Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton A. Klein and ZOA Chair Mark Levenson, Esq. released the following statement:
The ZOA strongly condemns the antisemitic Arab violence against innocent Jews in Jerusalem, promoted and incited by Mahmoud Abbas (the Holocaust-denying, terrorist dictator of the Palestinian Authority terrorist regime), Abbas’ Fatah Movement, and Hamas.
On their multiple official and private Facebook sites and media outlets, PA dictator Mahmoud Abbas, his Fatah Movement and “all its [Fatah’s] elements and leadership” widely publicized their communiqué directing everyone (every Arab) to “continue the uprising. . .and raise the level of confrontation.” This communique was prefaced with Koranic verses in an attempt to incite an Islamic holy war against innocent Jews.
Abbas and Fatah’s communiqué also called Jews living in Judea and Samaria “terrorists,” called the democratic Israeli government “fascist,” and called for demonstrations at international sites.
Furthermore, as PMW documented, the day after Arab terrorists shot and murdered an Israeli teenager (and wounded two other Israeli teenagers), Abbas’ Fatah Movement widely broadcasted a video message urging Arab Jerusalem residents to perpetrate more bloodshed against Jews. The video quoted from an Arab song, “O self-sacrificing fighter, may your bullet hit their targets.”
Can you imagine if Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu set out such a demand to Israeli Jews? Netanyahu would be roundly condemned. Yet the world is silent about Abbas’ provocations. Is there Arab Muslim privilege?! Or is it just Jew-hatred?
In addition, Senior Hamas Official Fathi Hammad tweeted: “People of Jerusalem, we want you to cut off the heads of the Jews with knives. With your hand, cut their artery from here. A knife costs five shekels. Buy a knife, sharpen it, put it here and just cut off (their heads). It costs just five shekels. With those five shekels, you will humiliate the Jewish state. You shall find the strongest in enmity towards the believers to be the Jews and the polytheists. The Jews have spread corruption and have acted with arrogance, and their moment of reckoning has come. The moment of their destruction at your hands has arrived.”
But again, the world is silent—or blames the Israeli victims of Arab violence. Is this Arab Muslim privilege or just Jew-hatred?! The world has ignored the fact that the Arabs have stored all sorts of weapons in the Mosque on the Temple Mount in preparation for injuring and murdering Jews.
ZOA also criticizes the U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan for misleadingly expressing “serious concerns about. . .planned evictions of Palestinians from their homes in Jerusalem.” Sullivan’s statement woefully misstates the situation.
What is the truth about the Palestinian Arab violence against Jews in Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, and the Israeli court’s decision to evict several dozen Arabs?
Centuries ago, Jews bought all the land in the Sheikh Jarrah area, and named the area after Simon the Tzaddik (Simon the Just). This was a Jewish neighborhood until 1948, even though the Arabs constantly attacked the innocent Jews who legally lived there. But in 1948, Jordan illegally captured this area, and banned Jews from living in this formerly Jewish neighborhood. Jordan gave Arabs leases to these Jewish homes, and the area became an Arab neighborhood living on legally-owned Jewish land. In the 1967 defensive war, Israel recaptured the area, and Jewish owners legally reclaimed their homes. The matter went to court, and the court said that the Jews were the legal owners. Nevertheless, in an extraordinary concession, it was agreed that the Arabs could remain as lessees if they paid a fair rent to the Jewish owners. The Arabs never paid, and this became a legal issue for 50 years. In addition, some Arabs entered the homes as squatters, and leases expired. Finally, a recent court decision stated that if the Arabs refused to pay rent, or were squatters, or their leases had long ago expired, they could be evicted—just as any renter, squatter or holdover, anywhere in the world, who refuses to pay rent for years can be legally evicted. This legal eviction notice was the phony pretext for the recent violence that the Arabs have launched against the Jews of Jerusalem.
For a thorough discussion of the Sheikh Jarrah issue by legal expert Avi Bell, which describes the history of the case and how the Jewish owners are being discriminated against, see: “What you won’t read in western media about the Jerusalem riots: Ignore the lies. Here are some important facts,” by Melanie Phillips.
ZOA strongly supports the use of strong and necessary measures to stop yet another Arab onslaught against the Jews. We urge President Biden to publicly condemn Abbas, Fatah, Hamas, and the Arabs who have been perpetrating this violence, using a legal eviction as a phony excuse. Stop falsely blaming the Jews which only encourages the violent Arab terrorists. Stop giving special privilege to Arab Muslim terrorists committing hate crimes against Jews and the Jewish State.