One of biggest lies that modern Zionism's propaganda promotes is that the Israeli-Arab conflict is based on a conflict of civilizations started by Muslims who are motivated by an historical hatred of Jews and try to eliminate the democratic Jewish state. Another attempt to connect the Palestinian resistance movement to the global Wahhabi terror committed mainly by Al Qaeda, ISIS and other Wahhabi groups that hijack the Islamic name. It appears that the real goal of this propaganda is to be portrayed in the West as the first line of defense for Europe and Western culture against all fanatics from the East, and as the protector for the Middle East’s Christians and Western values. I also believe that Zionists aim by promoting this propaganda to build a psychological fear barrier among the new Israeli generation to keep them suspicious and afraid from breaking the walls with Palestinians, supporting the one democratic secular state or adjacent independent Palestinian state. Unfortunately, it seems they have succeeded to a great extent, as Golda Meir’s quote: "We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us." That takes the conflict out of its ethnic cleansing context has become normal in Israeli society.
All of these misleading claims like historical hate or civilization conflict or Arab attempts to throw the Jews into the sea are mainly to maintain a public opinion that resists the Palestinian right of return or equal rights in this land which contradicts the Zionism’s vision of exclusive rights in the land. In fact, what occurred in 1948 is the opposite: tens of thousands of Jaffa inhabitants were forced to flee by sea in 1948. In other words, they were thrown into the sea by Zionists, and until today they have not been allowed to return.
In this article, I will not discuss how Israel aimed to transfer the conflict from nationalism to religion backed, As initially it was an attempt to create a counterbalance to the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) that was led by Palestinian Nationalism, left wings and Marxist freedom fighters but not by Islamist, though it ends up with making Islamist the major player in the military resistance . As an example I can refer to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) which was founded by George Habash, a Palestinian Christian who was born in Lydd (today Lod near Tel-aviv) and became a refugee in Jordan after the Zionists expelled almost all of the town's 50,000 Arab residents without any distinction between Christians and Muslims and killed Habash's sister. He, as a Christian, surely hadn’t fought Zionism either because of holding any Islamic beliefs or because of any historical hate between Jews and Muslims.
I also will not discuss the rise of Wahhabi ideology of terror and hatred because it’s not really connected to our context as these groups started to appear as global terror groups only in the 1980s and 1990s. Few decades after Palestinians-Zionist conflict started. I am going to discuss the origin of Wahhabism in a different article but let me mention here the fact that this hatred ideology actually is not only against Jews but towards all non-Wahhabi groups, including Sunni and Shiite Muslims. It’s not a secret that more than 90% of the terror attacks have occurred in Islamic countries like Pakistan, Iraq, Syria and north Africa and more than 90% of their victims have been indeed Muslims.
What I will do in this article is putting things into their real context and refuting the claims referring to some historical events or verses in the Quran as promoting hatred of Jews and as the reason for the rise of anti-Semitism in the Muslim world ---even though this is a misleading term as Arabs are also a Semitic race! I could argue that the rise in anti-Semitism is a result of the lack of distinction between Zionism and Judaism in mainstream media. At least that was my personal case when I was a kid, as both terms Zionism and Judaism appear always together in the Arabic media. I think the source of this lack of distinction is that Zionist propaganda itself is based on promoting Zionists as the representatives of Jews, hijacking their name and their symbols like the star of David and other biblical symbols. The fact that most Jews are not Zionists and most Zionists are not Jews is completely ignored in mainstream media, including the Arabic media.
Does the Quran really promote hatred against Jews?
Accusing the Quran of promoting the hatred of Jews by misquoting and taking verses out of their context is a completely absurd claim that is used to hide the original conflict context of ethnic cleansing ideology. There are some Muslim groups that use it to gain more political power in the internal political map by accusing the other party of not following the Quran’s teachings. Any objective reading of the Quran in its original Arabic script while being aware of the time and place context will lead immediately to the conclusion that the Quran is completely a love and justice message from God to the whole of mankind. Let me refer to the TED talk of Lesley Hazleton, An agnostic Jew that reads the Quran :
Another example for the Justice message that the Quran promoting are the verses that reprimand Muhammad of being little inclined to false Muslim alibi and clearing a Jewish man from stealing accusation which I refer to it in my other article “Is The Quran Authored By Muhammad or From God?” And the story of Jewish man said "God is poor, and we are rich." Which I refer to it in my other article “Killing In The Name of Defending The Prophet”
A common claim promoted by some Muslim groups that I personally hear it many times in TV programs is that the prophet requires the expulsion of the Jews and Christians from Arabia. This refers to one oral hadith that seems to be unauthentic or misquoted as it contradicts Quran's teaching itself. It's enough to ask the very simple question why neither He nor his companions or Rashidun Caliphate who followed him did that? They even did the opposite and guaranteed the freedom of worship to all communities. Jewish and Christian communities do exist in all history in Arabia and even up to today in Yemen, the south of Arabia. According to Islamic laws we should give priority for Quran over oral Hadith and to discredit the oral Hadith that contradicts with the Quran core teaching.
