all the countries of the world, and
Islam and the teachings of the Koran
will prevail all over the world."
• Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind
scattered resistance, would never,
sheikh responsible for the first
ever, again be repeated.
bombing of the World Trade Center
In our own day, we are faced with a
in New York City in 1993, spoke
foe whose spokesmen make no secret
openly. He wanted Muslims to con-
of their intentions. This is not just a
quer "the land of the infidels."
matter of "occupied" territories. The
• Zaid Shakir, a former
Palestinian cause has become
Muslim chaplain at Yale
an anti-Jewish and anti-west-
University in New Haven,
ern civilization program.
Conn., said that Muslims can't
What began as a national
accept
the legitimacy - of the
movement has been trans-
existing
American order
formed into a holy Muslim
because it "is against the
religious campaign. They no
orders and ordainments of
longer make any secret of
Allah."
their goal. The citations run
• Sheikh Omar Bakri
into the hundreds, but few
CARI:
Mohammed,
in Britain, has
of them are quoted in the
ALPERT
said
that
he
wants
to see
Western press. They do not
Special
Britain turned into the first
make for pleasant reading.
Commentary Islamic state in a new world
For example:
order.
• Dr. Ahmad Abu
• In June of last year,
Haabita, former rector of
Palestinian
television broad-
the Islamic University, in a sermon
cast
a
sermon
in
a
Gaza mosque in
in Gaza: "... Have no mercy on the
which Imam Ibrahim Madi made
Jews, no matter where they are, in
the following statement: "God will-
any country. Fight them wherever
ing, this unjust state [of] Israel will
you are, wherever you meet them.
be
erased; this unjust state, the
Kill them. Kill those Jews and those
United
States, will be erased; this
Americans who are like them ..."
unjust
state,
Britain, will be erased."
• Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini: "We
• In a sermon delivered at the al-
shall export our revolution to the
Aksa Mosque, the Palestinian
whole world, until the cry Allah
Authority Mufti, Sheikh Ikrimeh
Akbar' resounds over the whole
Sabri, spoke out: " .. God, destroy
world .. Islam will be victorious in
Read The Handwriting On The. Wall
Hai a
very successive suicide
bombing has stimulated
second thoughts on the
part of Israeli leftists and
'liberals who previously were outspo-
ken supporters of the Palestinian
cause.
Though. their numbers have been
drastically reduced, there are still
many here who hold utopians-views
with regard to Palestinian intentions.
Overseas, •too, there are still Jews
who naively believe that if the
Israelis were only nicer to the
Palestinians, the two peoples would
end up in each other's arms.
Fortunately, the great majority,
both in Israel and the diaspora, take
a much more realistic view of the
problem. Increasingly, they have
come to the realization that the
Arab-Palestinian-Muslim intentions
are much more than just the return
of "occupied" territories.
This is not the first time that we
have had this kind of difference of
opinion within our own fold.
We have not far to go to find a
parallel situation in modern Jewish
history. There were many Jews in
Germany who refused to take
Hitler's threats seriously, and insisted
that so long as they were good
German citizens, no harm would
come to them.
These Jews sent a delegation to
Great Britain to plead with their
co-religionists there to cease the
anti-Nazi propaganda; they also
asked American Jews to tone down
their. criticism of Hitler. Leading
Jewish organizations assured the
German government that they
were against the anti-German boy-
cott.
They were naive idealists.
•
By the time these Jews woke up
to the realization of the Nazi
threat, it was too late. Anti-
Semitism in Europe quickly
became infectious. Surviving gen-
erations of European Jews vowed
that the tragic record of 6 million
Jews marching off peacefully to the
death camps, with only minor and
Carl Alpert is a U.S. native who
made aliyah in 1952. He is former
head of the Zionist Organization of
Americas education department. His
e-mail address is
alpert@techunix.techion.ac.il
the occupation and its helpers and
its agents. Destroy the U.S. and its
helpers and agents ... Oh, Allah,
destroy America for she is ruled by
Zionist Jews ... Allah will paint the
White House black."
• Sheikh Raid Sallah, head of the
Islamic movement in Israel, who
immediately after the bombing of
the Twin Towers had called upon
President George W. Bush to convert
to Islam, reiterated his call more
recently at the Galilee Arab town of
Tamra: "Oh, peoples of the West ...
we say to you: 'We are the masters of
the world ... because we are the best
people delivered for mankind. We
do not hesitate, oh, Bush and
[British Prime Minister Tony] Blair;
we invite you to Islam. Enter Islam,
you and your people.'"
There are many, many more such
statements. These are in the spirit of
the Nazi anthem "Deutschland Uber
Alles," which the world failed to
heed until it was almost too late.
One movement is religiously
inspired; the other was politically
motivated. And as in the 1930s,
anti-Semitism is rapidly becoming
infectious in Europe.
Again, as in those days, even
among the Jews, there are pure souls
who fail to see, to hear, or to under-
stand.
May the outcome be different this
time. ❑
Perspectives on Israel: a continuing series
ISRAEL IS IN CRISIS AND SHE NEEDS US
Althou H
the continuing war against Israel is taking its
toll in lives, Israelis are not succumbing to
fear. Zionist pride is alive and well. Signs saying "Ayn lanu medina
acheret -- We have no other land", express the resolve that permeates
the people. Israelis are sacrificing, but they are determined to stay the
course. In fact, thousands are returning from abroad to serve.
Take Action:
Ask Congress to hold Yassir Arafat accountable! Write to your
member of Congress, requesting he/she support the
McConnell/Feinstein bill (in the Senate) or the Ackerman/Gilman
bill (in the House) which would impose sanctions on the
Palestinian Authority until they cease violence and terror.
The morale of Israelis remains high. Their thinking is clear. The nation
is strong. But American political support and American Jewish support
is vital.
Senator Carl Levin
This is how you can help.
Write letters. Call Israelis. Contact your elected officials, the media and
other opinion leaders. Pledge money. Buy Israeli products. Speak out
for Israel. Challenge the misinformation and the lies. Visit. Talk with
your kids or grandkids and set an example for them with your activism.
We can make a difference in the life of Israelis. When peace comes,
it will be even more satisfying because we helped to create the condi-
tions by our support for the Jewish State.
senator@ levin.senate.gov
Senator Debbie Stabenow senator@stabenow.senate.gov
United States Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-3121
Congressman Joe Knollenberg
rep.knollenberg@mail.house.gov
Congressman Sander Levin
slevin@mail.house.gov
House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515
(202)224-3121
1F-
•
—
Jemfish AA
Comm u nity
Councihhegneatzucnere
To learn more about how you can become an effective Israel advocate, visit www.jewishcommunitycouncil.orq
5/31
2002
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