Why Muslims Hate Israel?

Responding to a call from the terrorist organization Hamas, thousands of Indonesian Muslims marched to show their hatred of Jews today: Massive anti-Israel protests hits several Indonesian cities.

Local radio reported that thousands of others held similar marches in several other cities and towns across the archipelago to protest what they called Israel’s oppression of the Palestinian people and alleged threats to the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, a site considered holy for Muslims as well as Jews.

The Indonesian demonstrations came one week after a leader of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas appealed to “the entire Muslim world” to protect al-Aqsa.

Why is it that the hatred for Israel resonates from the Middle East up to far off Indonesia? The reason is that Israel represents a humiliating defeat for the Muslims who have tried over and over again to destroy the Jewish state since its establishment in 1948. The establishment of Israel has reversed the history of the Muslim conquest of the Middle East that happened with the Arab invasion in 634 C.E. This is too much for the Muslims to bear.

The formation of the state of Israel is associated with their original Biblical homeland called Judea and Palestine which was part of the Turkish empire till 1917. Following Germany' s defeat in the First World War in 1918, the Prussian (German) empire of its ally Turkey was dismembered. The British took a large part of it - Palestine as the spoils of their victory. As a reward for helping them in defeating the Turks, they carved off Palestine and gave away the larger part to a Bedouin Arab, named Abdullah, who became the first Hashemite King of Transjordan (now Jordan) by which the 70% of Palestine was called. his grandson Hussein now rules Jordan.

The remainder of Palestine was mandated by the British. In 1947 Britain had to give up control over this part of Palestine which was divided into Israeli and Arab Zones. The Arab Zone went to Jordan. This division was accepted by the Jews but not by the Arabs. The Arabs went to war in 1948, they lost. They went to war four times after that and lost. They chose to live in refugee camps and did not settle in _ the other half of Palestine which was now Jordan. Their efforts were concentrated on destruction of the State of Israel and expulsion of the Jews who had returned there after living in exile for more than 2500 years. The Arab states and the Arabs living in what is now Israel could not bring themselves to accept the fact that Israel had been created by dividing Palestine into two parts, with Israel being a homeland for the Jews and the other half of Palestine i.e. Jordan, being the country of the Arabs previously residing in Israel.

Today there are many Arabs living in Israel, but most Arabs whether living in Israel or outside it have never reconciled themselves in their heart of hearts to the fact of Israel's existence, unlike the way Indians have accepted Pakistan. Pakistan which too was created after partitioning a formerly united - country. Israel is today like a fishbone stuck in the Arab throat and try as they can the Arabs have not so far been able to spit it out. But due to international pressures and Israel's conciliatory approach, we see today a state of Palestine which occupies parts of territory which had formed a part of Israel since 1967.

But let be noted here that the Palestinians are not going to be content with Gaza and parts of the West Bank. They will eventually declare a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. And they will ultimately not stop till they succeed in swallowing the entire state of Israel (or at least perish while trying to do so). It is high time that Israeli leaders realize the kind of mortal challenge that they face to their existence in the form of Palestinian demands.

Story Credits: Channel News Asia and Little Green Footballs