Expressions of Anti-Semitism in the Arab Press
(May 2001)
The recording of political events taking place in the
Middle East directly affects anti-Semitic
publications in the Arab
press. The continuation of the 'Al-Aqsa
Intifada' and the deadlock in the political process have led to
an intensification of anti-Semitic publications in all Arab countries.
In Egypt, Jordan and Syria, the Arab press is constantly engaged in
anti-Semitic attacks on Israel and comparing Israelis to Nazis, in reference
to the Palestinians in the Territories.
We have so far been witness to attacks by the Arab press - the establishment,
as well as the opposition to the regime and the Peace Process. But it
is the first time that we see the head of state of a leading country
in the Arab world, Bashar Al-Assad, making anti-Semitic declarations
against Israel on two important occasions for the Arab world and the
international arena - at the Arab summit in Amman in late March and
during the Pope's visit to Syria in May:
- In his speech at the Arab summit in Amman, Bashar Al-Assad, in referring
to Israel, said: 'We must therefore speak about the street and not
get bogged down in analyzing people. We say the Prime Minister is
racist, the government is racist and the army is racist, but when
we come to Israeli society, we are speechless. What is the sense of
this? Everything that has already transpired is a result of Israeli
society. It is a society more racist than the Nazis. Everyone says
this in closed meetings. Every Arab citizen says these things. We
represent the Arab world and it is therefore natural that we say what
they want us to say and in a manner that will express the conscience
of the Arab citizen'.
- During the Pope's visit to Syria, the President delivered a speech
in which he referred to Israel thus: 'We hear them destroy the principle
of equality while they speak of Allah who singled out their nation
from other nations and we see them damaging the holy places to Islam
and Christianity in Palestine … They are trying to destroy all
the religions' monotheistic principles, according to the same mentality
with which they betrayed Jesus and tortured him, and according to
the same mentality with which they tried to kill the prophet Muhammad'.
- During the coverage of the Pope's visit to Kuneitra, slogans were
interspersed, such as 'Israel's crimes prove its Nazism' and 'evidence
of Nazi-Zionist crime'.
- In an LBC television interview during the visit, Syrian Defence
Minister Mustafa Talas made such remarks as: 'I want to stand in one
place and kill the Jew standing before me. If every Arab kills a Jew,
there won't be any Jews left at all. We will fight like the Hizballah
fights against them in South Lebanon. From the Golan Front, of course
- from any front where they (the Jews) are situated'.
- The Syrian press referred extensively to the Pope's visit and continued
the attacks against Israel. In referring to the Pope's visit to Kuneitra,
'Al-Thawra' wrote: 'His Holiness will see from the church which was
destroyed by the thieving occupier in Kuneitra, the land of the Golan
Heights. Winds will blow from Palestine, in which it is possible to
see Jesus the Messiah, with his mother Mary, of blessed memory, smuggling
him out of fear of his being murdered by the enemies of God and the
faith. He will see the deeds of collective killing and the murder
of children by the machine of Zionist aggression. He will hear the
cry of Palestine, captive in the barbarian Zionist-Nazi rule'.
Other Anti-Semitic Publications in the Syrian Press
- On 21 March, the director-general of the Syrian News Agency wrote
in 'Tishrin-Internet' that the world understands that the Holocaust
against the Jews is composed mostly of lies and exaggerated descriptions,
in order to conceal the truth regarding Israel's criminal acts against
the Arabs. 'These crimes of Israel exceed our imagination. We must
not wait for the bearers of truth, since our land, our right and our
honor are the responsibility of the existing generations and the coming
generations and the responsibility of the intellectuals, philosophers,
journalists and leaders who must reach a general agreement on their
right and stop the disputes among them. One of the goals of the propaganda
machine is to use the Holocaust to attack all the opponents of the
Zionist policy'.
