Shin Bet's 'Green Prince'
“Israel is the solution, not the problem.”
Hamas is finished, even if it means a regional war. Israel is determined. Even if Israel loses American support, the Jewish people are not going to allow savages, Nazis, antisemites - whatever you want to name them. It doesn’t matter where they go or how far they go. Even if Elon Musk puts them on Mars, Israeli intelligence will go after them on Mars and blow them up there. Israel will never allow Hamas to repeat this attack again. Never again.
The Green Prince
I decided to put pen to paper after viewing a YouTube podcast video, which appears at the conclusion of this article. While the greater portion of the pro-Palestinian movement is made up of kids who have no coherent ideology, but simply desire to join in on what they perceive as the majority viewpoint among their peers. In other words, more me-tooism.
While this piece (nor anything else) is likely to change indoctrinated minds or quiet antisemitic hatred, perhaps it will coax others to a nuanced and well-reasoned position distinguished by moral clarity.
Mosab Hassan Yousef, the Green Prince, is an outspoken figure known for his unique background and transformation from being involved with Hamas to working against the terror organization from within Israeli intelligence.
He was born in 1978 in Ramallah, in Israel’s West Bank, and is the son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group responsible for the October 7th barbarism against Israeli civilians, including women and children - and even babies - that resulted in 1,200 killed and over 200 taken hostage.
Yousef was exposed to Hamas' activities and ideologies from a young age, his father's role in the organization having deeply influenced his formative years. He was arrested and imprisoned by Israeli authorities in 1996. He was a teenager at the time, around 18-years-old, and served 16-months.
Mosab Hassan Yousef's arrest marked a pivotal moment in his life, setting him on a path that would eventually lead to his collaboration with Israeli intelligence. During his time in Israeli prison, Yousef was exposed to a side of Hamas that was previously obscured from him. He observed firsthand the organization’s operational dynamics, internal politics and the way they treated other Palestinians, including acts of brutality.
This exposure to the harsh realities of Hamas's activities within the prison system, combined with the ideologies he encountered, led to a profound reevaluation of his own beliefs. It was in this environment of confrontation and revelation that Yousef's perspective began to shift, ultimately leading him to work with Shin Bet as an informant, driven by a desire to prevent further violence and loss of life. His Shin Bet code name was, “Green Prince.”
“If you want to get to know someone, live in a small room with them for a few years.”
Yousef provided Israeli intelligence with information that reportedly helped prevent bombings and assassinate high-profile targets within Hamas. His work was pivotal in averting numerous terrorist attacks, according to Shin Bet. A full length feature film recounting his remarkable story, titled “The Green Prince,” was released in 2014.1
In the early 2000s, Yousef converted to Christianity, a significant transformation given his upbringing, to say the least. His conversion was influenced by his questioning of Hamas’ tactics and ideology, as well as by random encounters with British tourists. His religious conversion and disillusionment with Hamas led him eventually to sever all ties with the organization.
In 2007, Yousef moved to the United States where he was granted political asylum. In 2010, he published his memoir titled Son of Hamas, which became, and remains today, a bestseller.
In Son of Hamas, Mosab reveals new information about the world's most dangerous terrorist organization and unveils the truth about his own secret role, his agonizing separation from family and homeland, his dangerous choices, and his belief that the mandate to "love your enemies" is the only way to peace in the Middle East.
Son of Hamas’ back cover
Yousef frequently speaks out against Hamas’ methods and ideology, advocating for non-violent approaches to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict along the lines of the Abraham Accords.2 He has also expressed criticism of the broader radical Islamist Jihad ideology. This ideology poses not only an existential threat to Israel, but to Western Civilization as well.
In Yousef’s view, Israel’s policy of allowing ceasefires with Hamas, like the one following the 2014 war, and in previous interludes between conflicts, is fundamentally wrongheaded. “These ceasefires only enable Hamas to rebuild its strength, politically and militarily.”3
His story is somewhat controversial; Yousef is viewed as a traitor by some Palestinians and Hamas members, while others praise him for his efforts to prevent violence. He continues to share his perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, radical Islam and his personal journey of spiritual transformation.4
I highly recommend this informative and very entertaining video podcast featuring Jordan Harbinger and Mosab Hassan Yousef. A viewer commented, “Mosab I believe you. I used to be one of those outsiders that blamed Israel. You have helped me see the truth. I believe you.”
The Green Prince (IMDb)
The Abraham Accords are bilateral agreements on Arab–Israeli normalization signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on September 15, 2020.
Following the 2014 kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas members, Israel conducts a sweep against Hamas in the West Bank, prompting rocket attacks from Gaza and Israeli air raids. The seven-week conflict that ensues results in more than 2,200 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, more than half of them civilians. In Israel, 67 soldiers and six civilians are killed. Israel comes under heavy international criticism for its use of what the United Nations calls “disproportionate force.” (NPR)