Why do Muslims not like Israel?

Answer 1

If you capture the lands of a nation, subject a nation to suppression, cruelty, deprive the people of their fundamental rights, subject them to slavery without caring for the resolutions of the UNO, bomb their dwellings and kill innocent men, women and children, Will they like you? This is what Israelis have been doing with the Philistinian Muslims for the past many decades. And lo! The so-called CIVILIZED America and England are its chief Patrons. What a sense of justice!

• Answer 2

1) Just like there are pro-Israel lobbyists and publicists, so too there is also a vast machinery of anti-Israel ranting and rhetoric. Many anti-Israel media twist the facts in their reporting, which is part of the reason why the U.N. and E.U. are biased against Israel. For example, when a terrorist is shot while hurling a firebomb at Israelis, biased sources will report the shooting only. When this kind of reporting happens often enough, some people get the notion that Israel is pure evil.
2) One facet of the desire to wipe out Israel, is plain anti-Semitism.
3) Harm that has been done to the Palestinians, is used as a reason for hatred of Israel, even though some of the harm is caused by people who are not Israelis. For example, some Middle Eastern countries are vastly wealthy, but studiously refrain from giving enough assistance to the Palestinians to improve their livelihood. Another example is Iran's support of terrorism, which creates a cycle in which Israel is forced to defend itself, and the defensive measures are used as an excuse for still more attacks.
4) Anything in Israel's favor is not reported by by biased media. People are unaware that tens of thousands of Palestinians are employed by Israelis. Israel supplies Gaza with electricity and built a hospital there. It purchases thousands of tons of Palestinian agricultural and other products, thus infusing them with much-needed currency. There are tens of other examples. Israel's enemies could lay down their weapons, and ask us directly: "Why hasn't Israel returned to its pre-1967 borders"? Then we could carry on a serious debate. And that issue is not one-sided.

• When Israel's neighbors have pursued a policy of discussion and debate, solutions have been implemented, not only argued over. Israel pulled out of Sinai and gained a peace treaty with Egypt. A very cold peace, but a strategic and useful one.
  
• Israel made border-adjustments and water concessions to Jordan, and gained another cold but useful peace.
  
• The same process brought a treaty in May 17, 1983 with Lebanon but it was blocked by Syria.
  
• The same process was almost completed by Rabin and Arafat in 2000. They were at the treaty-signing table, having hammered out all the details. Then Yasser Arafat pulled out of the ceremony, and initiated the Second Intifada, loading the "Karin A" ship with tons of weapons for terror-use.

Answer 2

Answer 1

Many Muslims are against Israel because their forces continually kill thousands of Palestines who are predominately Muslims.

Answer 2

While it is true that Israel has killed thousands of Palestinians since its inception, this does not truly explain Muslims' opposition to Israel since this opposition pre-dated the events of the Jewish-Arab Engagement of 1947-1949 when Israelis first killed Palestinians. (Somewhere around 19,000 Palestinians have died in the entirety of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict including suicide bombers, but not including people who were delayed at checkpoints.) Azzam Pasha, Secretary-General of the Arab League, famously said in September of 1947: "I personally wish that the Jews do not drive us to this war, as this will be a war of extermination and momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Tartar massacre or the Crusader wars." This demonstrates that hatred of Israel and Jewish Nationalism existed before the Palestinian Exodus and the Occupation of the Palestinian Territories. While those events are certainly additional grievances, they are not the base reason for Muslim opposition to Israel.

The reason for Muslim opposition to the State of Israel is based in revanchism. Muslims strongly believe that any territory that their ancestors have conquered belongs to them in perpetuity. However, Zionism, the Jewish Nationalism responsible for Israel's creation, wished to restore the area to Jewish control. Similar to the Reconquista in Spain in the 1000s-1400s, Muslims wished to oppose any cession of territory or sovereignty, regardless of Palestine's worthlessness and backwater nature during the period of Ottoman control in from the 1500s to the 1900s. It matters little to Muslims outside of Israel that the standard of living for Muslims who live within Israel has increased tremendously while similar gains are absent in most Muslim-majority countries; their loss of the territory is itself a grievance which eclipses any possible benefits.

To read more about revanchism, please see the Wikipedia article referenced below that discusses the phenomenon.

Answer 3

1) Just like there are pro-Israel lobbyists and publicists, so too there is also a vast machinery of anti-Israel ranting and rhetoric. Many anti-Israel media twist the facts in their reporting, which is part of the reason why the U.N. and E.U. are biased against Israel. For example, when a terrorist is shot while hurling a firebomb at Israelis, biased sources will report the shooting only. When this kind of reporting happens often enough, some people get the notion that Israel is pure evil.

2) One facet of the desire to wipe out Israel, is plain anti-Semitism.

3) Harm that has been done to the Palestinians, is used as a reason for hatred of Israel, even though some of the harm is caused by people who are not Israelis. For example, some Middle Eastern countries are vastly wealthy, but studiously refrain from giving enough assistance to the Palestinians to improve their livelihood. Another example is Iran's support of terrorism, which creates a cycle in which Israel is forced to defend itself, and the defensive measures are used as an excuse for still more attacks.

4) Anything in Israel's favor is not reported by by biased media. People are unaware that tens of thousands of Palestinians are employed by Israelis. Israel supplies Gaza with electricity and built a hospital there. It purchases thousands of tons of Palestinian agricultural and other products, thus infusing them with much-needed currency. There are tens of other examples.

Israel's enemies could lay down their weapons, and ask us directly: "Why hasn't Israel returned to its pre-1967 borders"? Then we could carry on a serious debate. And that issue is not one-sided.

• When Israel's neighbors have pursued a policy of discussion and debate, solutions have been implemented, not only argued over. Israel pulled out of Sinai and gained a peace treaty with Egypt. A very cold peace, but a strategic and useful one.
  
• Israel made border-adjustments and water concessions to Jordan, and gained another cold but useful peace.
  
• The same process brought a treaty in May 17, 1983 with Lebanon but it was blocked by Syria.
  
• The same process was almost completed by Rabin and Arafat in 2000. They were at the treaty-signing table, having hammered out all the details. Then Yasser Arafat pulled out of the ceremony, and initiated the Second Intifada, loading the "Karin A" ship with tons of weapons for terror-use.

Further comments:

Israel is portrayed as an evil country by some of the media, by many U.N. and E.U. statements, and by much of the Arab and Muslim world.This despite the fact that Israel has better human-rights* than any other country in the region.

Israel has been boycotted for decades*, and its citizens have suffered from the conflict*, yet it continues to be optimistic and it enjoys God's protection*.

The presence of the Jews in Israel is questioned by some, despite the Jews' history* in and from Israel, and despite God's clear words* bestowing Israel to them. Words which are recognized by Islam as well*.

Those who condemn and hate Israel for its side in the conflict*, fail to apportion blame to Israel's enemies*, no matter how heinous their actions.

***See the Related Links.

Link: More about Israel

Link: Israeli human rights

Link: Israel boycotted

Link: Israelis suffer

Link: God's protection

Link: History in Israel

Link: God's words

Link: Islam recognizes

Link: Why hate Israel

Link: Israel blamed