On https://spme.org/cgi-bin/articles.cgi?ID=2347 Hebrew University Vidal Sasson Center for Research on Anti-Semitism Research Associate and SPME Board Member from Germany, Matthias Kuentzel remarks. “Hostilities against Israel appear today in the form of a pincer movement: On one side, we have anti-Semites such as Ahmadinejad or Hamas who draw their “knowledge” about Jews from the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion.”

I have the greatest respect for Dr. Kuentzel. But we should not repeat the myth that all Muslim antisemitism derives from the West! While Hamas clearly draws certain details–like the alleged Jewish role in 20th century European history–from Western antisemitic literature, the vast majority of Hamas antisemitism–and all of that from Iranian leaders–come from mainstream Islamic texts. That is why they are called: Islamists. If we do not acknowledge the problem that Islam contains large elements of hatred and derogatory views toward Jews, we can hardly deal with the issue. Of course, such things are present in Christianity and this has caused terrible events in history. But in Christianity the antisemitic ideas are far less present in the basic (and certainly not in the original) texts, are not attributed directly to God, and of course have been redressed by historical changes, albeit alas many of them all too recent. It is easy to cite at length accepted Islamic texts promoting hatred and mistrust of Jews, including the oft-used one by Islamists advocating Judgment Day genocide. As you are no doubt aware, blaming all the world’s problems and all the extremism in the Third World on the West is one of the main dangerous and deadly ideas we should be countering.

Sincerely, Professor Barry Rubin

Professor Barry Rubin,
Director, Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center
Editor, Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal
Editor, Turkish Studies