"I was brought up to be fanatically anti-Semitic"

Dor Shachar was born Aiman Abu Suboh in the Gaza Strip. At the age of 12, he decided to flee. He converted to Judaism and still lives in Israel today. He wrote the book "From Chan Junis to Mount Sinai" about his life, which was a bestseller in Israel. In it, he warned of the Islamist threat from the Gaza Strip. Nevertheless, he was shocked by the Hamas pogrom on October 7.

ntv.de: The massacre by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas on 7 October was the worst pogrom against Jews since the Holocaust. Were you surprised?

Dor Shachar: No, not at all. As a child, I often witnessed Hamas' violence against its own people. They beheaded so-called enemy collaborators, cut off their limbs or dragged them through Chan Junis by car until they died in agony. But they saw killing Jews as a sacred mission.

Dor Shachar is now 46 years old and lives near Tel Aviv.

What do you mean by that?

For generations, the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and a large part of the inhabitants of the West Bank have been brainwashed by Hamas that the greatest commandment is to kill Jews in order to get to paradise. They will also get there if they are killed by "unbelievers", because then all their sins will be forgiven. The indoctrination begins in kindergarten, where I was taught that Jews had three feet.

And you believed that?

This criminal propaganda works just like in Germany during the Nazi era. When I was three years old, even my grandfather - who was originally from Jaffa - told me that all Jews were murderers who had stolen my ancestors' land. When I was old enough, I would have to fight, kill and expel them to get back everything that had been stolen from us.

Is the Holocaust also taught at school?

No, because most Palestinians in the Gaza Strip deny this crime of the century. The few who really believe that the Shoah happened wish it on the Jews one more time.

You left your family and broke with Islamic culture. Why did you want to become Jewish and live in Israel?

As a child, I was brought up to be fanatically anti-Semitic at home and at school. My father threatened me with harsh punishments if I did not continue the Palestinian struggle. Something in my soul told me that I did not want to belong to this violent society. As a minor, I ran away, lived and worked illegally in Israel for seven years. I was arrested and sent to a prison for a few months, where Arab terrorists were imprisoned who saw me as a traitor and constantly beat me up. I was deported to the Gaza Strip and tortured by Hamas. I was able to flee again via Egypt and reach Israel via Turkey.

You were only allowed to convert to Judaism when you reached the age of 18. Who supported you in this?

I worked on a construction site and had an older supervisor there who later adopted me. He and his wife helped me a lot. Among other things, they taught me to read and write in Hebrew. They also taught me to love instead of hate and to enjoy life. When I told them that I wanted to convert, they were shocked, but they supported me. It was a long process until I was able to start my conversion to Judaism at a yeshiva [a Jewish college].

You now live near Tel Aviv and have long warned of the danger from the Gaza Strip. The Hamas pogrom and the hostage-taking have effectively ended the fragile ceasefire. Did Hamas expect such a harsh response from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)?

Hamas had been preparing this war for a long time with the help of Iran. However, they did not expect the IDF to invade with ground troops. But of course they know that Israel needs the support of the international community and must therefore abide by international law. Hamas is not really interested in controlling Gaza. Being able to maintain the fight against Israel is their real success.

Israel's goal is to disempower Hamas and free all the hostages. Is this possible?

It can take a very long time to overthrow such a terrorist organization, and nobody knows for sure whether all the hostages are still alive. For a democratic constitutional state, this asymmetric warfare is a difficult matter. A dictatorial regime would not only have razed Chan Junis and Rafah to the ground, but also stopped all aid deliveries to Gaza in order to quickly bring Hamas to its knees. But Israel cannot do that.

Do you know how your relatives in the Gaza Strip are doing?

On October 7, we saw that many civilians joined the terrorists after the Hamas attacks, entered Israel and committed numerous crimes against the Israeli population. When the hostages in Gaza were presented like trophies, people cheered and spat on them.

Almost two million Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip. Is everyone really a Hamas supporter?

Of course not. But just like in Nazi Germany, the people there have been indoctrinated with fanatical hatred of Jews for years. They see Israel as the enemy. To free such a society from this poisoned propaganda, a mixture of peace policy and prosperity is needed. But that is a long process.

Is there no uprising against the Hamas dictatorship?

As in all dictatorships, the population is intimidated and afraid. But the truth is that when the Jews suffer, the people there rejoice and hand out sweets. This is not something that is ordered by Hamas.

How long do you think this war will last?

I guess not too much longer. Israel's hands are tied. The pressure from the international community is increasing. This means that Hamas will reorganize itself and continue the war against the Jewish state as it has done in recent years. If you look at their development, they might plan something similar to October 7 in the next conflict, only it might take place in Tel Aviv or another major city.

So Israel will not achieve its goals?

Perhaps the hostages who are still alive will be returned after another prisoner exchange. But the country will remain traumatized for decades and, unfortunately, the next war will not be long in coming.

And the Gaza Strip?

Israel will have no other option than to occupy the Gaza Strip for a few years, "cleanse" the coastal strip of Hamas and at the same time build a new society with the help of the international community and a new moderate local leadership - but not with the corrupt Palestinian Authority. However, I doubt that this will succeed.

Do you not believe in a peaceful solution to the Middle East conflict?

Unfortunately, no. Because this conflict is no longer just about the Holy Land. It is a religious war against the Jewish and Christian "infidels" worldwide. After October 7, Western countries should be warned.

Tal Leder spoke to Dor Shachar