"The day will come when everything will be relieved of the Jews - even the stones and trees which were harmed by them. Listen to the Prophet Muhammad, who tells you about the evil end that awaits Jews. The stones and trees will want the Muslims to finish off every Jew." - Sheik Ibrahim Mudeiris, in a sermon, aired by Palestinian television on May 13, 2005. The Nazis live again.
There's no question that Sheik Ibrahim's words are reprehensible and inflammatory, and it's troubling that such nonsense is still broadcast on Palestinian Authority television. I think Sullivan's equation of militant Islamists to the Nazis, however, is ridiculous. The machinery of the Palestinian Authority, such as it is, far from mobilizing to kill the Jews, is in fact struggling against more radical Palestinian elements which advocate all out war with Israel. It's also important to note that the PA's ability to conduct this struggle has been seriously hampered by Israeli Defense Force activities over the last four years, which specifically targeted PA infrastructure.
If Sullivan insists on labeling such racist supremacism "Nazi," maybe we should take a look at the comments of Shmuel Sackett, a right-wing Jewish Israeli writing in the Israeli Insider:
We all know that "Palestinians" don't exist. There are no such people, they have no history, culture or even language of their own. They are Arabs and it is incumbent upon each and every one of us to call them that and reveal their lie.
[snip]
There are no "Palestinians" ... just Arabs and there are no "Israelis" ... just holy, special and exalted Jews. As soon as you recognize this, things will clear up right away.
As stated previously, these Jews have a mission and this mission applies to every Jew in the world. Don't fool yourself by thinking that "Israelis" will deal with it. It won't happen --because "Israelis" don't exist.
It's you and you are a Jew! The land is yours. The sanctity is yours and the mission is yours. G-d has assigned you a job -- now go do it!
I guess we should give Sheik Ibrahim some credit: at least he recognizes that Jews exist. Sackett's vicious and racist assertion that there is no such thing as a Palestinian, while obviously false, is an oft-repeated bit of revisionist propaganda. Far from marginal in Israel, Sackett's views are are common among elements the Israeli right, including among members of the Israeli government, some of whom regularly and openly advocate the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the occupied territories.
In the U.S., we are constantly bombarded with information about Islamic extremism, anti-Israel Palestinian extremism in particular. Very rarely do we hear about the equally extreme eliminationist rhetoric on the Israeli right, but it is most certainly there and it is no less deserving of condemnation.
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