By Brian Smith, MONTREAL GAZETTE
When Israel killed Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, much of the world condemned the action. But when the U.S. killed Osama bin Laden, the reaction was quite different.
MONTREAL – On March 22, 2004, a rocket fired from an Israeli helicopter gunship terminated the life of the terrorist leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. As expected, world reaction was swift and almost unanimous in its condemnation of Israel.
Yassin, a founder of Hamas, was a virulent anti-Israel and anti-Semitic demagogue who repeatedly called for the destruction of the Jewish state. Among his more memorable statements are “Reconciliation with the Jews is a crime” and Israel “must disappear from the map.”
In 1989, Yassin was arrested by the Israelis for masterminding the abduction and murder of Israeli soldiers and was sentenced to life imprisonment. However, in 1997 he was released in a prisoner exchange on the condition that he refrain from continuing to initiate suicide bombings against Israel.
In violation of the terms of his release, Yassin resumed his leadership of Hamas and immediately started a campaign of suicide bombings against Israeli civilian targets. After years of masterminding several appalling terrorist attacks on Israel, his reign of terror was finally brought to an end by the helicopter attack in 2004.
In a display of unwarranted antipathy to Israel, and a denial of its right to self-defence, countries of the world united in condemning the Jewish state. A brief survey:
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The European Union issued a statement condemning Israel’s “extra-judicial” assassination of Yassin.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned the assassination as a violation of international law.
The UN Human Rights Commission passed a resolution condemning Israel. It was approved by 31 votes in favour, two against (the United States and Australia) and 18 abstentions (including most of the EU countries.)
French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hervé Ladsous said: “France condemns the action taken against Sheik Yassin, just as it has always condemned the principle of any extra-judicial execution as contrary to international law.”
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw called it an “unlawful killing.”
Japan called Yassin’s killing a “reckless act” that “cannot be justified.”
New Zealand called the assassination counterproductive to Middle East peace efforts.
Malaysia called the killing of Yassin “state terrorism” by Israel and claimed that it would “only escalate further the cycle of deadly violence.”
In contrast, the same countries, so quick to beat their breasts in moral outrage at Israel’s actions, have reacted quite differently to the assassination of Osama bin Laden by the United States:
European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, reflecting generally positive reactions among EU leaders, said, “we have woken up to a more secure world.”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: “The death of Osama bin Laden … is a watershed moment in our common global fight against terrorism.”
In France, President Nicolas Sarkozy praised the “tenacity” of the U.S. in tracking down the al-Qaida leader and described his death as “a major blow to international terrorism,” adding that victims of al-Qaida terrorism “received justice today.” Foreign Minister Alain Juppé opined that bin Laden’s death is a “victory for all democracies fighting the abominable scourge of terrorism.”
British Prime Minister David Cameron said that bin Laden’s death would “bring great relief” around the world.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto said: “I pay respect to the U.S. officials concerned.”
Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said he hoped that the death of bin Laden would help bring universal peace and harmony.
Chilean Foreign Minister Alfredo Moreno hailed the death of bin Laden as “a very important advancement in the war against terrorism.”
Ahmed Yassin was responsible for some 425 brutal and cowardly attacks on Israel civilians carried out by Hamas. At least 377 Israelis were murdered and 2,076 wounded in the 3½ years preceding his death.
Comparing the number murdered in Israel by Hamas to the number murdered in the World Trade Centre on 9/11, a rough calculation shows that approximately one in 18,500 Israelis were killed, while the comparable figure was one in 102,000 Americans. Yet to its great shame, the world laments the death of the murderer of Jews while lauding the U.S. for assassinating bin Laden.
It is time for the world community to abandon this double standard and to accord to Israel and Jews everywhere the same right of self-defence that is claimed by every other people on the face of the globe.
Shyguy
Nice to see you’re a slandering Shabbot keeping jew 🙂
Why are Palestinians being blamed for having bad leadership? Why are you blaming all Palestinians for “calling for the destruction” of Israel. What you said disproves the anti semitic myth that the Jomit character and others were accusing Europe of. Hamas, Hezbollah and the Israeli extreme right wing like yourself are considered bad news in Europe. You’re all universally condemned. Yigal Amir is proof that if you lot had power, you’d be no better than Hamas, Hezbollah. POT KETTLE BLACK
The Hamas charter will be abandoned once a peace deal has been hammered out. But you lot don’t want that. You need Hamas to prove Palestinians are not serious about peace. Belman even said so once, that the Israeli right wing cannot keep up the pretence to keep the occupation going. Without Hamas and Hezbollah you have no excuse to continue the occupation.
You can’t even be honest about your cause. If you want to expand territory because it was “promised” to you, (show me the verse, because as i understand God promised it Abraham’s descendents) at least be honest and say you need Hamas in power.
But it will if the Israeli right wing gain power. The will is there as is proof here, and it can become a majority, though it’s not right now. If you or Yamit or someone gained power, you would though.
No, the difference is you are a cheap liar.
The PLO, Hamas and Hizaballah charters call for the destruction of the Jewish state. Their leaders and those of surround and distant Arab and Muslim countries have called for the genocide of Israel’s Jews for decades, even before the establishment of the State.
Israel has no such language in any charter of hers. Never did. about 18% of Israel’s citizens are Arabs who vote and participate in all parts of Israel’s society.
