Turkish Islamic scholar Adnan Oktar is urging Hamas and Islamic Jihad on his A9TV satellite television talk show to stop the rocket fire from Gaza and instead focus on calling for the Messiah.

Oktar, based in Istanbul, is known for hosting colleagues of various other faiths, including numerous rabbis from Israel, Europe and the United States. He is active in interfaith affairs and has studied Judaic and Christian texts in addition to those of his own Muslim faith, a point for which radical Islamists have often vilified him -- and sometimes even threatened him -- around the world.

The Islamic scholar said last week in response to an article about Israel's current Operation Pillar of Defense, detailing the IAF's attacks on Gaza to silence the rocket fire against southern Israeli communities, “What Israel must do is constantly ask Allah for Moshiach, for the coming of the King Messiah. What Palestine must do is constantly ask Allah and strive for the Mahdi and Islamic Unity.

“These rocket attacks and the like are totally stupid and pointless,” he said. “They do nothing for five months and then suddenly decide to attack Israel and fire off 300 rockets. Where? At whom? What is your target? The rockets fall on the homes of innocent Israeli civilians. Where does that get you?” he asked.

“They then retaliate and hundreds or thousands of people are martyred, homes are bulldozed and children are martyred or injured. I fail to understand why they carry out such plans and why they want it. Who sets these things in motion in Palestine? And who goes along and regards these things as logical? I want to know. Have you never heard of peace, my brother?

“There are the sons of Jacob there. Let them live in peace. And there are the sons of Ishmael. Leave them in peace, too. Sit down as brothers, break bread, talk... They can pray in the synagogues and you can pray in the mosques. But live in peace, my brothers. They insist on engaging in provocative actions. That is very, very wrong.”