From the Mouths of our Enemies, Pt 3

Here is the next installment, just in time for the holidays.  Gather the little ones around the roasting chestnuts, it's story time.

The Creation of Israel brings on the Race to Hell

   Starting with the Balfour Declaration in 1922 and ending with UN General Assembly Resolution (UNGAR) 181(9) in 1948; the creation of Israel within the borders of the Palestine Partition Plan was a tough slog for all involved.   Hatred was still bubbling below the surface but it seemed everyone wanted the same thing, peace. 

    Just before Hassan Al-Bannas death in early 1947 he summed up the Arab worlds feelings about peace and the newest member of the Middle East neighborhood by saying this, "Israel will exist, and will continue to exist, until Islam abolishes it, as it abolished that which was before it."(10) This cemented the ideological vision Islam would have in regards to Israel, and by extension any of her allies. 

   Up to this time, the West had been seen mostly as just a nuisance by governments in the Middle East, someone to be tolerant of until they were no longer needed.  With the creation of Israel, the West was seen then as no better as a collection of useful idiots not to be taken seriously any longer.  The Arab League, mouthpiece for Arab countries both then and now is in universal agreement in its hatred of Israel and those not necessarily "useful idiots". 

     H. R. H. Amir Faisal al Saud of Saudi Arabia made clear its intentions this way,” We have pledged ourselves before God and history to fulfill the

Charter in good faith, thereby respecting human rights and repelling aggression....the Government of Saudi Arabia registers, on this historic occasion, the fact that it does not consider

itself bound by the resolution adopted today by the General Assembly. Furthermore, it reserves to itself the full right to act freely in whatever way it deems fit."(11)   Still, to this day Saudi Arabia has not recognized Israel’s right to exist as a sovereign nation and openly exploits both western and Arab sentiments to its benefit.

 

    Mr. Jarnali of Iraq stated "We did our best during the last few weeks to expound the spirit and the letter of the Charter and apply it to Palestine...therefore, in the name of my Government, I wish to put on record that Iraq does not recognize the validity of this decision, will reserve freedom of action towards its implementation, and holds those who were influential in passing it against the free conscience of mankind responsible for the consequences".(12)  The condemnation of all parties involved is plain to see, and the veiled threat in the words, "...reserve freedom of action towards its implementation..." seem almost prophetic in light of what has happened in the Middle East and Israel the past few years.

     Syria had this view voiced by Amir Arslan, "My country will never recognize such a decision. It will never agree to be responsible for it. Let the consequences be on the heads of others, not on ours".(13)  Again a not so veiled threat issued against "...the heads of others..." with history showing that indeed, the heads of others have been claimed by fundamental Islam. 

   

    Virtually to the last country, the other Arab members of the UN posited similar sentiments after UNGAR 181 was passed.  These statements of hate and intolerance were not pulled out of a camels hump, mind you.  These are diatribes grounded in Islamic scripture and based in nothing less than the words of Allah and the traditions of Muhammad. 

 

     One example in the Qur'an says this about non-Muslims, "Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers.  Whoso doeth that hath no connection to Allah unless (it be) that ye but guard yourself against them, taking (as it were) security.  Allah biddeth you beware (only) of himself.  Unto Allah is the journeying."(Sura 3, verse 28, Pickthall translation).  This verse is in compliance with, and validated as true by the four main schools of Islamic jurisprudence, thus making the statements above not only true from their own political notions, but also true and unquestionable from a fundamental Islamic perspective. 

  

    Another verse which validates the Islamic view of non-Muslims is this Sura (8-39) "And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah".  These passages are taken to mean just what they appear to mean, that non-Muslims, especially Jews and Christians are not to be treated with the same level of respect as Muslims must treat each other, thus the refusal to recognize Israel, or see the west as a friend.

  

    The hatred created and perpetuated through more than 13 centuries of Islamic rule shows through the flowery rhetoric and smiling missives of the leaders of Islam, terminating in a culture which knows no path occupied with anyone other than the greater ummah.  It is a twisted and demented theology which allows for the continuation of, and the encouragement to subjugate through religious doctrine any non-believer, whether individual or group.  With this mindset it is easy to continue the hate.

The Battle for Dominance

And Supremacy, 1950-1970

   The end of the Ottoman Empire and its division after WWI meant the end of the Islamic Caliphate and the demise of a central authority.  Gone was the societal glue of fundamental Islam, replaced with a loose patchwork of weak leaders, lawless swaths of tribal areas and small bands of nomads, Bedouins and traders. 

