Are there any Muslims who believe the Jews should be in Israel?

Answer 1

Yes. Most Muslims do not have an issue with Jews being in Israel. The issue is primarily whether Jews should have political presence and dominance in the country. Most Muslims oppose this. However, there are several Islamic Leaders who hold that a Jewish-led polity is desirable and their views are echoed by a minority of Muslim individuals.

Probably the only Conservative Imam who openly espouses Islamic Zionist arguments (arguing for the validity of the Jewish presence and dominance in Israel) is Sheikh Hadi Palazzi, who lives primarily in Rome. In his view, the Jewish presence in the modern State of Israel is a fulfillment of Qur'anic verses 5:20-21, 17:104, and 26:59. He is most often seen as hawkish on Israeli foreign policy as well, arguing against removing the settlements, arguing for a unified Israeli-controlled Jerusalem, and speaking dissaprovingly of Palestinian Nationalism.

Historically, King Faisal I of Iraq was also a supporter of Zionism, although he did not live to see its realization. For him, he saw the Jews as natives of the Middle East who should join the Arabs in overthrowing the foreign Turkish and European Imperialism and colonization as independence movements.

The majority of Islamic Zionists come from the more liberal Islamic camp. Irshad Manji, Tarek Fatah, and Tawfik Hamid all support the State of Israel. Their main reason for doing so is that they believe that the liberal values and freedom of worship in Israel are a model that all Islamic Countries can follow in creating more tolerant societies. All three of them justify their support of liberal values as a part of Islam by referencing verses in the Qur'an such as 109:1-6 and similar. However, all three of them, especially Irshad Manji, are critical of Israeli politics and policy as concerns the Palestinian Issue.

Unfortunately, espousing pro-Israel arguments in Muslim-majority countries (aside from the former Soviet Union) is very difficult. People who do so publicly are often attacked physically for having these views. As a result, the true number of Muslims who support Israel in the Islamic World who are Zionists will likely never be known. Due to the lack of debate in society that effectively banning one side of the argument has, it is liekly a very small minority. In Western countries, especially the United States, we see a small group of Muslims openly supporting Zionism either from Sheikh Hadi Palazzi's perspective or from the more liberal perspective.