(JTA) — A senior operative of Egypt’s Islamic Jihad has vowed to fight Egyptian Jews who respond to an invitation for them to return.
“We shall fight them vigorously if they return, especially the Egyptian-Israeli Jews," Mohamed Abou Samra said Friday, according to The Egypt Independent.
He added, “Islamic Sharia says they deserve to be killed.”
Abou Samra’s comments came after Essam al-Erian, an adviser to Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, called last week on Jews born in Egypt to return in order to “free up land for the Palestinians.”
Abou Samra, the secretary-general of the Safety and Development Party, which is affiliated with Egyptian Islamic Jihad, called on Erian to resign. Erian also blamed the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser for pushing Egypt’s Jews out of the country after the establishment of Israel.
“Erian is violating religion to be a national hero for the Jews at the expense of the Islamists,” Abou Samra said.
“They will destroy the economy and foment sedition,” he said of the Jews. “Their return will be over our dead bodies.”
