Report of Israeli Think-Tank on the Global Muslim Brotherhood

FOUNDATIONS (2007)
2007 saw the Turkish/MB network establish important foundations, beginning with
the emergence <strong>of</strong> its newest constituent- a Palestinian advocacy organization known as
FIDDER. In May a delegation <strong>of</strong> the Islamischen Gemeinschaft Milli Görüs, associated
with the Saadet Party, visited Gaza. The delegation included IGMG, Turkish/MB
network, and Hamas leaders from Europe. In July, Hamas took over control <strong>of</strong> the
Gaza Strip, and the relationship between the Turkish/MB network and Hamas became
clearer as the head <strong>of</strong> Hamas in Gaza had a phone conversation with a TGTV/UNIW
<strong>of</strong>ficial and as FIDDER hosted a Union <strong>of</strong> Good meeting. The year ended with a new
relationship between the Turkish/MB network and the Al-Quds International Institution
(AQIII), which held a conference in Turkey for the first time.
February FIDDER Emerges
In February 2007, the UNIW sponsored a press conference featuring Omar El Bursh,
identified as a Palestinian <strong>of</strong>ficial, and Mohammed Farac El Goul, identified as
“Deputy.” XXVI The two made a statement accusing Israel <strong>of</strong> genocide:”
<strong>Israeli</strong>s, who have occupied Palestine territories since 1948, have been increasing
their expansionist policies day by day and almost left no place for Palestinians
to take breath. Now, Palestinians, who fell into immigrants in the lands they
possessed once, have been undergoing genocide for more than fifty years owing
to <strong>Israeli</strong>s’ greed for seizing The Promised Land as they regard everything as
legitimate for this greed. Mocking international law, they have been assaulting
everybody from infants to defenseless old men and women. They maintain that
they do for the sake <strong>of</strong> state security…. 220
The statement concluded by thanking the Turkish public for a petition aimed at freeing
Palestinian <strong>of</strong>ficials, presumably Hamas <strong>of</strong>ficials, held in Israel prison. XXVII
The UNIW announcement <strong>of</strong> the press conference indicated that it was supported by six
organizations, including UNIW, TGTV, IHH and a new organization known as Filistin
Dayanışma Derneği (Palestinian Solidarity Association) or FIDDER. XXVIII A FIDDER
<strong>of</strong>ficial described the organization as “ a group <strong>of</strong> Turkish citizens <strong>of</strong> Palestinian
origin who believe in the just Palestine cause and in the Palestinians’ right to live in
freedom and dignity and in their right to return to their homeland. 221 Tahsin Misirli,
possibly a relative <strong>of</strong> Gazi Misirli, is the President <strong>of</strong> FIDDER. XXIX 222 Mr. Misirli is the
General Manager <strong>of</strong> a company known as TURKPAL, the same company providing
223 224
accommodations for the 2007 Al Quds conference discussed later in this report.
He is also a member <strong>of</strong> the TGTV board <strong>of</strong> directors, and in 2009 was identified as the
XXVI
XXVII
48
Mr. El-Ghoul (aka Faraj Al-Ghoul) would later be identified by Palestinian media as a Hamas MP in Gaza
who in 2009 described the <strong>Israeli</strong> war on Gaza as the biggest holocaust in history, adding that his government
would chase <strong>Israeli</strong> war criminals and file lawsuits against them. See http://tiny.cc/qyc01.
The campaign is described at http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.phpid=2634.
XXVIII Although FIDDER was identified by the UNIW announcement in February 2007, Turkish media report said
that the organization was established in February 2008. See http://tiny.cc/45ad8.
XXIX
Mr. Misirli was identified earlier as being listed in a 1999 phone book belonging to Muslim Brotherhood
foreign relations leader Youssef Nada, who lists an individual under the name <strong>of</strong> “Tahsin” living in Istanbul.