Another verse that was abused to serve that claim is 6:82. You will find that the people most hostile towards the believers are the Jews and the polytheists. And you will find that the nearest in affection towards the believers are those who say, "We are Christians." That is because among them are priests and monks, and they are not arrogant. 6:83. And when they hear what was revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears, as they recognize the truth in it. They say, "Our Lord, we have believed, so count us among the witnesses." These verses were revealed in a narrow context, reading the whole chapter will point out that they also refer to specific Jewish communities near Madina; what these verses tell is that Christians near Madina were more kind to Muslims than Jews and polytheist- Arabs because they had less ego and were not arrogant, which made them more open to the newborn community. Trying to generalize this beyond that time and place is irrelevant. For example, the Crusaders were Christians but they were not kind to anyone and they were highly arrogant. In addition, after the revelation of these verses no action was taken against any Jewish community as these verses only have an informative context that does not call to any action. All reference to hatred in the Quran are based on actions and not towards people. In other words, hate the wrong action or the but not the wrongdoer who could later regret what he did and be forgiven by God. Misquoting, adding false interpretation that contradicts the behavior of the Prophet himself and totally ignoring verses that complement all believers regardless of their label like (2:62) "Those who believe, and those who are Jewish, and the Christians, and the Sabeans-any who believe in God and the Last Day, and act righteously-will have their reward with their Lord; they have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve". Or verses like (3:64). Say, "O People of the Book (Jews and Christians), come to a level word between us and you: that we worship none but God, and that we associate nothing with Him, and that none of us takes others as lords besides God." And if they turn away, say, "Bear witness that we have submitted." Which called to unity between all Abrahamic religions under the monotheistic terms, or the Qur'anic term “level word” are completely an abuse of the Quran verses.
Add to that that it’s ironic to claim that the Quran promotes hate against Jews or Christian while the Islamic laws do allow the Muslim man to marry Jewish or Christian woman and force him to allow his wife to practise her religion in his house in case she choose to stay on it. Would it make sense for anybody to marry a woman that he had to hate and yet to allow her to practise her religion freely?
The REAL roots of the conflict
UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION 3013 from 1973 States:
UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION 3013 from 1973 States:
“The struggles of people under colonial and alien determination and racist regimes for the implementation of their right to self-determination and independence is legitimate and in full accordance with the principles of international law.”
Palestinian resistance is not only in full accordance with the principles of international law, but also in full accordance with all basic human rights and all Abrahamic religions teaching including Islam, as the Quran states: 42: 39. And those who, when wronged, defend themselves. 40. The repayment of a bad action is one equivalent to it. But whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward lies with God. He does not love the unjust.
A good lecture I recommended for who want to know the real roots of Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “Beyond Zionism” by Miko Peled; the author of the son of General!
The concept of fighting in Islam
When Islam was pure religion without a political entity(13 years of Meccan period) fighting was totally prohibited even in case of self-defense as Islam was a faith only without laws or regulations. Fighting was allowed only in Medina period(10 years followed the 13 of Meccan) when Islam became a political entity and there was a need to regulate political and social issues. In that period Islam start regulating everything from relations between communities (see constitution of madina) to defense policies and war laws. In the case of fighting it was allowed only in narrow circumstances and only allowed fighting back but totally prohibit killing or betraying.we can see that in the context of 22:39 which is the first verse that permitted fighting in Islam. 22:38 Indeed, God defends those who have believed. Indeed, God does not like everyone treacherous and ungrateful.22:39 Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, God is competent to give them victory. 22:40 [They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right - only because they say, "Our Lord is God ." And were it not that God checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of God is much mentioned. And God will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, God is Powerful and Exalted in Might.22:41 [And they are] those who,when We empower them in the land, establish prayer and give regular charity and command what is right and forbid what is wrong. And to God belongs the outcome of [all] matters. In other words fight should be in the context of a battle and the context of self-defense or fighting back and your rival should be fully aware of that. Attacks against civilians and targeting non-fighters like women or children or even fighters not in battle context are cowardly, outrageous acts that can’t be justified under any term of Islamic laws.
And again the Quran never generalize the fight to the whole group but restrict it the small one that act against you as Quran states 17:15 No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another. As we can also see that in the context of the polytheist-Arabs who were fighting against the new born community 60:8. As for those who have not fought against you for your religion, nor expelled you from your homes, God does not prohibit you from dealing with them kindly and equitably. God loves the equitable. 9. But God prohibits you from befriending those who fought against you over your religion, and expelled you from your homes, and aided in your expulsion. Whoever takes them for friends-these are the wrongdoers.