But they have shown their disloyalty and traitorous behavior and intentions too many times in the last few decades. Their time will eventually be up and through nothing but their own loathsome actions they will have convinced Israel that they can no longer stay here.
The modern day equivalent of that would be a transfer of population with or without compensation – for us to eventually decide. Inshallah.
Shyguy
I am sure you require no tips from me, to justify your hatred. The difference being Jews were not forbidden from living on any land given to Ishmael save the pilgrimage sites.
That’s the difference.
Yamit
H’mmm, quoting “Rabbi” Kahane I see? 😉 Tell me, does Israel monitor your activities???
In any case, thank you for the one sided, Kahanist, cherry picked version. Did Kahane tell you that in actual fact, a lot of Jewish refugees have said they hope to return some day, they’re not happy in Israel. Here is yet another side of the Jewish exodus from ARab lands story, that Kahane will not tell you..hear it from Naeim Giladi and Iraqi Jewish Israeli American. An extract from his book Ben Gurion’s Scandal: How the Haganah and the Mossad Eliminated Jews More at the wikipedia link.
Naeim Giladi – 11-07-94 Original air datehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emq94B17zXo
Ben Gurion’s Scandal: How the Haganah and the Mossad Eliminated
wshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naeim_Giladi
Anti-Zionism
Giladi has strong views on Zionism and its negative effects and his article begins with the following passage: “I write this article for the same reason I wrote my book: to tell the American people, and especially American Jews, that Jews from Islamic lands did not emigrate willingly to Israel; that, to force them to leave, Jews killed Jews; and that, to buy time to confiscate ever more Arab lands, Jews on numerous occasions rejected genuine peace initiatives from their Arab neighbors. I write about what the first prime minister of Israel called ‘cruel Zionism’. I write about it because I was part of it.”
Giladi’s position that the 1950-1951 Baghdad bombings were “perpetrated by Zionist agents in order to cause fear amongst the Jews, and so promote their exodus to Israel” is shared by a number of anti-Zionist authors, including the Israeli Black Panthers (1975), David Hirst (1977), Wilbur Crane Eveland (1980), Uri Avnery (1988), Ella Shohat (1986), Abbas Shiblak (1986), Marion Wolfsohn (1980), and Rafael Shapiro (1984).[5] In his article, Giladi notes that this was also the conclusion of Wilbur Crane Eveland, a former senior officer in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) who outlined that allegation in his book “Ropes of Sand”.[2]
Alternatively, historian Moshe Gat argues that there was little direct connection between the bombings and the exodus of Jewish refugees.
The land of Israel, extending way beyond its current borders, is the Territory promised by G-d to the children of Israel. We will start asking your fellow Muslim bastards to get off our property post haste.
Thanks for the tip.
Kufar Dauwg
Khaybar and Yathrib were territory that that was given to Ishmael the forefather of The Prophet. Non Muslims are banned from Medina because it’s a pilgrim site for Muslims only.
As for Khaybar, in 640 (or therabouts) The first Caliph Umar Ibn Al Khattab relocated, the Christian and Jews who were living in Khaybar and Najran to Sham (Syria) and Iraq. Moreover he gave them territory and ordained they be treated kindly in accordance with the ahl al dhimma covenant. This was despite the treachery of some of the Khyabar Jewish tribes, who collaberated with the pagan Arabs, in undermining Islam, as it grew in popularity their welath and status was threatened. This was pure greed on their part. They broke their covenant, and comitted treason for no reason than greed and prestige. Despite this, they were treated justly,
The modern day equivalent of that would be a transfer of population with compensation.
Jomit
Hello? I aagree with second quote, but why are you blaming the Palestinians for Arafat?
Palestinians in the diaspora are very successful.
as for this:-
???? This is projection I presume? you’re a Muslim hater, like nearly everyone else here, so you’re no different to that which you describe. If you think you can occupy and uproot without consequences and fight back that is a delusion. Why blame Islmaists here? Arafats top brass was Christian, Suha Arafat was Christian, George Habash was a Christian terrorist. Sami Kuntar was a Druze. But carry on blaming Islamists, when even secular, atheist non Muslims around the world consider Israel to be an occupier.
This is irrational hatred coming from you, that doesn’t deserve an answer.
Yonaton
It’s not a half truth, but this is another subject which can’t be done justice here. Even other Muslims have a problem there, it’s a tin pot corrupt dictatorship with a peculiar version of Islam (hateful, intolerant even of other Muslim interpretations leave alone Christians, Jews, and others) They export this, by taking advantage of free speech laws in the West, intimidation in poor Muslim countries by offering free subsidies, and with an agenda to kill traditional interpretations of Islam. This is what Muslim haters should be fighting, instead they concentrate on alienating mainstream Muslims by paying whores like Spencer to make up lies, thus creating more mistrust and hatred.
There are more Musims at the forefront of criticising Saudi Arabia than there are Americans or other westerners. For some reasons, the stupid americans cannot see that the war the USA should have had should not have been in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Pakistan, it should have been first with the Saudi regime. Why would you want to live in Saudi Arabia until this regime has been toppled? A US propped up corrupt monarchy directly responsible for a lot of the misinformation fed to youth, exported to Afghanistan and other countries.
Sabril
Your problem is your jump from subject to subject in an irrational manner
You are right, but that is not an occuaption with the intent to annex. besides, it’s there by consent of the countries. I’m not saying the USA is blameless, but the comparison here was about reaction to Bin Laden’s killing over Yassin.
