President Bush is not likely to find many Muslim allies in his war on terrorism within Israel if recent statements by Arab leaders are any indication.
In an article about the radicalization of Muslims living inside Israel and the Palestinian territories in the Hebrew publication Ha’aretz, journalist Daniel Ben Simon quotes one Muslim as saying, “Bush and Hitler are the same thing. You can write what I’m telling you, but don’t mention my name. …”
Sheikh Nazim Abu Salim, the imam of the downtown Nazareth Mosque, predicts boldly that, as a result of the war on terrorism, Muslims around the world will rise up in their countries, cities and villages, depose their leaders and establish Islamic rule.
“A bunch of fawning flatterers,” the sheikh said in characterizing Arab leaders who must be overthrown. “Cowardly kings, princes, and prime ministers who act like slaves of the American overlord. These leaders are the whip of the Americans and the British and they know that their time has come. The day will come, and soon, when the Arab puppet governments will vanish along with the darkness. The Muslim peoples are about to win the glory they have been awaiting thanks to the war in Afghanistan.”
He is hardly alone. An acolyte gleefully told Ha’aretz that America is about to be defeated in Afghanistan.
“As much as America suffered in Vietnam, it will be even worse in
Afghanistan,” said Haj Sa’id, an advocate of Islamic jihad. “Those people live in caves, they have no food and they don’t care whether they live or die. Those people believe in Allah more than anyone in the world because they go by the Koran. You Westerners don’t understand anything. Those people want to be shahids (martyrs), and even if they are faced by a tank or an airplane, they are stronger because there’s nothing in the world stronger than a shahid who is not afraid to die.”
Meanwhile, the head of intelligence for Yasser Arafat’s Palestinian Authority yesterday denied there is any Arab terrorism in Israel – despite Arafat’s public claims to be trying to clamp down on attacks on Israeli civilians.
“There are no terrorists,” said Tafik Tirawa. “We will arrest no one. Those who open fire on Israelis are not terrorists. It is the Israelis who are terrorists.”
Tirawa spoke in Arabic on the Voice of Palestine. The translation was made by the Center for Near East Policy Research.
“We say to the Israelis that your state is the terrorist state that opens fire on our people,” he continued. “You are first required to arrest your settlers and soldiers.”