You may have heard different versions used by minority groups in the Palestinian side to justify violence acts against all Israelis, such as the claim we are in an open battle with Israel, and military service in Israel is mandatory for both men and women so there is no thing called Israeli civilian, everyone is either an active or reserve soldier. For me such claims are a misleading by manipulation of terms. My message for all Palestinians is that look who is your example when you fight, Zionists of the 1940s are not our example and it makes no sense to fight them using their own 1940s terror tactics thus we become equal. And if we are equal then what is the point of fighting? Add to that not all Israelis consider themselves in open battle with Palestinians and we can’t take position in their behalf, In fact many of them either reject the Zionism in case of the orthodox Jews or redefine it far from it’s ethnic cleansing roots in case of the left wings secular Jews, and yet many of them are advocate Palestinian rights, including the right of return more than the Palestinian’s leaders themselves. The open battle concept might be true for some right-wing Zionist settlers who live in private Palestinian lands and those who are continuously attack Palestinians and Palestinian properties in west-bank to “inherit” their lands but surely can’t be applicable to all Israelis and surely can’t be regardless of specific time and place.
Even those who label themselve with “Zionism” can’t be automatically defined as enemies as the Zionism term itself has also become an ambiguous one as the many of the new Israeli generations who define themselves as Zionists are totally unaware of the ethnic cleansing based roots of Zionism. They simply hear a different narrative which I discussed in my other article, "Voiding the Israeli-Zionist narrative" and they have been brainwashed to adopt the Zionist ideology without being aware what it is. There are groups who still define the Zionism as its roots, and they still practice and promote the racist ethnic cleansing in the occupied territories and calling to transfer Palestinians to Jordan and to “clean” the land. Yes these groups are in power and part of the current government but many have also re-defined Zionism as the love of "birthplace" and defending Jewish values and calling to end the occupation of the west bank.
An example of the “ambiguity” of this term happened in the last Knesset elections when the "Jewish Home" party led by the extremist Zionist Naftali Bennett accused the "Zionist Union" party of misleading others by calling themselves Zionist while they accept two state solutions which, according to him, is against Zionist values. The "Zionist Union" party responded by accusing the "Jewish Home" party of misleading others by calling themselves "Jewish home" while promoting racism and ethnic supremacy in the West Bank, which is against Jewish values, and claiming that their values were the true Zionism values.
My last advice to my Palestinian-Muslims. We already have lost our lands and lives of dear people but let us not lose our moral, It’s our right to resist Zionism and racism but let us choose the better way and investigate well the means. The end justifies the means has never been part of our culture and should never been our value. I would prefer to lose my land, properties and even my life than carrying iniquity against others or attacking somebody just because of his label or committing any wrongs in the name of the resistance, as God describes those who come to Judgement day carrying iniquity as complete failure. Being a “loser” in this worldly life is way better than being a loser in the hereafter!
20:111. (All) faces shall be humbled before - the Ever Living, the Self-Subsisting(In the Judgement day); hopeless (complete failure) indeed will be the man that carries iniquity 20:112. But he who works deeds of righteousness, and has faith, will have no fear of harm nor of any curtailment (of his reward).
Roots of tolerance and cooperation
There are definitely no historic roots to any conflict between Arabs and Jews beyond the last century. As prior to the rise of Zionism, Jews lived in large communities in all of the Middle Eastern and North African countries, including Palestine itself, without the fear of any Holocaust like their brothers in Europe. But instead of continuing validating or invalidating controversial narrations, in an argument that will never end, I will refer to historical facts that will make it clear to you which version was the authentic and which was not. I will only refer to the last 14 centuries only even though the roots of cooperation are much deeper in history: I could start with Moses time who indeed was married to an Arab woman from Midian or with Abraham, the father of two nations but that makes no sense in our context.
* In 622 AD, immediately after the Prophet immigrated to Medina, he ordered the constitution of Medina. The constitution starts with a declaration that all of the inhabitants of Medina, including non-Muslims and 8 Jewish tribes are one nation and should not show any hostility towards others. see the full version in the website http://www.constitutionofmadina.com/ , As a summary it declares that non-Muslim are members and the Jews will have the same political and cultural rights as Muslims. They will have autonomy and freedom of religion and all of them will take up arms against the enemy of the nation and share the cost of war. There is to be no treachery between the Muslims and non-Muslims of Medina.
* In 637 AD, immediately after Patriarch Sophronius agreed to surrender and submit Jerusalem Umar, he entered Jerusalem and announced the Umar’s Assurance to the People of Jerusalem in which he gave them an assurance of safety and security for their property and churches, and ensured freedom of worship for all including Jews. This ended 500 years of oppressive Byzantine rule, where Jews were not allowed to worship inside Jerusalem. The Jewish Community flourished in Jerusalem until the time of the Crusaders, when Jews and Muslims fought together and they also lost together with the fall of Jerusalem and suffered together the brutality of the Crusaders who killed more than 30000 and burned the synagogue of Jerusalem which was used as shelter.
