Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's participation in the January 12, 2015 march against terrorism in Paris alongside other world leaders, the Arab press published some articles harshly critical of him. They claimed he was exploiting the terrorist attacks to portray himself as a victim, and to deceive the Europeans by distracting them from Israel's crimes. One writer even called him "the Hitler of the current century." Likewise, Netanyahu's call urging French Jews to immigrate to Israel was criticized as an attempt to "cement the lie" that Israel is a Jewish state.
The following are excerpts from some of the publications:
'Al-Ahram': Netanyahu Exploited Paris Attacks To Deceive Europeans, Cement Historic Zionist Lie
An editorial in the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram stated: "Netanyahu used the fact that world [leaders] were convening in France, and that global media was covering the event, to call on French Jews to immigrate to Israel, saying: 'Israel is your homeland.' Those who [wish to] examine Netanyahu's behavior in depth should dwell on the language used by the Israeli prime minister. His words were not intended for Jews but rather for non-Jews. Netanyahu wished to cement the lie upon which Israel was established: [the lie] that Israel is a Jewish land. This is the lie that the Zionists have been using to deceive the world for the past 100 years. Netanyahu knows how sympathetic the French people are to the Palestinians these days, and knows that the historical Zionist lie no longer fools many Europeans. Therefore, he said to himself: Why not use this opportunity and employ this deception again, especially since Europeans are [now] angry with Muslims and Arabs...
"Looking around him [during the Paris march], and seeing Abu Mazen in the first row – which could remind the world of the Palestinian problem – Netanyahu said to himself: 'Let us remind you [the world] of the Jewish problem, and let us not forget that Israel is fast becoming a homeland for Jews only. Let the Palestinian Arabs go to the diaspora'
"If Israel acts this shrewdly and uses every opportunity to gain benefits, why can't we Arabs also be shrewd and remind the world that one of the reasons for the spread and abundance of terrorism is the injustice that has been caused to the Palestinians for years? Why can't we remind the world of what happened in Gaza recently, which did not even cause Europeans any pangs of conscience? Why not tell them that facts are facts and terrorism is terrorism, whether it is carried out by ISIS, or whether the children of Palestine are paying the price for it?"[1]
Netanyahu says "no to terrorism" while Palestinian blood drips from his hands (Al-Ahram, Egypt, January 14, 2015)
Al-Azhar Clerics: Netanyahu Is A Major Terrorist
In addition to accusing Netanyahu of exploiting the Paris attack for his own political purposes, columnists accused him of killing thousands and committing terrorist acts, and a communiqué issued by Al-Azhar clerics even referred to him as a "great terrorist." The communiqué, issued on January 18, 2015 by the institution's Senior Clerics Council following a meeting chaired by the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, said: "Some Western newspapers strove to conduct a ongoing provocative attack against Islam and the image of the Prophet Muhammad, and are still insisting on doing so, as happened in Denmark and later in Paris by a newspaper with small circulation – Charlie Hebdo..." The communiqué stated further: "At the forefront of the Paris march were some of the greatest terrorists, like Benjamin Netanyahu... which fans the flames by further harming and provoking the Muslims' feelings."[2]
Al-Ahram columnist Yusuf Al-Qa'id wrote in a similar vein: "The march of five million protestors, which passed through the streets and squares of Paris in protest of the terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo newspaper that published cartoons insulting the Prophet Muhammad, was not to my liking. [I objected to it] because those who marched at the forefront are [themselves] perpetrators of terrorism. I am not saying [they do it] in their own countries, but rather in countries they have occupied. Some of them suffer from shaky popularity in their own countries, and from crises and problems that might not let them complete their terms. It was very unfortunate [to see] Benjamin Netanyahu in the first row, waving to the masses with a hand dripping with blood – the blood of 2,500 martyrs in his last assault on Gaza. If we tried to count the number of people he killed, we would reach numbers that would terrify us to an immeasurable degree..."[3]
Netanyahu stands over the skulls of his Gaza victims, holding up a sign saying "#Against Terrorism, #I am Charlie (Al-Arabi Al-Jadid, London, January 15, 2015)
Article In Saudi 'Al-Hayat': The Hitler Of This Century Marched In An Anti-Terror March
'Abd Al-'Aziz Al-Sweid, a columnist for the London-based Saudi daily Al-Hayat, claimed that Netanyahu – whom he called "the Hitler of this century" – had exploited the Paris demonstration to feign the appearance of an innocent lamb. He wrote: "The opportunists exploited the murder of the cartoonists in Paris. The climax came when the Hitler of this century, Netanyahu, participated [in the Paris march], using this opportunity to appear as an innocent lamb in order to obfuscate the terrorism he employed in Gaza, [whose victims'] blood is not even dry yet. Thus, terrorism [itself] marched in the Paris antiterrorism rally, hand in hand with [international] hypocrisy...
