February 28, 2000
Communicated by the Israel Foreign Ministry
Recent months have seen intensive efforts on the part of the Government of
Israel, supported by the Israeli public, to advance the peace negotiations with
Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinians, while strengthening and deepening its
political dialogue with the two neighboring states with which Israel has entered
into treaties of peace – Jordan and Egypt.
It is against this background that the rhetoric voiced in some Arab countries in
recent weeks, and especially in the last few days, is of deep concern to Israel.
Certain parts of the Arab world have regressed to an era which we thought
would never return: an era of incitement, hostility, and demonization of the
Israeli ‘enemy’ and its leadership.
This has been expressed in such incidents as the burning in effigy of
Prime Minister Barak in the streets of Beirut, the superimposition of Hitler’s face
on a photo of Foreign Minister Levy, the widely used comparison of Israeli
policy with Nazism, recent inciteful expressions by Syrian Foreign Minister
A-Shara, inflammatory commentaries appearing in the official Syrian daily
‘Teshreen’ and other incidents.
This incitement is often inspired by official sources within these Arab states.
They include statements by leaders and officials, and agitation orchestrated by
the official establishment media. The message permeates throughout the public
strata and stokes the anti-Israeli atmosphere to worrisome levels – this at a time
when reconciliation and confidence-building are needed most.
The Holocaust was the greatest tragedy experienced by mankind, certainly in
the last century, and particularly by the Jewish people. The parallels being
drawn in the Arab world between Israel and Nazism are unacceptable and
offensive, and constitute a depreciation of the historical uniqueness of the
phenomenon of the Holocaust.
The means used by elements within the Arab side – incitement and
demonization – are contrary to the concept of peace and engender much doubt
and questioning among the public and the government in Israel regarding their
true intent.
Faced with calls to punish Israel just as ’the racist Haider’ is being punished,
and when such terms as ‘racist’, ‘fascist’, and ‘Nazi’ are being widely used to
describe Israel – it is hard to expect the Israeli government to continue in the
peace process as if nothing has happened. If such rhetoric is being used by the
Arabs as a means to advance their cause in the peace negotiations, Israel will
not bow to such pressure.
The peace-loving elements within the Arab world – in government, official
institutions, the media and among the opinion-makers – should be called upon to
halt the ugly wave of incitement and the unbridled style being used in the radio
stations of Cairo, Damascus and Beirut, and in the editorials and opinion pieces
published in such newspapers as Teshreen, Al-Aharam, Al-Thawra,
Al-Akhbar, Al-Rai, Al Baath, and others.
Just as there is no realistic alternative to the peace process, there is also no
alternative to a mature dialogue between governments and peoples in order to
bring about a transition from an era of confrontation to an era of peaceful
co-existence, from an era of isolation to an era of cooperation, and from an era
of denigration and demonization to an era of mutual respect.
Examples of Anti-Israeli Rhetoric in the Arab Media
The following are a few examples of the anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic
rhetoric which has been presented in the Arab media in recent weeks:
From the official Syrian dailyTeshreen:
“At the same time that Israel is engaged in organizing international conventions
to commemorate the Holocaust, and Zionists are trying to gag the world and
prevent it from stating the truth on the subject, Israel is itself pursuing a
‘Holocaust policy’ against Lebanon. … I think there is no greater distortion of
facts and history than this.”
(Editorial by Editor-in-Chief Mohammed Hir el-Wadi, February 21, 2000)
“Israel – which presents itself as the heirs of the victims of the Holocaust – has
committed, and continues to commit crimes which are even more horrible and
heinous than those committed by the Nazis.”
(Editorial by Editor-in-Chief Mohammed Hir el-Wadi, January 31, 2000)
From the official Syrian daily Al-Thawra:
“Israel has revealed itself as a entity steeped in racism, hate, and
state-sponsored terrorism, which has surpassed even the Nazis in its criminal
acts of murder, destruction and devastation, and in its disdain for humanity.”
(Editorial by Editor Muhammed Ali Bouzha, February 22, 2000)
“Burned . Burns . Burning . Holocaust” – Al-Thawra, Syria, Feb 28,
2000
“The Great Change will be Realized” – Al-Thawra, Syria,
Feb 21, 2000
“Barak’s Priorities” – Al-Thawra, Syria, Feb 18, 2000
“A Sentimental Stance with the National Ego” – Al-Thawra,
Feb 15, 2000
From the official Syrian ‘Radio Damascus’:
“The Zionists, who claim that they are the victims of Nazism, have been the
diligent students of Nazism. From the Nazis they have learned the most brutal
methods of tormenting ethnic minorities, and have carried them out against the
Palestinian-Arab and the Lebanese-Arab people.”
(‘Palestine Corner’, January 4, 2000)
“Even the prison camps of the Nazis were less barbaric than those of the
Israelis.”
(‘Palestine Corner’, January 8, 2000)
From the Egyptian ‘Radio Sawt al-Arab’:
“Does David Levy really have the right to speak of
Hitler’s crematoria while his government has created a true Nazi-style
crematorium for the fraternal people of Lebanon?!”
(Commentary, February 10, 2000)
From the Egyptian establishment daily Al-Akhbar:
“Extortion is the lifeblood of the State of Israel, since the inception of this
blackmailing country to this very day. This extortion began with the creation of
the Holocaust myth, according to which Hitler cremated 6 million Jews in World
War II.”
(Commentary, February 11, 2000)
From Al-Ahram Weekly, Egypt:
Caricature of Barak Confronting Haider, Feb 17-23, 2000
From the Qatari daily Al-Watan:
On February 21, Al-Watan published a caricature of Israeli
Prime Minister Barak depicted as Adolf Hitler, and dressed in a Nazi uniform and
a swastika armband. In the background is seen an Israeli warplane bombing
Lebanon, and a caption reading “Nazi Practices”.
From the Palestinian Al-Hayat al Jedida:
“Economic Advisor to Arafat and Palestinian Deputy Minister of Economic
Affairs Maher el-Kurd stated in Ramallah that ‘Israel is attempting to turn the
Gaza area into a concentration camp, similar to those of the Second World
War’.”
(News Report, February 8, 2000)