- In another article in the 'Syria Times-Internet' of 8 April, the
newspaper used a quotation from Jorg Haider, the leader of the Freedom
party in Austria. Intending to sully the name of the head of the Jewish
community in Austria, Ariel Muzicant, Haider claimed he did not know
how someone by the name of 'Ariel' got so much dirt on his hands ('Ariel'
is the name of a popular detergent). The newspaper added that even
if the reference had been to the head of the Jewish community in Vienna,
unintentionally this description could also be appropriate for another
'Ariel' - the 'butcher in the Middle East'.
- In a commentary broadcast over 'Radio Damascus' on 7 May, a personal
attack was made on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon: 'It is apparent that
all signs point to the fact that Sharon has stepped into Hitler's
shoes and has begun to commit the ugliest crimes. He has announced
his expansionist intentions and has even begun to implement them before
the eyes of the entire world, insolently provoking the entire international
community in general and the Arabs in particular, without anyone deterring
him'.
- On 7 May, the editor of the 'Tishrin' newspaper dedicated a long
detailed editorial to theological support for the hatred of Israel.
According to him, from a survey of the laws and the religious laws
in Jewish history, he learned that racism in itself became a sacred
religious belief and the central component of the Jews' daily, moral
and political behavior. The commentator maintains that the aim of
the Jews, even from the time of Judah, was to cause bloodshed. This
is exactly what the Zionist occupation forces have been implementing
against the Palestinian Arab nation, even before the establishment
of the thieving entity in 1948, in the form of: unceasing massacres,
killing, shedding of innocent blood, burning and destroying homes,
mass expulsion of Arab residents accompanied by bombing and destruction,
uprooting trees and slaughtering infants, who are the purest of creation,
showing no mercy, no compassion nor any moral or human scruples.
- Egypt
- Jordan
- Palestinian Authority
- Lebanon
- Qatar
In the past two months, the Egyptian press has published
dozens of anti-Semitic articles, including Holocaust
denial, comparing Zionism with
Nazism and an unprecedented attack on leaders in Israel, especially
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
A relatively new phenomenon are publications in children's newspapers
of strong anti-Semitic messages which had hitherto appeared in the regular
newspapers. In late February, in the children's supplement to the establishment
newspaper 'Akbar Al-Yom', an anti-Semitic illustration appeared showing
a Jew in traditional garb, with a long nose, a Jewish hat and a swastika
on his arm, choking a small boy on the back of a dead Palestinian.
Following is a typical collection of articles from the Egyptian press:
- On 6 March, 'Al-Gomhouriya' published the following in Kamel Zuheiri's
column: 'Like Nazism, Zionism adopted the racist theories that there
are both chosen and inferior races in the world. So it happened, that
just as Nazism presented the theory of the superiority of the Aryan
race, racist Zionism presented the same false racist theory and invented
the idea of the 'Chosen People'. These illusions were mixed with other
lies which they present and which no one believes, such as the claim
that the Jews built pyramids'.
- On 14 March, the philosopher Mahmud Amin Al-Aalem granted an interview
to the 'Al-Ahali' newspaper in which he said that 'we confront a new
Nazism which seriously threatens humanity. It is therefore our task
at this critical moment to destroy the Zionist plan and the Zionist
attitude based on legend, since this is the mentality that rejects
the other person, accuses the other person of heresy and has disdain
for all humane and cultural values'. The whole world must unite against
this Nazi orientation and all over the world groups must rise against
the Zionist movement and new Nazism. He added that philosophers throughout
the world must expose the Zionist myth in its disgrace, as did the
French philosopher Roger Garaudy. (Roger Garaudy is a well-known French
Holocaust denier who converted to Islam).
- In an article in the 'Al-Midan' newspaper of late March, the writer
Abu Bakr deals with the children's game 'Pokemon', claiming that the
game cards containing Pokemon figures encourage Western thought, animal
worship and the theory of evolution. In an article dealing with the
same subject which was published afterwards, the author claimed that
the Pokemon figures appearing on bags of Israeli-Jewish produced potato
chips prove his claims. In the Egyptian press claims were even made
that the source of the name Pikachu derives from the phrase 'Be a
Jew' in the 'Jewish' language or ancient 'Hebrew-Japanese'. On 12
April, the English language 'Egyptian Gazette' stated that the Pokemons
are a tool in the hands of the Jews to incite Egyptian youth to licentious
behavior.
