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Wed, Aug 31, 2011 | The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

 

International Jerusalem Day: anti-Israeli anti-West Incitement – Part 2

Annual Jerusalem Day events organized by Iran and its proxies around the world again stressed hatred for Israel and the United States and support for Hezbollah and Hamas. In the Arab and Western world, participation and media coverage were generally slight, contrary to Iranian expectations. In the West (especially Britain), the Iranians joined anti-Israeli organizations participating in the campaign to delegitimize Israel. ^[1]

Overview of this year’s World Jerusalem Day events (August 31, 2011 update)

Jerusalem Day events were held on August 26 in Iran, the Arab-Muslim world (the Arab countries, Turkey, Southeast Asia and Africa), in Western countries and elsewhere. This year again Jerusalem Day events were exploited for strong incitement against Israel and the West (mainly the United States and Britain) and for support of Iran and the so-called “resistance” [i.e., the terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah and Hamas].

The heads of the Iranian regime expected a larger number of participants than in previous years, hoping to ride the wave of popular protests sweeping the Arab world. That hope was expressed in a speech given by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the eve of Jerusalem Day, in which he said that this year he expected mass participation in the events as “proof” of the faith of the nation of Islam in the Iranian regime. Iranian president Ahmadinejad also called on Muslims and non-Muslims alike around the globe to demonstrate massive participation in Jerusalem Day events. An initial examination of the events in various locations indicates that in most Arab and Western countries participation was slight (although the themes were particularly vicious and extremist) and the demonstrations did not receive significant media coverage (the Arab and Western media were engaged in covering other issues, such as the dramatic developments in Libya). On the other hand, in Lebanon and other Muslim countries (such as Pakistan) attendance was broad.

The main issues of Jerusalem Day were the following (details below):

1) Focal points of events: The main events were held, as they have been every year, in Iran, where Jerusalem Day has become a national event in which the Iranian regime’s leadership participates. Other important sites were Lebanon (led by Hezbollah), Britain (with the participation of anti-Israeli organizations, most of them extreme Islamist participants in the campaign to delegitimize Israel), and Pakistan (where mass anti-American rallies were held with Shi’ite participation). Jerusalem Day events were also held in the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia and Africa.

2) Themes: There was a considerable similarity of themes at the various Jerusalem Day focal points. Prominent was hatred for Israel, with the leading slogan of “Death to Israel.” Israel was defamed as an “apartheid state” carrying out the “ethnic cleansing” of the Palestinians and calls were heard for its boycott (BDS)^[2] and destruction. (In Britain no attempt was made to moderate or soften the call to destroy Israel, and Jerusalem Day events were blatantly extreme-Islamist oriented.) In various places around the globe, including Western countries, support was voiced for “resistance” [i.e., terrorism] and for Hezbollah and Hamas (through the use of pictures of shaheeds from both organizations). The events were also exploited, as they are every year, for strong anti-West (especially anti-American) incitement, including slogans and the ritual of burning the American flag. There was also anti-West incitement in Muslim countries which maintain correct diplomatic relations with the United States (Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh). In at least one country (Turkey) signs were waved reading “Saudi king is a killer.”

3) Iran joined forces with various anti-Israeli organizations in organizing and participating in Jerusalem Day events in the Arab-Muslim world and Western countries. For example, in Lebanon, again this year, the events were led by Hezbollah. In the Gaza Strip and Syria (the Yarmouk refugee camp) most of the Palestinian terrorist organizations participated in the events. In Iraq, pro-Iranian Shi’ites participated. In Britain, the United States and other Western countries, anti-Israeli organizations, mostly Muslim, participated in the events. Some of them were so-called “human rights organizations” which call for the destruction of Israel and participate in various aspects of the campaign to delegitimize Israel (propaganda, flotillas, convoys and BDS).