* In 711 AD, the conquest of Hispania (Spain) took place and some historians refer to it as Jewish-Umayyad allies against the Visigothic Kingdom. This claim is not historically validated and few resources refer to the fact Umayyad Caliph refused to send an army to Spain as it was not under Byzantine rule and posed no threat on him but later accepted after getting calls from Jews asking for help against the Visigothic's persecution laws. But either way what is sure is that the Umayyad army that entered Spain got huge support from both local Christians who followed a different church than the official one and were persecuted because of that and from local Jews who suffered from harsh laws passed by King Sisebut and later in 694 were enslaved by citing them with conspiracy. During the 700 years of Umayyad’s rule of Spain which in general was tolerant to all communities, the Jewish community flourished there and this period is described as the golden age of Jewish culture. Later in 1492 AD, again as with the case of Crusaders, Muslims and Jews lost and faced the same fate together. Both were given the choice to convert to Christianity or to leave and those who refused were later expelled to North Africa, where Jewish communities continued to flourish until the last century with the establishment of Israel while their brothers in Europe faced antisemitism and later the terrible Holocaust. A good documentary about this period is "When the Moors Ruled Europe"
* In 1187 AD, Saladin recaptured Jerusalem. Upon the capture of Jerusalem, Saladin summoned the Jews and permitted them to resettle again in the city after they were prohibited by the Crusaders. In particular, the residents of Ashkelon, a large Jewish settlement, responded to his request and moved to Jerusalem.
I can go on and on and provide more examples but I think my point is clear now. This article aimed to put things in their real context and to emphasis that it could be better as it was before. The walls of fear and distrust that were built between the two communities just to serve the political views of extremist should fall. Those extremists who manipulate terms and historical events to serve their agenda of having exclusive rights in this land without any consideration for the people who will lose should not be given the stage. From my deep knowledge of Palestinian society, I can say with full assurance that the Palestinian resistance which was started by refugees would end with their return! Any other solution that doesn't give them this basic right while giving the right of return to Jews who can't even trace their ancestors to the ancient Hebrew is racist, unacceptable and would keep this conflict running on.
Even if we use the same absurd logic of historical rights using the same source, the Bible; Jerusalem was built and inhabited by Jebusites before it had been conquered by King David. So the modern Palestinians, who like other Levant inhabitants are a mixed race of Jebusites, Canaanites, Ghassanids and Adnanite-Arabs, could have a stronger claim of historical rights as they were the ones who built Jerusalem according to the Bible. The lie of historical roots of the conflict is clearly to justify the ethnic cleansing act and prevent any consideration in the Israeli society to accept a nearby Palestinian state or the one democratic state solution between the river and the sea. Answers like, "Can you trust them? They hate us!" or "How could we give land to Arabs, our historical enemies?" are a direct result of the last few decades of hate spreading but decades of conflict can't hide centuries of cooperation.
Continuing to build these walls and to increase the hatred will lead to a huge conflict that will eventually result in one pure ethnic state between the Jordanian River and Mediterranean Sea. I am afraid of how many people will die if this continues. And what ethnicity would it be? The middle east nowadays is not the same as 1940s, any try to make a 2nd ethnic cleansing round is a huge risky bet. For that reason I could argue that Ultra-Zionism is the real enemy of the Jews as it is insane to take this risky bet on the behalf of a whole nation. .
Even if we use the same absurd logic of historical rights using the same source, the Bible; Jerusalem was built and inhabited by Jebusites before it had been conquered by King David. So the modern Palestinians, who like other Levant inhabitants are a mixed race of Jebusites, Canaanites, Ghassanids and Adnanite-Arabs, could have a stronger claim of historical rights as they were the ones who built Jerusalem according to the Bible. The lie of historical roots of the conflict is clearly to justify the ethnic cleansing act and prevent any consideration in the Israeli society to accept a nearby Palestinian state or the one democratic state solution between the river and the sea. Answers like, "Can you trust them? They hate us!" or "How could we give land to Arabs, our historical enemies?" are a direct result of the last few decades of hate spreading but decades of conflict can't hide centuries of cooperation.
Continuing to build these walls and to increase the hatred will lead to a huge conflict that will eventually result in one pure ethnic state between the Jordanian River and Mediterranean Sea. I am afraid of how many people will die if this continues. And what ethnicity would it be? The middle east nowadays is not the same as 1940s, any try to make a 2nd ethnic cleansing round is a huge risky bet. For that reason I could argue that Ultra-Zionism is the real enemy of the Jews as it is insane to take this risky bet on the behalf of a whole nation. .
