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Even before his announcement that Syria is not looking for a confrontation with Israel, the leader of HTS, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, faced harsh campaigns from Iran sympathizers and anti-Islamist actors.
By OHAD MERLIN DECEMBER 18, 2024 10:00
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. (Illustrative)
(photo credit: AREF TAMMAWI/AFP via Getty Images, Canva, REUTERS/DADO RUVIC, REUTERS/SARAH MEYSSONNIER)
'Jewlani confirmed!’
Conspiracy theories regarding the origins of Ahmad Al-Sharaa, leader of triumphant Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, have been going rampant on social and traditional media across the Middle East and beyond, propagated mainly by Islamic Republic sympathizers and Assad regime loyalists.
Al-Sharaa, who took the nickname Abu Mohammad Al-Julani, has been facing staunch criticism for his role in the fall of the Assad regime, considered an important crossroads of the Iranian axis, originating in media personalities, politicians, and even academics. Al-Julani also faces attacks from anti-Islamist actors who reject Salafi ideologies and base their disdain on his roles in several Al-Qaeda offshoots.
Conspiracy theories varied, with many attempting to claim that nothing is known of Al-Julani’s past and origins, despite official claims that his family hails from Syria - while others relied on Julani’s quote from earlier this week that he is not looking for a conflict with Israel, deeming him “a Jew.”
An Iranian user named Dr. Shahla surfed on the trend, tweeting, “Why is there no knowledge of Abu Muhammad al-Julani's family? Look it up and make sure. It is very likely that he will turn out to be like Abu Hafs, the preacher of the Libyan mosque, who turned out to be a Jewish officer in the Israeli Mossad.”
A user named “Roaring of the Syrian Revolution” claimed to his tens of thousands of followers on X/Twitter and Telegram that Al-Jolani is a “creation of the Mossad,” also alleging that he is the son of Iraqi Shi’i cleric Musa Al-Sader, referring to some physical similarities between the two.
Another leader claimed by conspiracists to be Al-Julani’s doppelganger was no other than Ukrainian leader Volodimir Zelensky.
Hossam Al-Ghamry, an anchor at the Cairo-based Tahrir Egyptian Network (TeN), pointed at the similarity between the two, adding, “The terrorist Al-Julani kept dressing, talking and taking pictures like the Jew Zelensky… And the media applauds him… Netanyahu is so happy with you.”
In a different post, he added, ironically, “This tells us that Mossad and CIA have a shortage of stylist jobs.”
In this same context, an Egyptian account opined that Al-Julani, in fact, looks like famous Israeli spy Eli Cohen. Another claimed that he resembles Zionism’s visionary Theodore Hertzel.
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A Houthi newspaper from Yemen published a caricature showing Julani being controlled as a puppet by Erdogan, which in turn was controlled by Israel and the US.
Salwa Al-Soubi, an Egyptian law scholar and lawyer, posted on X, “Israeli Mossad: This is a spy we prepared well…” also pointing at what she deemed the USA’s “double game” of both regarding Al-Julani as a wanted terrorist and leading interviews with him on CNN.
Mossad-Al-Julani conspiracies abroad
The Mossad theories went beyond the Middle Eastern sphere.
Danish politician and former economic analyst Mads Palsvig uploaded an exceptionally viral post that accused Al-Sharaa of being a Mossad mole. Palsvig insinuated that Al-Julani was a Jew named Yonatan Zvi David, who graduated from a non-existing institute named the “School of Islamic Jurisprudence in Tel Aviv.”
The post was viewed over two million views, received 14,000 likes, and was reposted 6,600 on X.
Another strikingly eccentric conspiracy theory had to do with Al-Sharaa’s tactical attire, which was depicted as being made by Israeli footwear firm Source (‘Shoresh’).
Viral posts circulated showing a pixelated screenshot of Al-Sharaa with a logo on his back alleging that it was made by the Israeli company, even though, upon close inspection, it was the logo of a different Chinese clothing company named Emersongear.
Some, however, well understood that these were mere conspiracy theories, making fun of the extent of their ridiculousness.
A user named Mostafa Abdel Lateef wrote, ironically, “Confirmed news about Al-Julani from reliable sources: of Jewish origin, a graduate of Tel Aviv University, an extremist Islamist who maintains prayers in mosques, and a ISIS / Taliban / Muslim Brotherhood member. These are our reliable sources. Do you understand now why our people are suffering?”
To this, a user named Ammar commented, “And he will also turn out to be Iranian at the same time. Just like [the theories that] ‘Sisi's mother is Jewish’ and ‘Bashar is of Jewish origin’ and the goes on.”
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