Hamas attacked a new Israeli initiative to increase tourism from Muslim countries in East Asia, Africa, India and Pakistan in what it called, an “Israeli tourist scheme,” according to the website, The Palestinian Information Center.
"We in Hamas warn of the seriousness of this Zionist plan, which aims to support the Zionist allegation, to reinforce the Talmudic Jewish dimension, to promote the alleged Jewish right in Al-Aqsa Mosque and its compound and to obliterate the historical depth of the Arab and Islamic civilization," read a Hamas statement on the website.
Hamas also said that the Israeli move will not succeed in changing Muslim attitudes or keep them from defending Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. It also called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League to force its members to reject this Israeli initiative.