What q2uestion? Please don’t preempt and put words into my mouth. Your posts are a jumble, you ask a question then jump in with someone else and answer for me, by distorting the question
Wrong – try telling me with a straight face that a Jew can live in Saudi Arabia “and perform his/her religious duties”. Sure we can live there as long as we act like we’re atheists. You excel at telling half truths here.
Since Saffiya refuses to answer this question, I will answer it for him: There is no evidence whatsoever. Indeed, every concession made by Israel has been quickly forgotten by her detractors. If Israel were to pull out of the West Bank, the Arabs living there would quickly start raining rockets on Tel Aviv. The world would ignore this until Israel took reasonable steps to defend herself. And then the calls for war-crime prosecution of Israel would begin.
See, there is a difference between a reason and an excuse. The fact that Israel happens to be occupying the West Bank is just an excuse used by anti-Semites. If that occupation ended, they would quickly find another excuse to hate Israel.
Jomit, exactly.
Jews never set out to dominate the world, overtake a nation or engage in the destruction of any of her neighbors. In recent history Israel, a nation was a war several times with her neighbors and only in defense of her nation and the protection of her people.
This hatred makes no sense. A people suffering for crimes never committed. Talk about injustice, this rates as the number one injustice.
Anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism is as deadly and harmful as cancer that needs to be eradicated.
We are not born with anti-Semitism or anti-Zionism, it’s a infectious disease spread by lies and fabrications against Jews who brought no harm to anyone.
As Jon Voight pointed out in an open letter to Mr. Obama explained:
“A people who have given the world the Ten Commandments and most laws we live by today. The Jewish people have given the world our greatest scientists and philosophers, and the cures for many diseases”
Why then this hatred for the Jews? Makes no sense.
They have been the scapegoat too long.
Every dictator needs a scapegoat. Some one or group that he can point a finger at and tell his subjects “THERE….THAT IS
YOUR ENEMY. Hate him, despise him, hunt him down, kill him, he is garbage, and he is the one standing between you and
your happiness, fullfillment, having a better job. He is stealing from you, he infects your women and molests your children.
He is evil incarnate. We, on the other hand, are the victims, and when we finally get rid of him, everything will be great”
For how many thousand’s of years, and for how many generations of believers has this ploy worked. Worked well. Taken the
population’s eyes off of the real culprit. Those that are in power, and failing in their duty to do the best for their subjects.
They steal from them, twist their lives, keep them in poverty, but continually promise to keep them safe from their enemy THE JEWS.
When that smart guy discussed that “history keeps repeating itself” he was right on mark. Seems that people are eager (generation
after generation) to believe about the cabal of big nosed monsters, hunched around a conference table, issuing orders of how to
rule the world, or using innocents blood to make matzohs for the holiday. (I always thought blood was red, so how come matzohs come
out of the oven white?). Here we go again…two idiots arrested in N.Y. They were going to get even for the Team 6 seals killing
Osama, by blowing up a synagogue. You can cure disease, but you can never cure stupidity or those willing to listen and hate.
Jomit, I have been saying that here for some time.
The Palestinians are nothing more than an anti-Semitic tool used against the Israelis promoted by the Muslim terrorist of the world who hate Jews.
I said for years Arafat was never interested in brokering a peace with Israel, hell no he was nothing more than a “Terrorist, Scumbag and a thief” who enraged the Palestinian population by telling them the Israelis were their enemy and were taking advantage of them, all while stealing the financial aid provided by other countries, the US the major contributor.
Now the Palestinians are being controlled by Hamas the Iranian proxy.
The Pals still don’t get it.
Nonsense, the US is occupying Japan, South Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq, Germany, Italy and probably other places too.
Of course. No matter what Israel does, it will never be enough. Anyway, the Gaza pullout didn’t improve Israel’s standing by even a little bit.
Let me ask you this:
1. What is your evidence that the end of the occupation will result in Israel being judged by the same standards as other countries?
2. If what you say is true — that there is a double standard in effect — then why doesn’t the EU leadership come out and admit it?
Well how would you define “occupy”? And how do thing that right wing Zionists define it?
(BTW I am a right wing zionist.)
Cite the law, please, to which you refer.
Not so.
Some promises were indeed conditional. Not that one.
“An everlasting possession.” Think about it.
Safiyya: Tell us about the suffering of the palestinians. Their leaders steal all of their money. Arafat was a billionaire. They spend so much effort and energy into figuring our how to hate and to kill Jews. If they put out that same effort, plus the untold millions that they get from governments all over the world, they could be as successful as the Jews in Israel. The Jews there only want to live in peace, create jobs, raise their families. But you Islamists are so intent on proving that you are superior to everyone else. You are full of rage and hate, and so there are no jobs created, and everyone has to depend on others to feed them and give them the neccessities of life. I would bet every nickle I own that if the two areas were switched, and the Jews were moved to “palestine” and the arabs were moved to Israel….in 50 years Gaza and the “occupied territories” would look like Israel, and Israel would look like the Sinai. That’s what rage and hate gets you….NOTHING.
All of these people, in all of these countries spend so much time hating 6 million Jews. If magically tomorrow, there were no Israel….Do you honestly think that then everything would be just hunky dorey, and that one life would change among any of those millions of people? They would be happier? Wealthier? More content? No….of course not. Then they would then have nobody to hate, and they’d have to look at themselves. What a truly ugly picture that would be.