- 'Al-Akbar Internet' published a Holocaust denial article on 13 April
in which the author denounced the 'insane ceremonies' held in Israel
to mark what it called 'Holocaust Day'. The author emphasized that
'in preparation for the ceremonies held to celebrate this day, the
Israeli teacher tells his pupils fictitious stories about the murder
of Jews in crematoria and the Israeli media gives detailed descriptions
of these crematoria'. According to the author, 'the Zionists invented
the matter of the crematoria in order to extort the world, especially
Germany'… 'even though the Holocaust is only a myth and historians
throughout the world have refuted Israeli claims in this regard and
have proven that it is a fabricated story and that the Nazi crematoria
were actually used to burn the bodies of soldiers'.
- On 27 April, 'Akbar Asaa' published an article entitled, 'The New
Nazism and Sharon's Concept of Absolute Power'. It maintained that
there were no essential differences between Sharon and Hitler, that
'there were also no essential differences between Nazism and the great
harm it caused and the massacres perpetrated by Zionism. Since the
feet of those who adopted the principles of Zionism trod on the land
of Palestine for the first time - starting with Ben Gurion and ending
with Sharon there has been disaster. The events of recent months indicate
Sharon's Nazi tendencies, tendencies which are not very different
from those of Hitler and are even worse. The theory of supremacy based
on race, deriving from Nazism is essentially identical to the Zionism's
theory of supremacy based on race and religion.
- The opposition newspaper 'Al-Arabi', which opposes the Peace Process,
gave a disgusting reception for Foreign Minister Peres when he visited
Cairo in late April when it published a huge picture of him in Nazi
uniform with a swastika armband on the front page. The headline read
in large red letters, 'The Nazi - the Butcher from Kafr Kana, the
Emissary of the Great Criminal Sharon, Arrives in Cairo' and 'The
Nazi Zionists Used Uranium and Radioactive Weapons Against Intifada
Youths'.
- On 5 May, after Peres' visit, 'Al-Akbar Internet' stated that 'lies
and deceit are not foreign to Jews. The best evidence that Jews go
back on their word is their denial of the principles on which they
signed in the Oslo Accords and the Madrid and Sharon agreements. For
this reason, Allah changed their shape and made them into monkeys
and pigs'.
- In another article published on the same website, the author deals
with the cancellation of the Holocaust denial conference which was
to have been held in Beirut. The writer complains about 'Israel' forcing
Beirut and the Arab intellectuals to cancel conferences which it believes
to be detrimental to its (Israel's) image, as seen in the cancellation
of the Holocaust Denial Conference that was to have taken place in
Beirut'. According to him, 'the Israeli government succeeded in bringing
about the cancellation of this conference, despite the fact that the
claim that the Gestapo killed six million Jews in crematoria is no
more than a fairy tale. Actually, Hitler didn't even burn one Jew'.
- In the 5 May edition of 'Al-Gomhouriya Internet', Kamel Zuheiri
complains that 'Zionist propaganda denies the connection between Hitler
and the Zionist movement. It even hides the connection between Hitler
and the emigration of Jews from Germany to Palestine', and that 'historical
facts prove the existence of ties between Nazism and Zionism. Israel
denies these facts, however, because it understandably prefers to
forget them'.
The Writers' Union in Jordan held a conference on 13
May entitled 'What Happened to the Conference on Holocaust Denial and
Zionism in Beirut'. Holocaust denial speeches were delivered at the
conference in which it was said that Israel exaggerates the facts on
the Holocaust in order to gain world sympathy. Statements were quoted
from the French Holocaust denier Robert Faurisson who maintains that
the murder of Jews by the Nazis in the Second World War is a 'lie' and
that the Jews exaggerate the numbers that perished in the Holocaust.