"The insistence on placing 'free speech' at the forefront [reflects] a flawed understanding, since we see a clear confusion between freedom of speech and the freedom to give offense... This is another chapter in a series meant to tarnish the image of Muslims, especially that of Sunni Arabs – [a series] in which two parties are involved. One [of these parties], which purports to employ logic, freedom, and democracy, refuses to admit to its provocative role that feeds [terrorism]...
"The truth is that we [Muslims] and you [Westerners both] have extremists among us. [However,] we take steps against our extremists, while you encourage yours! Furthermore, you have no compunction about adopting our extremists when you wish to! The result is that irresponsible free speech has become a Western doctrine which clashes with freedom of belief..."[4]
Jordanian Daily 'Al-Dustour': Netanyahu Exploited The Attacks For His Election Campaign; Israel Is The Terrorist
Dr. 'Aida Al-Najjar, a columnist for the Jordanian daily Al-Dustour, also claimed that Netanyahu exploited the attack for his own purposes. "Netanyahu did not heed French President Francois Hollande's advice not to attend the mass march protesting the killing of the journalists and cartoonists of the satirical French publication Charlie Hebdo, which insulted the Arab Prophet and Muslims. I wonder how [Netanyahu] could have [possibly] accepted this [advice], being a first-rate opportunist and an international expert on terrorism. He [actually] jumped for joy, for this attack upon the weekly took place along with the killing of 'four French Jews' at a Jewish Kosher store. He was looking for such a chance, since he is facing an election campaign in Israel, which also includes the Jewish extremist Lieberman. Netanyahu the opportunist [participated in the rally] as part of his election campaign, while working to take over what is left of occupied Palestine and insisting on [Palestinian recognition of Israel as a] 'Jewish state,' when he neither agrees nor will agree in the future to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state...
"The activity by the West, chiefly the U.S., to eradicate 'terrorism' does not seem serious. [The U.S.] has distorted the terms 'democracy' and 'human rights' in its wars, which created terrorist organizations that will be remembered with horror forever. Tarring Arabs and Muslims with the brush of terrorism was meant to serve the goals of barbaric colonialism and global Zionism, while Israel is the one [actually] perpetrating terrorism. The colonialist countries that boast democracy [and] support Israel are interested in such terror and want Israel to continue it unabated."[5]
Tareq Masarwa, a columnist for the Jordanian daily Al-Rai wrote: "Netanyahu occupies and kills thousands in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, and then stands with world leaders to protest terrorism that purports to be Islamic... while calling on French Jews to forego their homeland and mobilize to kill Palestinians.
"Thousands of Jordanians took to the streets on Friday to defend their Messenger and Prophet, the leader of good and peace in the world, and to tell their friend France that, in the name of freedom, it grants this despicable paper [Charlie Hebdo] a Zionist pulpit. [This pulpit] is meant solely to present terrorism as an Islamic [phenomenon] and transform terrorists into the display window of Muslims. [This, while] France itself punishes its citizens for saying a single bad word about Zionism. How can such opposites coexist...?
"We have made peace with the history of colonialist France during the time of a great leader like General de Gaulle. We forgave him and tried to establish better relations with the new France. This, despite the fact that successive [French] governments refused to apologize for 1.5 million martyrs who fell for their country's freedom, and refused to apologize to Algeria for the enslavement that lasted 130 years, during which [France] carried out killing, destruction, and cruelty..."[6]
Endnotes:
[1] Al-Ahram (Egypt), January 14, 2015.
[2] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), January 19, 2015.
[3] Al-Ahram (Egypt), January 19, 2015.
[4] Al-Hayat (London), January 14, 2015.
[5] Al-Dustour (Jordan), January 15, 2015.
[6] Al-Rai (Jordan), January 18, 2015.