Safiyya says:
What do you know about the civilized world?
Every time we pass through airport security, we are painfully reminded that Muslims represent the rule of the jungle. Does this embarrass you? It should.
I had my toothpaste confiscated last month because it was larger than 3 oz! Why? Because Muslim terrorists are on the prowl to blow up important arteries of the civilized world the rest of us live in – using explosives hidden in toothpaste or water bottles to do so.
Over the last thirty or forty years, Muslims have ‘outed’ themselves to the world as proponents of the rule of the jungle. You have forfeited the right to be considered seriously when you speak of civilization and order.
When are the occupying Arabs in Saudi Arabia going to give back Khybar and Yathrib back to the Jewish people? After all the Jewish tribes were there before Muhammad was even born.
Jomit,
Can you use the quote tags, your OIC post was confusing. I don’t disagree with anything there. The venting agianst Israel is due to the occupation. The OIC liek the rst of the world supports the two state solution. So until a Palestine comes into being and the suffering of the Palestinians ends, there will be condemnations against Israel. We cannot abandon our own.
Jomit
This is symantics. Do you enjoy playing word games? You and others can spin it how you want, but as i said above, every country exists becauuse someone created it, fought for it, conquered it, or agreed by mutual consent by an international body like the UN. Most the civilised nations of the world are part of the UN and we have all agreed (Israel included) to do things differently today than how it was in the past. The UN expects a Palestine to come into being whether you like it or not.
If you want the law of the jungle, then you cannot expect the civilised world to support you.
Saying Palestinians never existed is meaningless. Israel never existed before the Canaanites were exterminated. The term has little relevance except to those who live in a fantasy world. What if i were to say to you, I do not recognise any border? It won’t change the fact that there ARE borders that I will have to respect.
I note nobody here who supports the expansion of terrirtory on religious grounds agreed with me that world jews should be repatriated to Israel forcibly. This means the fright wing Zionism cause is hypocritical and a lie built upon false premises, and dubious religous justifications.
Call for the repatriation of world jewry to Israel, if you want to be taken seriously.
The term “OCCUPIED” and “OCCUPIER” are terms invented by the “palestinians” of whom there is no such people as of this date.
Only arabs living in what is not a country. They did a great sell job to the world to make this name stick. Whatever land
Israel holds is either the original grant mandated by the League of Nations and acted upon by the U.N. Any other land “occupied”
belongs to them as the spoils of war. Wars that were committed against them which they defensively won, along with the
territory they captured. They gave back the Sinai to Egypt and the Gaza strip to the PLO. They “occupy” nothing. Where
they are and where they build is their own land, won in war.
Jomit
Regarding your last post, it’s more an explanation of why you want a Jewish majority state. That is not what I was debating. Whether Israel should be Jewish or not. The subject was about why there are double standards regarding the deaths of Yassin and Bin Laden. Israel is an occupier and the USA is not.
Then go about it the right way. How does Islam being an enemy come into it? My questions remain unanswered regarding galut Jews being forcibly repatriated to Israel.
Yamit, are you aware what the criteria for comments being blocked here is? I have posted messages which get blocked for no reason. I’m even expecting this to get blocked, but it may show. Why does this website have such a poor quality comment system? We do not come here to play hide and seek.
Safiyya: “Muslims killing copts have been condemned by the highest authorities in both Sunni and Shia Islam. The OIC is active in fighting Christian persecution and Jew persecution. Get your facts straight.
OK..you are toutingthe OIC as the mitigating factor in activly fighting Christian and Jewish persecution? That’s a lot of crap. Read below:
Human RightsOIC created the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam.[2] While proponents claim it is not an alternative to the UDHR, but
rather complementary, Article 24 states, “All the rights and freedoms stipulated in this Declaration are subject to the Islamic Shari’ah.” and Article 25 follows that with “The Islamic Shari’ah is the only source of reference for the explanation or clarification of any of the articles of this Declaration.” Attempts to have it adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council have met increasing criticism, because of its contradiction of the UDHR, including from liberal Muslim groups.[21] Critics of the CDHR state bluntly that it is “manipulation and hypocrisy,” “designed to dilute, if not altogether eliminate, civil and political rights protected by international law” and attempts to “circumvent these principles [of freedom and equality].”[22][23][24]
Human Rights Watch says that OIC has “fought doggedly” and successfully within the United Nations Human Rights Council to shield states from criticism, except when it comes to criticism of Israel. For example, when independent experts reported violations of human rights in the 2006 Lebanon War, “state after state from the OIC took the floor to denounce the experts for daring to look beyond Israeli violations to discuss Hezbollah’s as well.” OIC demands that the council “should work cooperatively with abusive governments rather than condemn them.” HRW responds that this works only with those who are willing to cooperate; others exploit the passivity.[25][26]
The OIC has been criticised for diverting its activities solely on Muslim minorities within majority non-Muslim countries but putting a taboo on the plight, the treatment of ethnic minorities within Muslim-majority countries, such as the oppression of the Kurds in Syria, the Ahwaz in Iran, the Hazars in Afghanistan, the Baluchis in Pakistan, the ‘Al-Akhdam’ in Yemen, or the Berbers in Algeria.[27]
[edit] AntisemitismThe OIC attracted attention at the opening session of the meeting in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on 16 October 2003, where Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia in his speech argued that the Jews control the world: “They invented socialism, communism, human rights, and democracy, so that persecuting them would appear to be wrong, so that they can enjoy equal rights with others. With these they have gained control of the most powerful countries and they, this tiny community, have become a world power.” He also said that “the Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million, but today the Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them.”[28][29]
The speech was very well received by the delegates, including many high ranking politicians, who responded with standing ovations”.[30][31][32] International, non-Muslim reactions, however, were appalled. “We view [the remarks] with contempt and derision,” said a U.S. State Department spokesman. The foreign minister of Italy, who was the chairman of the European Union, called the incident “gravely offensive.” Malaysian officials later clarified that Mahathir had been trying to say that despite having been a marginal and persecuted community the Jews have survived—by use of brains, not brawn. The former prime minister said this in relation to the decline of Muslim knowledge in the 20th Century.[31]
This OIC is quite active in Jew hating and Jew bating. I wouldn’t feel very comfortable knowing that they were the ones I could count on to stop anti Jewish actions on the part of arabs and muslims.
