RBIS July 19, 1998: Letter from a Muslim Clergyman to two Muslim Brothers -- Israel should declare Oslo "Null and "Void"

I live in Rome and I am a clergyman (Imam) of the Italian Islamic Community. I consider myself a good friend of Israel and am trying my best to help Muslims free themselves from anti-Zionism and to develop a positive attitude toward Jews in general and towards Israelis in particular.

I believe that Israeli Arabs live in a privileged position: they are the only Arabs in the Middle East who live in a democratic State. The comparison between the positive way that Israel treats them and the terrible way that refugees from "Palestine" were treated by their so-called Arab "brothers" is incredible.

I believe that "Palestinian identity" is something completely artificial: it was forged as a propagandistic tool against Israel. The strange fact is that, at least here in Europe, I have never heard an Arab from the Land of Israel ("Palestine") say: "I am Palestinian."

Maybe this reflects the fact that here in Italy these Arab brothers live in a democracy, while in the Muslim Middle East every word that comes out of ones' mouth is monitored by dictatorial Arab authorities. Almost all of the Arabs here in Europe say "I am Jordanian, and, thank God, I have nothing to do with Arafat [Abdul Rauf el-Codbi el-Husseini] and his gang."

Please remember that the so-called hero of "Palestinian independence," the pro-Nazi Grand Mufti of British Mandate Palestine, Haj Amin al-Husseini, never claimed that "Palestinians" are to be an independent people: all of his official declarations state that "Palestine must be recognized as a integral part of Syria."

The real "Palestinian State" is Jordan, and from a linguistic, ethnic, religious and cultural point of view there is nothing that can be identified as "typically Palestinian" and "non-Jordanian."

You asked me if I "know that the dictatorial Jordanian regime is more corrupt than what we now have in in 'Palestine.'" You further state that the "Palestinian Authority is the best of all Arab governments."

Frankly speaking, this makes me really wonder which world you are living in.

I doubt that there is in today's world a more corrupt and criminal organization than the "Palestinian Authority." Arafat [Abdul Rauf el-Codbi el-Husseini] and his mob travel around the world asking for money to "help the Palestinian people." They hide this money in Swiss and Kuwaiti banks, while Arabs who live in Judea and Samaria (the "West Bank") and Gaza go hungry.

Did you forget that the leader of the Palestinian Authority is a bloodthirsty and moneythirsty criminal who murdered thousands of innocent persons? Don't you know that thousands of Arabs who regarded themselves as friend of the Jews, or only dared to criticize "the boss" were mercilessly butchered? Are you really unaware of the fact that, after signing a declaration against terrorism, Arafatians are still working hand-in-hand with Hamas terrorists?

Look at recent newspapers: you will learn that Feisal Husseini, a representative of your alleged "best of all Arab governments," took part in Gaza in ceremonies celebrating an arch-terrorist.

By signing the so-called Oslo Agreement, Israel made the worst of mistakes: it legitimized a gang of killers in the eyes of worldwide public opinion. I believe that the Israeli government should have dealt with Arafat [Abdul Rauf el-Codbi el-Husseini] in the same way that it dealt with Adolf Eichmann.

A Palestinian State will be a disaster for both Israelis and Arabs. The Israelis will lose their security and the Arabs will lose their freedom of speech under a criminal government.

Since I love Israel, I ask God to protect it, and to help its leaders to understand that the only way to survive is to declare the Oslo Agreement null and void.

Shalom,

Sheikh Professor Abdul Hadi Palazzi

Rome, Italy