    With the finality of the Palestine Partition sinking in and Israel standing tall as a newborn secular state in the midst of the rubble of a once great Arab civilization, the anger could no longer be contained.  As the ink was drying on the documents giving Israel legitimacy, the bullets were being chambered and pointed towards the fledgling democracy. 

    As individuals, the Arab countries could not go head to head with Israel but as a group they were able to combine their forces and achieve a level of military strength which, it was believed could defeat Israel’s small air force and ground army.

   At this point it should be noted that even if Israel had not received their country in the heart of Dar-al-Islam the ideology and doctrine over 1,400 years would not prevent the continued expansion of Islam across the globe. 

    The hatred cloaked in supposed “nationalism” is entirely based in the Qur’an, sharia law and the hadiths and Sunna of Muhammad which states clearly that the Jews are not to be allowed to live as freemen.  The Jews must live under the rule of Islam.  The doctrinal hatred supersedes any claimed victimization by Israel.  

   The armies of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Trans-Jordan and Iraq (passing through Trans-Jordan) massed along their common borders with Israel ready to do battle.  The rhetoric coming from Islamic leaders at the time was as violent and denigrating as anything you hear today.  Take this statement from Azzam Pasha, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, made as a statement of defiance on behalf of the Arab League in regards to the creation of Israel, ""This will be a war of extermination and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres and the Crusades."(14). 

   This first war against a non-Muslim country in the Arabs back yard started the DAY after Israel officially became a country.  From that time until now, the war prosecuted by fundamental (militant) Islam has not stopped.  A lull in actual fighting at times, perhaps but no real solutions except the quieting of the guns occasionally to enable Muslims to catch their breath as plans for furthering the battle continue to be drawn. 

   It wasn't as though there were no warnings coming from Israel’s enemies before the declaration of Independence.  Prior to the vote on Nov 29, 1947, The Arab High Committee spokesman, Jamal Husseini warned the UN that "The Arabs would drench the soil of our beloved country with the last drop of our blood . . . ."(15) if Israel were allowed to come to fruition. 

   The Arab countries wanted nothing to do with "peace" in the region, they just wanted Israel and the Jews gone, as per Allah and the Qur'an.   Islam made their intentions very clear about their fight against Israel. 

    When confronted with the accusation that they were the aggressors, once again Jamal Husseini told the Security Council on April 16, 1948 "The representative of the Jewish Agency told us yesterday that they were not the attackers, that the Arabs had begun the fighting. We did not deny this. We told the whole world that we were going to fight."(16)  The hatred against any entity other than Islamic inhabiting "Palestinian" land was an abomination, and the Arab countries were not going to let this stand. 

   The battle was engaged, and nothing short of annihilation of the Jews would stop the fighting.  Time and time again, Islamic forces would attempt to destroy Israel, and by extension the "crusading west".    

    This initial battle stopped on July 15 when the UN threatened the Arab states with aggression under UNGAR181, however this was not the end of the hate, only a short time-out.  Sura 3 verse 65 points out that the Jews and Christians are bereft of Allahs blessings "Say: Oh people of the scripture!  Come to an agreement between us and you: that we shall worship none but Allah, and that we shall ascribe no partner to Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords besides Allah.  And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered unto him."  By relying on the supposed unassailable and perfect word of Allah it is clear that the elimination of non-Muslims (or conversion to Islam) is to be the key task at hand.

     In 1948 this may not have been spoken out loud for all to hear, yet it is the Qur'an which guides all aspects of Islam, including the killing of unbelievers.  Israel as a secular state is, and continues to fight an uphill battle against an ideology with a love of death and a hate for the Jews and their country.

   It is to be understood that, despite all Israel stood for as far as democracy was concerned it was not, and cannot be seen as the victim in all aspects.  In the workup towards the 1956 war, the Israeli army unit called "Unit 101"(17) attacked the Palestinian camp of al-Bureig in retaliation for fedayeen, or paramilitary commando raids that had been going on in Israel for some time.  The commander of “Unit 101" was Ariel Sharon.  20 residents were killed, consisting of mostly women and children. 

    Later that year in October Unit 101 attacked again, allegedly in response to another attack into Israel where a woman and two children were killed.  The Jordanian village of Qibya(17a) suffered 70 deaths, most killed while still inside their homes.  David Ben-Gurion initially denied that the IDF had any hand in the massacre, but finally came clean and admitted that yes, the IDF did shoulder responsibility. 