Ted my comment to Safiyya was blocked, pls retrieve and post asap
The fact is, that with the creation of the Jewish state in 1948, hundreds of thousands of Jews fled Arab countries, almost all of whom left behind all their property for which compensation was never paid. Time to finish the exchange of populations begun in 1948.
Algeria had 150,000 Jews in 1948. Pogroms in that country had occured almost every 10 years since tha 1890?s, and during the 1930?s, many Jews of Constantine were massacred despite French intervention. In 1961, the Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN) attacked the large cities where most of the Jews lived and 100,000 were forced to flee the country, leaving behind all their belongings.The FLN desecrated the Great Synagogue at Algiers and the ancient Jewish Cemetary at Oran, and succeeded in driving out all but 900 Jews by 1973. And so: Algeria 1948: 150,000 Jews; Algeria 1973: 750 Jews.
In Morocco in 1948 there were 300,000 Jews. On June 7 of that year, mobs in Oujda sacked the Jewish quarter, killing and wounding hundreds of Jews, and in nearby Djerada, 30 Jews were massacred by Arab mobs the same night. The new revolutionary government passed anti-Jewish laws so severe that they drove out 300,000 Jews. With the return of the Sultan in 1961, there was some relaxation of the laws; but by 1973 only 25,000 of the original 300,000 Jews remained. Morocco 1948: 300,000 Jews; Morocco 1973: 25,000 Jews.
There were 23,000 Jews in Tunisia in 1948. Following the revolutionary government’s program of Arabization, Jews became “instant scapegoats ,” and many were arrested for “economic” crimes simply for being merchants or practicing any gainful occupation. By 1973, all but 9,000 Jews had been driven out of Tunisia. Tunisia 1948: 23,000 Jews, Tunisia1973: 9,000 Jews.
Syria had 45,000 Jews in 1948. They had prospered under the Turks and the French, but when the Arabs took over, they at once became the target for both official and unofficial violence. Anti-Jewish legislation froze bank accounts and confiscated property. New laws forbade Jews to sell their property or move more than three miles from their homes. Special identity cards were issued to them, and they were allowed to work only at certain jobs. Government employees and military personnel were forbidden to patronize Jewish shops. Today there are fewer than 4,000 Jews in Syria, and they are under constant attack. Syria 1948: 45,000 Jews, Syria 1973: 4,000 Jews.
There were 45,000 Jews living in Libya in 1948. In Tripoli in 1945, 120 Jews had been killed by mobs of Arabs. After independence, most of the others were driven from the country, many were murdered after the Six-Day War and numerous others were arrested. In 1976, there were only about 70 Jews remaining in the country ruled by Colonel Qaddafi. Libya 1948: 45,000 Jews, Libya 1976: 70 Jews.
Jews have been in Egypt since Biblical times, and Alexandria had once been, at least partially, a Jewish city. In 1945, the pro-Nazi “Young Egypt” group led anti- Jewish rioting in which many Jews were killed. In 1947, a new law for companies made it practically impossible for Jewish businesses to operate. Egypt had 75,000 Jews in 1948, when bombings, burnings and looting destroyed almost $50 million worth of Jewish property. After the overthrow of King Farouk by Nasser and his “Free Officers,” life for Jews became intolerable in that country. After the Suez War, 3,000 Jews were arrested and imprisoned without trial. Thousands of others were presented with deportation orders forcing them to quit the country within days and leave all their property behind. By 1967, Nasser had managed to force all but 3,000 Jews out of Egypt. There were fewer than 500 Jews remaining in the land ruled by the “moderate” el-Sadat in 1976; the rest were driven out to find new homes, mostly in Israel. Egypt 1948: 75,000 Jews, Egypt 1976: 500 Jews. ( Amnesty International reported in 1976 that there were only 350 Jews in Egypt.)
Iraq was the home of 125,000 Jews in 1948. Since then, the revolutionary government has conducted an almost incessant campaign of terror against them. Nine Jews were hanged in public and 68 tried as Israeli spies in January 1968 while chanting mobs moved through the streets beating up any Jew that passed their way, women and children included! By 1973, only 400 Jews remained in Iraq. Iraq 1948: 125,000 Jews, Iraq 1973: 400 Jews.
