In yet another display of blatant and open antisemitism in the wake of Trump’s decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, anti-Israel protesters in New York have been videoed warning Jews that the “army of Muhammed is coming” and calling for Israel’s destruction.
The protesters congregated on December 8th and were addressed by several speakers.
One speaker, Imam Mohammad Qatanani, shouted to the crowd “Our message to the Palestinian Authority: you have to stop all kinds of peace processes. No peace process and negotiations with the occupation in Palestine. Oslo has to be stopped and to be finished. We have to start a new Intifada. Intifada! Intifada!”
Qatami has faced deportation from the United States for failing to disclose his conviction in Israel for membership of Hamas, a violent terrorist organisation that calls for the slaughter of Jews.
Another speaker, an unidentified woman, hailed the “Palestinian Vanguard, with their incredible courage” who “fight with whatever they can. They fight with rocks, they fight with rockets from Gaza, they fight with guns, their children fight. Every single Palestinian is in it to win it!”
According to the Definition of Antisemitism “calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews” is a form of antisemitism. The use of rockets, in particular, is a form of indiscriminate violence that is used to target Israeli civilians. However, all the forms of violence which this woman has glorified are often used to target Israeli civilians. Beyond the fact that these comments are antisemitic, it is also highly disturbing to see a person glorifying violent acts committed by children.
Another speaker, Nerdeen Kiswani, said “”We should be just as angry that they [The U.S.] have an embassy in Tel Aviv or Jaffa as we are [about] Jerusalem – because every inch of Palestine is Palestinian land”.
She continued: “we are in the final stages of Israel crumbling. Do you know why? Because they are exposing themselves. No one can look at Israel anymore and say: ‘Yes, they want peace.’ Because if they want peace they wouldn’t have done this. Israel is exposing itself every day, with every Palestinian martyr that they kill. With every inch of Palestinian land that they steal, they are exposing themselves, and their time is limited. Their time is up! It is up to all of us here, including everyone in the crowd, to keep this momentum going, if we want to see Israel fall within our lifetime”.
According to the Definition of Antisemitism, both “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination” and “applying double standards by requiring of Israel a behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation”, which of course would include its own dismantlement, are antisemitic.
Kiswani has a long history of supporting violence against Israelis, and has previously involved herself in a protest that disrupted a council event which was dedicated to commemorating the Holocaust. She has also opposed Jewish-Muslim cooperation at US Universities.
Perhaps most shockingly, the crowd chanted with a leader “Oh Jews, the army of Muhammed will return”, a chant heard at several protests across the world.
A video of these disgraceful events can be viewed here.