. 2010)
- Interview on CBN with Pat Robertson
- Interview with BBC's Lyse Doucet and other reactions from Israel/Palestine
- Mosab very outspoken on BBC Arabic (March 12, 2010): arabic 30min; engl. subtitle 5min
- more details : transcript of a teleconference with Christian journalists (March 18); this story on WorldNetDaily
- Mosab wants to create a 'movement' in the Middle East
- 23min HARDtalk on BBC (May 14, 2010)
- Long Interview in Haaretz with Captain Loai, Mosab's Shin Bet-Handler (May 14, 2010); Similar to Newsweek (May 17, 2010)