Yemen, where 54,000 Jews lived in 1948, had none in 1976. Hundreds were killed, and the rest found shelter in British bases until they were carried to Israel by Operation Magic Carpet. Before that, it was legal to stone a Jew to death, and the law decreed that ” fatherless Jewish children under thirteen be taken from their mothers and raised as Muslims.”Yemen 1948: 54,000 Jews, Yemen 1976: No Jews whatsoever!!
In Aden, there were 5,000 Jews in 1947, but in 1976 there were none. In December, 1947, Arab mobs attacked the Jewish quarter, killing several people and burning down buildings. Between 1948 and 1967, most Aden Jews fled to Israel. The 130 who remained fled after the riots in June 1967 to escape torture and certain death. Aden 1948: 5,000 Jews, Aden 1967: No Jews Whatsoever!!
A total of some 750,000 Jews fled Arab lands since 1948
Safiyya, I give you full credit for brazenness!
Your argument is basically that Muslims are mighty good slave holders and that Jews should count their blessing, “You Jews, you were happy being slaves to us before. Why don’t you become slaves again? As far as slaveholders go, we’re tops. Consumer Reports rated us a best buy!”
Muslims do make exceptionally good slaveholders, at least in their own eyes, because you don’t see a moral problem with it. (When it comes to killing or oppressing others, your mantra is ‘no problem!’)
But, the rest of the world isn’t playing along – and it’s killing your sense of pride. Black Africans are succeeding against you. Indians – Hindu or otherwise – are stronger than you. America (North and South) is on to you. China, the growing superpower, which will become the largest Christian nation in a generation or two, is too strong for you. Even atheist Europe has had enough.
So, what will you do to prove your civilization manhood? You’ll focus on destroying Israel.
Let’s get it straight Safiyya: Before 1947 there was no formal state in that land. It had no government. It was not called Palestine.
When this was legally given to the Jews they were immediately attacked by their neighbors. They were essentially attacked
by neighboring armies 3 times. When land is obtained by defensively winning a war, that land now belongs to the victor.
It is not “OCCUPIED LAND” it is Israeli land….just like it once belonged to the Ottomans through conquest, the way all
of Europe changed back and forth almost every decade since time immemorium. Only Israel is to be denied this fact
accepted for thousands of years. Well, Jews in Israel, and those of us all over the world aren’t willing to be kicked
around anymore. So, if Israel were run as a dictatorship which is what most arab countries are, they wouldn’t care
who lived there. But being democratic, and the vote being the deciding factor as to who is President and who is Prime
Minister, and who runs the country, you can understand why they wish to have a Jewish majority of voters in a Jewish homeland.
Even you, who is vastly prejudiced should be able to see that. If 200 million Christians decended upon a muslim/arab country
and it were a democratic country (two most unlikely situations) then it could be voted as a Christian country, and you know
that such a happening would never be allowed EVER.
Jomit
I am not whitewashing. Whatever made you think that? Book people are under covenant of protection. That was not the point. my question was, WHY NO REVOLT
Most Jews fled of their own account during this period. The political climate was the reason. If you’re saying they were religiously motivated expuslions that is poppycock. First of all the countries were not under religious rule then, the Caliphate had been abolished. Second, if the reason was religious, they would never have been allowed in under Muslim rule.
Do you see your disconnect? Actually using your logic one could say the reverse is true, and the lack of religiuos rule was the reason for the expulsions.
Muslims killing copts have been condemned by the highest authorities in both Sunni and Shia Islam. The OIC is active in fighting Christian persecution and Jew persecution. Get your facts straight.
Yonaton
your source? Jews are not barred from anywhere, Israeli’s are because of the conflict but that is for POLITICAL reasons not religous. When a country is at war, it doesn’t let citizens of the enemy country roam freely inside their borders. That is normal. Does the USA let Cubans in?
Nice try indeed!
Safiyya: “I amm applying the moral and logic of the Israeli right wing here. Absurd question. Which Arab has called for the expulsion of non Arabs from any land on religious grounds? Arab’s do not claim that only Arabs have the right to live in a certain land.”
Let’s try in 1947 and 1948 somewhere between 600,000 and a million Jews were expelled from arab countries. If not for their religion, what reason do you apply for this forced exit. Do you actually see what is going on with muslims killing Coptic Christians in Egypt? Do you think
that they are not trying to either force them to leave or be killed (not a good choice, eh?). Don’t try to whitewash the fact that while muslim arabs through the years from time to time, have “allowed” Jews to reside in their countries…it was normally in a dhimmi status.
Safiyya
Lets rephrase this just a little – Which Arab country does not allow Jews into it on religious grounds? Nice try.
Regardless of what anyone though at the time, the prophesies have not been fulfilled. They will be. Things have never been like they are now. We have been always hoping and praying for such, but until now the Jewish people have not had the holy land available to them to populate again. We do now. And no, the entire population, especially the government institutions, are not Torah true. But those that are virulently against Jewish observance of any kind are being pushed aside, while those in the middle grow. Questions are being asked on the Hariedi side about working and IDF service, which will only serve to unify us in the end.
If you don’t see the hand of Hashem in today’s world events, like I said, you will eventually. Every knee shall bend…
?????
Kufar Dawg
Here let me ask you again. WHY NO REVOLT?