It was also maintained at the conference that Revisionism is not a Holocaust
denial concept, but a scientific method of researching the Holocaust.
The date of the conference was fixed close to 15 May which was declared
'Nakba (disaster) Day', the day the State of Israel was established.
Following is a collection of articles from the Jordanian press:
- 'Al-Arab Al-Yom' published a harsh anti-Semitic article on 25 April
which said: 'On Holocaust Day, which was celebrated a few days ago
in the Zionist state, we saw crocodile tears in the eyes of the criminal
of war and peace Ariel Sharon. Israel itself implements precisely
the concept of the Third Reich. 'Reich' in German means 'state' and
the number three is based on the legend of the empires of Rome, Karol
the Great and Hitler. Israel is also based on a legend: the current
state is the Third Israel after the Kingdoms of Israel of the past.
Hitler built the empire on the basis of radical nationalist ideas,
similar to the ideas of Israeli Zionism. Parallel to the purification
of the German race, you have Zionist propaganda that the Jews are
a superior nation. Parallel to the burning of books to purge German
culture, is the denial by Israel of the existence of another religion
or the right of another element to sanctify Jerusalem. Hitler's crimes
were not directed against the Jews, but against anything not German.
He executed thousands of handicapped children, political prisoners,
Communists and members of other races, such as the gypsies. Israel
is repeating the same policy as it wants Palestine empty of the Palestinians.
Hitler denied the citizenship of the Jews in Germany and expelled
them. The end of the Israeli Third Reich will be the same as that
of the German Third Reich, which was utterly defeated, after it thought
that it had won and after it occupied most of Europe - because states
and empires based on myths cannot survive.
- On 28 April, 'Al-Arab Al-Yom' published an article which said that
'in the Holocaust Museum in Washington pictures are displayed that
repeat themselves in order to give the impression that the number
of victims was great. The Memorial Wall displays 3000 drawings by
American children devoted to the million and a half children that
they say were murdered in the Holocaust. This is art that makes something
out of nothing. In any case, what concerns us is that Europe and the
U.S. will not atone for their guilt feeling towards the Jews at the
expense of the Arabs, in order for them to do to them what they say
Hitler did to the Jews'.
The Palestinian newspapers also publish statements
denying the Holocaust and the existence of the State of Israel. For
example, crossword puzzles are consistently published whose definitions
deny the existence of Israel and include anti-Semitic references.
- A crossword puzzle was published in March in which a Jewish characteristic
was defined as treachery and the Yad Vashem institute as a place perpetuating
the Holocaust and lies.
- The PA journal, 'Al-Hayyat Al-Jedida' published the claim in early
May that 'Israel intentionally releases pigs near the Palestinian
farms in the Ramallah and Salafit areas in order to cause damage to
agriculture. Palestinian residents have said that they saw Israeli
officials releasing a large number of pigs to damage their farms.
According to them, the number of wild pigs has recently increased
conspicuously and unnaturally'.
On 19 April, the London-based Lebanese newspaper 'Al-Hayyat'
printed a poem on the front page describing Prime Minister Sharon
as having learned the methods of Hitler,
and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef as the
Son of the Devil and a lowly sorcerer.
The 7 May edition of 'Al-Watan' called for trying President
Moshe Katsav in a court for war
criminals for Israel's crimes because of his reaction to Bashar Al-Assad's
statements claming that the Jews torture the Palestinian people as they
tortured Jesus. The newspaper writes that Katsav ignored the historical
facts and spoke on what he called anti-Semitism, the same dubious fable
that the world is sick of. Katsav and the rest of the Israeli statesmen
falsify history to justify the most terrible acts of theft in history.
He also overstepped his authority as President when he threatened Syria.
The newspaper adds that 'the Israeli people carried out atrocities that
the Nazis could not even imagine. The comparison of Zionism to Nazism
by Assad does an injustice to the Nazis, who are just schoolboys compared
to the Zionists'.
Sources: Israeli Foreign Ministry
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