   The Israelis were not saints yet neither were they innocents.  The mindset of any nation always on the edge of vaporization by their enemies sometimes provides for strange and bizarre behavior.  There were numerous instances that, while isolated in the grand scheme of things never the less provide a window into the brutality and hatred equally vicious from Israel towards their Arab brethren. 

    Let’s not forget the vicious looting and pillaging of the Arab quarter of Jerusalem(17b) to where nothing but bare wall remained.  In Syria the village of Qunitrya(17c) was virtually gutted and booty taken by Israel, however it must be pointed out that the Syrian army had abandoned it and left it undefended.

     There are many encounters which point to Israel’s viciousness against Arabs and there is no human rational except to use the rubric "heat of battle".  Some in the Israeli government wanted the Arabs completely gone from Israeli land, others viewed their place in the Middle East as having to share equally with the neighbors.

     All this does not, however diminish or reduce the ideological threat espoused by Islam over 1400 years against Jews or non-Muslims.  Israel does not get a free pass, but neither does Islam.  

 

 

  By the mid 50s the anti-Israel hatred being cranked out by fundamental Islam was at full volume.  The voices were clamoring to be heard, the calls for the destruction of Israel reaching cacophonic levels.  From Egypt in 1956 came this out of President Nasser’s office, "I am not solely fighting against Israel itself. My task is to deliver the Arab world from destruction through Israel's intrigue, which has its roots abroad. Our hatred is very strong. There is no sense in talking about peace with Israel. There is not even the smallest place for negotiations."(18) 

   There is also this little gem from the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Muhammad Salah al-Din who, in early 1954 said "The Arab people will not be embarrassed to declare: We shall not be satisfied except by the final obliteration of Israel from the map of the Middle East.”(19) 

   As if these foreboding words of obliteration weren't enough, 1955 heard Nasser boast that "Egypt has decided to dispatch her heroes, the disciples of Pharaoh and the sons of Islam and they will cleanse the land of Palestine....There will be no peace on Israel’s border because we demand vengeance, and vengeance is Israel’s death."(20)  Notice now the insertion of the phrase, "sons of Islam" in the threat, a clear and obvious reference to the doctrine of Muhammad and the importance of bolstering their position among the Muslim laity.

   With politics proceeding full steam ahead and all parties involved jockeying for position it became obvious that the new battleground would be the Suez Canal Zone.  Long a strategic passage for commerce, this narrow ribbon of liquid money became the focus of the world on October 29, 1956. 

    It was a fight with Israel, Great Britain and France allied against Egypt.  Opening the Suez was the stated main goal, deposing Nasser the operational goal.  The first was achieved, the second failed.

   Nasser’s actions in the gulf were intended to open a wider war, ostensibly started as an action against the US pulling out of a loan offer to the Egyptians to build the Aswan dam. 

    By nationalizing the Suez Canal Company in July of 1956 and blockading the Gulf of Aqaba between the Tiran Straits and the Red Sea, Egypt effectively controlled the waterways crucial to Israel’s survival and prosperity. 

    Not only had Egypt hit Israel in the pocketbook, they also had just wrapped up an arms deal with Czechoslovakia and that was viewed by Israel as a serious threat to the balance of power in the region.  Amidst all this it was a backroom deal between France, Israel and England which laid the foundation for war in 1956.

   Great Britain had been a waning power in the region for some time and saw this as an opportunity to regain lost stature.  They saw the alliance as a matter of political convenience and hitched their horse to Israel and the looming conflict.  France, on the other hand had become tired of Egypt’s bellicosity in Algeria and their continued support for the ongoing insurrection. 

    Algeria was a French colony and there was no love lost concerning French territory and Egyptian aggressiveness.  Both French Premier Mollet and England’s Prime Minister Eden viewed Nasser as a dangerous demagogue and wanted him removed from power if possible. 

    The three allies (Israel, France and England) created the "Sevres Protocol" in which Israel would seize the Suez Canal, whereupon France and Great Britain would demand both Egypt AND Israel withdraw from the Canal Zone.  It was expected that Egypt would refuse, thus setting up the attack and removal of Egypt from the Canal Zone by France and England, and hopefully Nasser as well.