Your people mobilised and revolted against other rulers who took the land before the Islamic conquest. The Romans, Babylonians, etc. Why not AGAINST MUSLIM RULE THEN FOR OVER 1000 YEARS, but now suddenly it’s an enemy? Plenty of time to do that in over 1000 years. It’s not like Jews didn’t have the means or resources, your people did well under Muslim rule. There could have been a successful revolt.
I believe your Chief Rabbi sanctions that. I presume you know better than him?
Shfar’am: A Jewish Town Populated by Arab Late-Comers
by Hillel Fendel
The city of Shfar’am (pop. 34,000), ten miles east of Haifa, is known today as an Arab city in the Galilee – but it was not always that.
Though today it is nearly half-Christian, a third Muslim, and the rest Druze, it was for many years a large Jewish city – and boasted a significant Jewish presence for centuries on end.
In a project recounting the Jewish origins and history of many towns in the Land of Israel that are today considered “Arab,” historian Dr. Rivka Shpak-Lissak shows that Shfar’am was populated by Jews from the days of Joshua bin Nun, and from the times of the Mishnah up until only 88 years ago.
Dr. Shpak-Lissak told Israel National News that she was surprised to learn that Arabs began to settle in many towns that re today considered “Arab” only 300 years ago. “I started to investigate these towns,” she wrote on the Omedia site, which is publishing her series in Hebrew, “in order to see if it was true that the Arabs of the Galilee are actually descendants of Jews who converted to Islam. I never imagined that I would find that in most of the towns, the Arabs started to move in only in the 17th and 18th centuries” – well after the Arab conquest in the 7th century.
Shfar’am rose to the headlines in the summer of 2005 when a soldier killed four Arabs in a bus, and was then himself killed in a lynching (though the soldier was seen handcuffed and in police custody before he was killed).
Hebrew Name Changed to Arabic
Located along the ancient highway between Acco and Nazareth, Shfar’am is named in Hebrew based on the Hebrew words shofar [ram’s horn] and am [nation]. Many centuries later it was given the Arabic name Shfa-Amar, for the “health of Al-Amar,” referring to an Arab who conquered the city.
During the period of the Jewish rebellion against the Romans, at the end of the Second Temple period, Shfar’am was one of the largest Jewish cities in the Galilee. It was later mentioned in the Talmud, and the Sanhedrin (Supreme Jewish Court) was headquartered there during the 2nd century C.E.
Christians began to move there during the ensuing centuries, and Moslems moved in after the Muslim conquest in the 7th century. Centuries later, when the Crusaders passed through the Holy Land, Arabs from Shfar’am used their town as a kick-off base to attack them. Later, however, the Crusaders were able to build a fortress in the city.
Jews continued to live there, and records show that Sephardic Jews began to move in towards the end of the 15th century. Subsequently, Bedouin gangs began to gain more power, which they greatly abused, and Christian and Jewish residents began to leave. After the Ottoman Turks conquered the Land in 1516, Jews began to return.
In 1525, three Jewish families were listed as living there, and this number grew to 10 within a decade. Jews from Tzfat later moved to Shfar’am, and in the 17th century a synagogue was built on the ruins of an ancient one.
Last Jew Left in 1920
In 1761, Shfar’am was conquered by a Bedouin, Dahar Al-Amar, who renamed the city after himself. Over the course of the next century, travelers such as David D’Beth Hillel reported on Jewish life in the city. During the First World War, Jews began to leave because of various difficulties, and Avraham Al-Azri, the last remaining Jew in Shfar’am, left in 1920.
Twenty years later, Shfar’am became a base for anti-Jewish Arab forces, and in the War of Independence in 1948, Israel’s new army captured the area for the newborn State of Israel.
Foreigners vs. Jews in the Holy Land
The bottom line, Dr. Lissak told Israel National News, is that the Arab claim that they have been here for “thousands of years” is far from true. “The goal of all the rulers of the Holy Land, from the times of the Romans and onward, was always to rid the Land of the Jews,” she said. “Finally, they succeeded. Many Jews simply left the Land rather than convert to Islam.”
Dr. Lissak’s articles on the towns of Gush Halav and Kafr Kana were summarized hetgre, and on Tzipori and Arabeh here. Other once-Jewish cities in the Land
Jomit
I amm applying the moral and logic of the Israeli right wing here. Absurd question. Which Arab has called for the expulsion of non Arabs from any land on religious grounds? Arab’s do not claim that only Arabs have the right to live in a certain land.
You right wing Zionists want non Jews out of Israel and Palestine is Jordan and such nonsense, on religious or demagouge grounds, maybe not you personally, but certainly others here have vocalised that, and the Israeli right wing support that because of religious/demagoguery or other reasons.
Forcible expulsions or transfer of population, would make sense if it was two way. I want to know why there isn’t a movement/campaign by these people to force Jews to leave the galut by the israeli right wing. Certainly Kahane, Eldad and others didn’t/do not call for that. Hence their cause makes no sense and is sheer opportunism and hypocricy.
Sabril
That was just one pullout, not an end to the occupation and a creation of an independent Palestine. Israel still controls the sea and air space.
As I said above, i’m addressing the right wing Zionists, who do not agree with what you describe as “usual meaning of occupy” what the current State of Israel proposes namely, a two state solution. I’m not talking to those who believe and support that. I’m addressing those who belive Israel should be for Jews only on religious grounds, kahanists, extremists, kooks, heros, real Jews, call them what you will, depending upon which perspective you see it from. Why aren’t these so called heros applying their logic consistently to the entire Jewish nation which includes the galut Jews.
