Deceitful Politicians Undermine Peace
Since 1948 most Arab nations have tried to destroy Israel in an ongoing "war
of elimination and massive massacre" – the words of Azzam Pasha, then Secretary
General of the Arab League. Arafat finally realised that the Palestinians were not winning
the world’s sympathy with their bloody rhetoric of ‘destroying Israel’ so,
in 1993, he cleverly accepted a ‘peace’ strategy for which he won the Nobel
Peace Prize.
But it was not easy for Arafat to convince his fellow freedom fighters from Hamas
and Islamic Jihad to join him in this new peacemaking venture with the ‘Zionist
enemy’. He had to show his comrades in arms that this approach was actually a
stepping-stone to achieving their goal of recapturing all of Palestine.
When Arafat was in the spotlight of world media he spoke of peace and acknowledged
Israel’s right to exist but when speaking to Muslims it was a different story;
"after this agreement," he said, "you have to understand our
main battle is Jerusalem – ... it is not their capital. It is our capital ...
This agreement, I am not considering it more than the agreement which had been signed
between our prophet Mohammed and Quraish. But Muhammad accepted it and we are accepting
now this peace offer ... Peace for us means the destruction of Israel. We are preparing
for an all out war." (from a lecture by Arafat in a Johannesburg mosque, 10 May 1994).
How can Arafat speak of making a peace treaty and then promptly talk of ‘preparing for
all out war’? You must realize that Muhammad took advantage of the treaty of Hudaybiyya
to reopen hostilities at a more opportune time and ultimately gain victory over the Meccans.
Using Muhammd's example as a precedent, the mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdel Aziz
Bin-Baz, explained that "peace with Israel is permissible only on condition
that it is a temporary truce, until the Muslims build up the strength needed to expel
the Jews." (IMRA, March 2002) The mufti speaks of ‘expelling the Jews’
but Arafat bluntly calls for "the destruction of Israel".
Shortly after Oslo, he explained how he would accomplish this, "Since we cannot
defeat Israel in war, we do this in stages. We take any and every territory we can of
Palestine ... and use it as a springboard to take more. When the time comes, we can
get the Arab nations to join us for the final blow against Israel." (from
an interview on Jordanian Television, as quoted in "The Threat Inherent in
a Palestinian State" by Don Feder, Insight Magazine, 13 May 2003)
Arafat used similar words to encourage radical Muslim groups to cooperate with him.
Arafat wrote to them in a letter dated 18 November 1994, "In order to obtain
the goal of returning to Palestine, all of us sometimes have to grit our teeth but it is
forbidden that this harm the continued struggle against the Zionist enemy. Cooperation
between the PLO and the rejectionist organizations is what will lead to the ...
establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem. Only a state like
that, can continue the struggle to remove the enemy from all Palestinian lands."
(quoted in "Unholy War: America, Israel and Radical Islam" by Randall Price)
Fifteen months later Arafat had not changed. Speaking in Stockholm to a group of Arab
ambassadors he said, "We plan to eliminate the state of Israel ... We Palestinians
will take over everything, including all of Jerusalem." (as reported to the
Norwegian daily ‘Dagen’, 6 Feb. 1996).
Has Arafat changed since then? Since the latest intifada started organizations like
Al Aqsa Brigade and Tanzim, under Arafat’s authority, have repeatedly claimed
responsibility for killing Israeli civilians. Also, documents captured in Arafat’s
head-quarters show his signature authorizing payment for arms and explosives for a variety
of terrorist groups.
Arafat’s bloody intentions are seen in his repeated calls for "a million
martyrs to march on Jerusalem". A Palestinian comrade responded to this call by
blowing himself up along with 24 Israeli teenagers at the Dolphinarium disco in 2001.
European leaders pressed Arafat to make a statement condemning the attack. Shortly afterwards
Arafat wrote a letter to the bomber’s family praising him as a "martyr" and
"a model of sacrifice".
With Jerusalem as his rallying cry, Arafat recently signed into ‘law’
a document claiming all Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. Perhaps this was
a way of countering Ariel Sharon’s declaration, "Jerusalem is the indivisible
capital of Israel for all eternity." Opposing claims like these are fueling the
conflict and hope for peace is virtually dead.
Deceitful Clerics Undermine Peace
As we move from the political arena to religion, the plot thickens. Mufti Ikrama Sabri,
the leading religious figure in Palestine, sanctioned Arafat’s claim to Jerusalem,
saying, "There is not the smallest indication of the evidence of a Jewish temple
on this place in the past. In the whole city there is not even a single stone indicating
Jewish history." (in an interview in Jan. 2000 with the German paper Die Welt).
Such blatant denials and lies have not gone unnoticed by other Muslim clerics.
Abdul Palazzi, Secretary General of the Italian Muslim Association (PhD. Al-Azhar University)
noted, "The Palestinian Arabs deny that the Holy Temple ever stood on the Temple
Mount. I was part of an international delegation that visited Israel in 2000. The Wakf
took us to visit Al Aqsa. Right outside of the Dome of the Rock is a small chapel on
the eastern side.
‘What is this place?’ I asked.
‘It is the place where Solomon stood to dedicate the Temple,’ was the reply.
‘Then why do you deny this?’ I asked.
With a smile I was told, ‘For political reasons.’"
Palazzi rejects these lies saying, "Imam Tabari wrote, ‘Lives of
Prophets and Kings’. He described the life of King Solomon and the Temple he built.
Anyone who denies this not only denies history, but denies Islamic sources."
Such denials contradict a statement by the Supreme Muslim Council of Jerusalem (1930),
The sanctity of the Temple Mount "dates from the earliest times. Its identity
with the site of Solomon’s temple is beyond dispute."
Such blatant lies seem to evoke no shame. But there is something else just as
detestable that many Muslim clerics are guilty of – poisoning the minds of Palestinians
with teaching that implies genocide, "The Last Hour would not come til the Muslims
fight against the Jews and the Muslims kill them until the Jews hide themselves, and the
stones and trees would speak up saying, ... There is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill
him." (Sahih Muslim, Book 40, #6985)
If we do not understand the religious roots of Muslim hatred against Jews and
Arafat’s deceitful schemes we will have unrealistic expectations about new peace
initiatives. Generations of Palestinians have been fed on propaganda denying the legitimacy
of the state of Israel and glorifying martyrdom. It is not surprising, therefore, that
a clear majority of Palestinians continue to support suicide bombers and about 50% believe
the goal should be the "total liberation of Palestine", i.e. the
elimination of Israel. For nearly 10 years P.A. leaders have falsely promised to prohibit
schools and the media from allowing inciting statements to be made against Jews. As a
result a deep rooted bitterness has infected many Palestinians. Arafat’s heart has
not changed and, unfortunately, neither have the attitudes of his people.
As for Abu Mazen, the new Palestinian Prime Minister, recently said, "the
intifada must continue ... It is the right of the Palestinian people to rise and use
all the means at their disposal." Also, it does not bode well, that Abu Mazen
offered two cabinet positions in his government to the terrorist group Hamas. The fact
that he made this offer calls into serious question his commitment to root out terrorism.
In spite of all the faults with the Palestinians, they are not the only ones hindering
peace – the Jews also share responsibility. ...