   By Oct 30 Israel had taken Gaza and the Sinai and had moved into the Canal Zone.  It was the US, surprisingly who sponsored a UN resolution, which passed on Nov 2 condemning the attack, motivated more by fears of Soviet intervention than their anger at Israel and its allies. 

    All this posturing being done by the parties involved did nothing to hide the ideology of Islamic motivation for the continuing hostilities against Israel.  It’s about the Soviets, or a waterway, or some other contrived scenario that ultimately boils down to fundamental Islam, jihad against non-Muslims Jews and the imposition of sharia law world-wide. 

    Nassers past and current statements make it clear that whatever the public discourse is regarding Israel, ultimately it is rooted in the tenets and doctrine of a religion having no tolerance for any deviation from its sacred and immutable texts and laws.

   November 6th saw a cease-fire and in December a U.N. security force arrived on scene to restore order.  The Suez Canal was returned to Egypt and all was, for the moment quiet(er).  Even as Nasser retained his seat of power, the defeat militarily meant nothing as his stature politically among the Arab (and Islamic) world rose quickly, overshadowing even recognized leaders as King Hussein of Jordan and Nuri-al-Said of Iraq. 

    Although both Jordan and Iraq were seen as lackeys of the west they were still powerful and influential when it came to regional dictates and Nassers rise after 1956 provided him with a platform for continued and strident calls for the destruction of Israel and the rise of fundamental Islam. 

    In the background of all this, 1956 also saw the independence of Sudan from Great Britain.  Another example of a failed state driven by Islamic theology and sharia law. 

    As much as Islam and the Arab countries wanted Israel gone, the Jewish state still remained steadfast in its determination to negotiate with its enemies, regardless of the difficulties. 

    The Israeli belief in everyone getting along and living in peace, despite the recent bloodbath with fundamental Arabs served to increase Israel’s standing among civilized countries and help them to present a fair and honest picture of the problem and what the Israelis were doing to rectify it.  You would think that after seeing how Israel was being treated, and just how far they would go to achieve peace, the world at large would have Israel’s back, and lend critical support in a time of crisis. 

    On October 10, 1960, Foreign Minister Golda Meir challenged Arab leaders to meet with Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion to negotiate a peace settlement. Egyptian President Nasser answered on October 15, saying that Israel was trying to deceive the world, and reiterating that his country would never recognize the Jewish State. 

    Nasser wanted nothing to do with negotiating with Israel, especially since, in their view the "Palestinian" refugee problem was not his concern.  “The danger of Israel,” he said, “lies in the very existence of Israel as it is in the present and in what she represents."(21)  A few months later, after thinking carefully on the plight of the Palestinians, Nasser made this comment “...the full restoration of the rights of the Palestinian people. In other words, we aim at the destruction of the State of Israel. The immediate aim: perfection of Arab military might. The national aim: the eradication of Israel.”(22) 

    Now we have the connection, although political in nature of the struggle of the refugees and the elimination of Israel.  Neatly done, and the next step in the continuing war against non-Muslims through Israel. 

   On May 16, 1967 Nasser ordered the UN Emergency Forces stationed in the Sinai since 1956, to withdraw. Without bringing the matter to the General Assembly, as his predecessor had promised, Secretary General U Thant complied with that order from Egypt. 

    After the withdrawal of the UNEF, the Voice of the Arabs had this to say on May 18th "As of today, there no longer exists an international emergency force to protect Israel. We shall exercise patience no more. We shall not complain any more to the UN about Israel. The sole method we shall apply against Israel is total war, which will result in the extermination of Zionist existence."(23)  Almost 20 years after Israel appears, the Arabs cannot reconcile their hatred and animosity with a non-Muslim entity. 

    On May 20, 2 days later, from Syrian Defense Minister Hafez Assad we heard this enthusiastic echo "Our forces are now entirely ready not only to repulse the aggression, but to initiate the act of liberation itself, and to explode the Zionist presence in the Arab homeland. The Syrian army, with its finger on the trigger, is united....I, as a military man, believe that the time has come to enter into a battle of annihilation."(24)  If not for Israel deciding to take the risk in 1967 and make a pre-emptive strike on their stated enemies there would today be no Israel and Islam would be further along in their quest for a world-wide caliphate.

   The 1967 6-day war was, and still is today a pivotal moment in the life of Israel, the Middle East, Arabs and Islam.  It became the defining action taken by Israel to preempt what would have been the end battle for Israel’s existence.