Europe supports the two state solution. Both Israel and Palestine have the right to self defense. The Israelis have the means to defend themselves. the Palestinians do not. Their land is occupied. This is the European view. No need for you to come back and parrot your own narrative, which is not supported nor will be.
ISRAEL MEANS THE ENTIRE JEWISH NATIOIN IN JEWISH BELIEF.
Ask your Rabbi, if you’re a secular or atheist Jew. He will tell you, ISRAEL INCLUDES ALL JEWS IN THE DIASPORA INCLUDING THE 7 MILLION OR SO IN THE USA.
Laura
There never was a USA till the Europeans genocided the America’s. What is your point? Israel did not exist until the Canaanites were exterminated. By that token an atheist or liberal or other non Book person, who doesn’t believe in God can say, there never was an Israel till the Canaanites were exterminated and make perfect sense. You cannot expect the non Jew to accept your narrative, and when they reject them call them anti semites like you do.
But there is an Israel now. So does that mean you’re occupying the USA, since you’re part of the Jewish nation and believe Palestinans have no right to a state. You cannot on the one hand claim “Israel is the eternal nation of Jews” and expect an iota of respect for your statement whilst living in the USA. If Palestinains have no right to a state, then you have no right to be living in the USA according to your own beliefs. You can’t apply religious laws for Palestinans to deny them a state, and apply secular/international law for yourself so that you can continue occupying the USA.
Yonaton
I could go into the many false prophecies that Jews have believed in and were proven false. All based on the Tanakh, each interpretation differs over centuries, your sages, who the villain was, you get my drift. As has Christianity, but suffice to say, neither Islam nor Christianity existed at the time you received your revelations. Your Gog Magog prophecies have come and gone and changed over the centuries, applying a different villain to the piece whenever it suited. Christianty has the same dubious honour of false prophecies always proven wrong.
I do not need G-d to remind of the truth of the matter, which is that the land of Israel was given CONDITIONALLY. It is conditional upon the Torah laws being kept. Not on using secular law in the galut to expel natives in Israel, who should not have to pay the price for your dubious interpretation of Gods laws. If that were so, nobody would covet your land. That’s what the Tanakh says. It doesn’t say,
“when muslims and christians come against you whilst , i will destroy them”. If it does, show me the verse.
Safiyya: Why don’t you stop making idiotic assumptions about Jews living outside of Israel. Don’t arabs from every arab country live outside of their homeland? Saudi Arabia is for Saudis….but they can’t or shouldn’t live elsewhere? Your logic sucks. Why not just stick to “I hate Jews”.
It’s easier, and you won’t get so befuddled trying to cover up your true meaning. P.S….So what if Laura is sitting in the U.S. Are you dictating where we all should live? Go wrap a bomb vest on, walk out into the desert, and let it go.
Well, not according to the usual meaning of the word “occupy.” Anyway, if the European leadership believes that Israel has no legitimate right of self-defense, they should just come out and say it.
“No revolt in 1000 years”, but plenty of Muslim persecution of Jews.
Why are Muslims occupying the Temple Mount? The Temple Mount isn’t mentioned ANYWHERE in
the holy Quran. Muhammad never visited Jerusalem. It’s not your holy site and never was.
Muslims invented a lie to explain why they took the Temple Mount and have been promulgating
that lie ever since.
Any claims the Muslims had to Israel died the three separate times you tried to destroy the
state of Israel by force and “push the Jews into the sea”. No one kufar owes Muslims anything.
Israeli is not occupying “palestinian” territory because no such nation of palestine ever existed in history.
Shyguy
Laura
shyguy and laura, if Israel is the entire Jewish nation, that could be interpreted to mean that all Jews worldwide are occupying the countries they live in. So even from your perspective, it could be said ISRAEL IS OCCUPYING.
As I have said before, why you not leading a campaign to have Jews forcibly repatriated to Israel? Until that happens, your statements have zero credence as in international law, Israel is occupying Palestinian territory. You cannot conveniently choose international law when it suits you, and your own religious law interpreted at your convenience when it doesn’t. It’s one or the other not both.
I won’t even go into asking why Jews did not revolt against the Muslim conquest and rule of Israel for centuries but actively fought with us in the Crusades to keep the land from the Christian crusaders. No revolt in 1000 years, makes your statements sound riduculous.
Why did you not revolt against Muslim rule like you did against Romans and others when they took Jerusalem?
Laura, I assume you are sitting in America penning your screeds? Why are you not in Israel?
Judaism preceded islam by thousands of years.
Israel does not occupy someone else’s land.
Its not Palestinian territory, its Jewish territory. Argue this point with G-d if you wish, because ultimately when the muslims and christians have had enough of the “peace process” and end up going after each other, G-d will remind you of the truth of the matter.
Neither is Israel.
The US is occupying Japan, South Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq, Germany, and Italy. With most of these countries, the US went in without the consent of their governments. Even in Saudi Arabia, “comsent” was given by an unelected autocrat.
Anyway, there is no evidence that the world would treat Israel better after a West Bank pullout. Certainly the Gaza pullout did not improve things.
Is it really necessary to state the obvious? The USA is not occupying territory. Bin Laden had no case about the bases being in Saudi Arabia, because they were there by consent. His beef should have been with his own government for permitting them there if he really objected to them.
They will, if Israel ends the occupation.