Tel Aviv Tribune Net correspondents
Ramallah- The scholar Saleh Al-Arouri was known through the media as a leader in the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas,” then as deputy head of the movement after his deportation from Palestine in 2010, but many aspects of his personality are known only to those close to him, specifically those who accompanied him in detention.
Former prisoners who lived with Al-Arouri and spoke to Tel Aviv Tribune Net about his personal qualities as a human being, apart from his political roles, agree that he was a feared leader and thinker with sound opinion and wisdom, who had a great ability to persuade, even the prison administrations in which he was detained.
It is noteworthy that Al-Arouri (57 years old) contributed to the establishment of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and spent 18 years in the occupation prisons. Israel accused him of being behind many of the operations carried out by the resistance in the West Bank. The occupation assassinated him and 6 of his companions yesterday, Tuesday, in an apartment. In the Lebanese capital, Beirut, years after he was put on the hit list.
camera #Tel Aviv Tribune In a family home #Saleh_Arouri.. The martyr’s sister: He used to tell me every day that he wished for martyrdom, and the last contact with him was on October 7th#Gaza_War #News pic.twitter.com/72MJjQRWYD
– Tel Aviv Tribune Channel (@AJArabic) January 2, 2024
“A man of wisdom and wit”
Former prisoner Fouad Al-Khafsh says that Al-Arouri spent many years in isolation, and when he was taken to the departments with the rest of the prisoners, the prison administration’s condition was that he not hold any position or leadership position among the prisoners.
He added, “Al-Arouri read a lot of books in various fields, and recited daily the Holy Quran and supplications after the dawn prayer, but he was not fond of sports and I never saw him practicing it.”
Regarding his relationship with the prisoners, Al-Khafsh says, “Managing the lives of prisoners has a system, party formations, and leadership, but Al-Arouri was like the supreme leader, and with everyone’s approval, he entered any section or prison, because of his knowledge, wisdom, strength, and courage.” The same speaker continues that Al-Arouri “was beloved.” From all the prisoners, even from the rest of the factions, he has wisdom and sound opinion, and is very intelligent and shrewd.”
As for his intelligence, Al-Khafsh says that “he was able, for the first time in 2009, to convince the Israeli prison administration, despite its strong rejection, to gather the leaders of his movement inside the prisons in the Negev prison, under the title of consultation during the exchange negotiations to implement the Wafa al-Ahrar deal.”
Al-Khafash also pointed out that Al-Arouri moved from the first day of the division in 2007 to seek Palestinian reunification, and took the initiative to meet with senior leaders in the Palestinian Authority.
After the martyrdom of his brother… brother #Saleh_Arouri He sends a message to the resistance#Aljazeera live pic.twitter.com/qBVPZHnx3b
– Tel Aviv Tribune Mubasher (@ajmubasher) January 2, 2024
“Made to lead”
For his part, the former prisoner “Y.R.” says that he lived next to Al-Arouri in the Negev prison for a full year in the same room. “He would take the initiative to make coffee every morning and give me a cup. He was always moving and busy, giving lessons and sermons, and circling the prisoners without being absent.”
The same former prisoner added: “Al-Arouri was not an ordinary person. Rather, he was created for leadership. He was an articulate leader and orator who commanded everyone’s respect because of his humility and good character. He was a man of thought and vision.”
Regarding his relationships inside the prison, Y.R. said: “Sahl al-Ashra and the Council had satisfactory solutions to all problems, no matter how difficult they were, whether between members of Hamas or with other factions.” As for his relationship with the prison administration, he said that “he was convincing and able to contain and surround any problem.” “.
The same speaker continues that he was “so generous that he distributed the gifts and items he received during family visits to the rest of the prisoners. He even sold a piece of land he owned in order to help another prisoner who was suffering from financial difficulties.”
The former prisoner recalls the incident in 1992; When Al-Arouri felt that his detention would be prolonged, he asked him to inform his fiancée (Al-Arouri’s fiancée) about the matter during the visit, so as not to oppress her and make her wait for a long time. Her response was that she would wait for him no matter how long the detention lasted. Al-Arouri was then released, they married, and she gave birth to two daughters from him.
The martyr Saleh Al-Arouri in a previous interview: The youngest martyr among our people is a crown on our heads and he is more honorable than us because he preceded us, and we in the leadership of Hamas are martyred just like our people, and martyrdom is a requirement for us.#Gaza_War pic.twitter.com/ogRhNke92Q
– Tel Aviv Tribune Channel (@AJArabic) January 3, 2024
A strong and majestic personality
As for “Z.A.,” who lived with Al-Arouri in Ramallah prison in 1994, before the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, he said, “Whoever met Al-Arouri feared him at first sight, because of his personal strength, but soon discovered humility in him.”
He added in the same testimony: “He was a unitary man, loved by members of all factions. His best friend was the martyr Imad Awadallah (martyred in 1998), and they used to sit together most of the time. I remember that his bed (bed) was always next to the bed of the martyr Imad.”
Z. A. continued: “He cared for the children and brought them close to him. He regularly held educational circles, and he had a love for the city of Hebron and its people, where he studied Islamic law at its university.”