Arab Countries/Communities

Arab Countries/Communities

For simplicity, we have bunched together Arab countries and communities. This may change in the future, but for now, it seemed easier. At first glance, one might argue that there isn't much "anti-Semitism" in the Arab world because much of what comes out of these countries and communities is shrouded in anti-Israel rhetoric. More importantly, there are very few Jews left in most Arab counties, 50 or so in Syria, 1 in Afghantistan, a tiny number in Yemen etc. Even in Iran, where there was once a vast community, today the number is down to about 20,000.

For now, following is a brief example of some of the anti-Semitic attacks that have clearly crossed all lines (if there are any real lines when it comes to the real intentions) between being anti-Israel and being anti-Semitic.

• Over a quarter (28 per cent) of Israeli Arabs do not believe that the Holocaust ever happened, according to a report by "Jewsweek", citing an opinion poll. Among those Israeli Arabs who have graduated from high school and college, 33 per cent deny the Holocaust. Over three-quarters (76 per cent) of the respondents in the survey described Zionism as a form of racism. The poll was conducted among 721 Arab and 702 Jewish participants by Sami Smooha a sociologist at Haifa University.
• An article in the ‘Al-Risalah’ newspaper states: "The extermination of Jews is Allah’s will and is for the benefit of all humanity”. "Ahmad Bahar, president of the Hamas-dominated Palestinian Legislative Council, called for the killing of Americans as well as Jews."
• On 13 April 2007, at a mosque in Sudan, the Acting Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Sheik Ahmad Bahr, calls for Israel and America to be annihilated and for Allah to kill every single Israeli and American citizen.
• The leader of the Coptic Church, Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria told Egyptian television last month the Western Churches were wrong to exonerate Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and criticised recent statements apologising for Christian anti-Semitism. In an interview with Dream 2 TV broadcast on April 8, when asked whether Jews were “Christ-killers”, responsible for the crucifixion, Shenouda stated, “The New Testament says that they are,” and asked rhetorically whether the Vatican was “against the teachings of the New Testament?” Shenouda stated he had banned Copts from visiting Israel for fear they will “be influenced by the Israeli media, and we will not be able to prevent this. Who knows what ideas they will return with?”