Isis urges jihadists to strike Europe and Israel while West is distracted by Ukraine

From The Times and Israel Hayom

The Islamic State terror network has declared a new “global offensive” against Europe and Israel in a bid to avenge the death of its leader  (Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi) in a US special forces raid earlier this year.

In a message timed for the holy month of Ramadan, the group told its jihadist supporters to take advantage of the West’s distraction with the war in Ukraine to stage terror attacks while “the crusaders are fighting each other”.

In a lengthy speech leaked online, Abu-Omar al-Muhajir, Isis’s new spokesman, said that Russia’s invasion was an “opportunity’’ for the group as non-Muslim nations were “preoccupied” with the conflict.

He hailed “those who fought and were killed for Allah and religion,” denouncing the “secular terrorists” of Fatah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad who fight for land and homeland.

Al-Muhajir also called on all Muslims in the Arab world to oppose all leaders who have ties with Israel, arguing that Jerusalem can only “be liberated from the Jews by the return of the caliphate.”

“Modern Muslim politicians trying to liberate Jerusalem are nothing more than puppets in the hands of Israel and the West,” he said.

“We announce, relying on God, a blessed campaign to take revenge,” he said in an audio message circulated on the Telegram messaging app. “Fight them all and Allah will answer and punish them at your hands,”