Ayman al-Zawahiri warns: Israel will "pay the price" for attacking muslims

July 27, 2006

Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's second in command, has released a new videotape calling for a holy war against the "Zionists and crusaders" and saying that "the war with Israel does not depend on ceasefires."

"Oh Muslims everywhere, I call on you to fight and become martyrs in the war against the Zionists and the crusaders. The war with Israel does not depend on ceasefires... It is a jihad for God's sake and will last until religion prevails ... from Spain to Iraq. My fellow Muslims, it is obvious that Arab and Islamic governments are not only impotent but also complicit...and you are alone on the battlefield. Rely on God and fight your enemies...make yourselves martyrs," said Zawahiri.

Zawahiri also said that the entire planet is an "open battlefield," and that "we [al-Qaeda] will attack everywhere." He claimed that the rockets Israel is using to take out Hezbollah are supplied by the "countries of the crusader coalition. Since they are attacking us everywhere, we will attack everywhere," he said. "We cannot just watch these shells as they burn our brothers in Gaza and Lebanon and stand by idly, humiliated," Zawahiri added.

In the video, an image of the burning World Trade Center towers could be seen in the background and the images of two other militants, Mohammed Atta and Mohammed Atef, were also present.

Zawahiri also makes reference to the three Israeli soldiers that were kidnapped saying, "The 10,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israel's prisons do not move anything while three Israeli prisoners have shaken the world."

This is the tenth message Zawahiri has made since the beginning of 2006.