4) The influence of the popular protests in the Arab world on Jerusalem Day events: Iran was disappointed in its expectations that the popular protests in the Arab world could be used to their own ends by means of Jerusalem Day. For example, in Jordan the Muslim Brotherhood (and other centers of power) boycotted the event initiated by the Iranian embassy because of Iran’s support for Syria. In Syria the events were low-key, in our assessment because the regime feared they might be used by its opponents. In Egypt a demonstration was held in front of the Israeli embassy on August 26, but no attempt was made to link it to Jerusalem Day.^[3] In Yemen, President Saleh’s opponents participated in the demonstration. On the other hand, Hassan Nasrallah and Ahmed Jibril, who spoke at demonstrations held in Maroun al-Ras (south Lebanon) and in the Yarmouk refugee camp (on the outskirts of Damascus) expressed support for the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad, praising it for its support of the “resistance” [i.e., Hezbollah and the Palestinian terrorist organizations]. An illustration of that support was Syria’s allowing Iranian aid for Hezbollah to pass through it into Lebanon (See Nasrallah’s speech below).

5) Media coverage: The success of propaganda events like Jerusalem Day is measured by the volume of coverage they receive from the media. In that respect, Jerusalem Day was a failure for Iranian propaganda. Media coverage was skimpy with the exception of countries like Iran (where the national media were enlisted) and Lebanon (where the events were covered by Hezbollah’s popular Al-Manar TV, which broadcasts via satellite to Muslims around the world, but not by Lebanon’s general media.) In other countries, Jerusalem Day was covered mainly by the Islamic media, websites, blogs and social networks affiliated with Iran or the Islamic organizations participating in the events.

In our assessment, this year Jerusalem Day events showed an increasing Iranian desire to participate in the propaganda campaign against Israel. To that end the Iranians joined forces with radical Islamic organizations in Western countries (e.g., Turkey), terrorist organizations (e.g., Hezbollah in Lebanon) and Shi’ite Muslims (e.g., in Iraq and Pakistan). They also managed to join forces with organizations in Western countries participating in the campaign to delegitimize Israel, primarily with Islamist organizations (some of which represent themselves as human rights organizations). The Iranians are careful to remain behind the scenes, even if sometimes there are indications of their presence (emphasizing support for Hezbollah, even in Western cities like London; similar slogans in focal points of the events, especially “Death to Israel;” the involvement of the Iranian embassies in the events in several Islamic states; and the involvement of activists of Iranian origin in events in Britain and perhaps other Western countries).

On the other hand, Jerusalem Day events also illustrated the limitations of the Iranian regime’s anti-Israeli, anti-American propaganda campaign:

1) The Arab regimes are basically hostile to and suspicious of the Iranian regime’s intentions and activities even when Iran tries to exploit the Palestinian cause, which usually inspires broad popular sentiment. The Arab regimes prevent significant cooperation with Iran in promoting its campaigns. As a result, in the Arab world Iran has been forced to rely mainly on the Shi’ites for support and on its Shi’ite proxies, especially in countries like Lebanon and Iraq.

2) Iran’s support of the Syrian regime, which has brutally suppressed the country’s protest movement, has damaged Iran’s image and reduced its popularity in the Arab street, even among Islamist movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood (which are well aware that the Iranian regime uses brute force to suppress its own protest movement). Iran’s difficulty in enlisting broad popular support for Jerusalem Day in Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority territories (and to a certain degree, Turkey as well) may be an indication of reservations held by those countries.

3) The Iranian regime has not managed to overcome its negative image in the West, even when Iran initiated an event allegedly meant to defend “Palestinian rights.” Themes like “Death to Israel” and “Death to the United States” are usually not well received in the West even when they are marketed as “defending the human rights” of the Palestinians. In some Western countries, however, especially in Britain, the Iranians succeeded in joining forces with a number of organizations and activists hostile to Israel, although the number of participants in the events was not greater than in previous years (and perhaps even smaller). Prominent among the participants in Western countries were Muslims (and in some instances activists of Iranian origin and Shi’ite Muslims) who were not of particular interest to the Western media.

An initial summary of Jerusalem Day events in various countries follows:

Iran

This year, as in previous years, World Jerusalem Day was marked with marches and rallies in Tehran and other cities throughout the country. According to the Iranian regime (as posted on the president’s website), millions of Iranians participated in the events. However, in our assessment, their numbers reached tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands. This year as well, high-ranking members of the Iranian regime participated, among them politicians, the military and clerics. In Tehran the marchers held signs wishing invoking for the United States, Israel and Britain, and rd “Allahu Akbar, Khamenei is the Leader” (Fars News Agency, Iran, August 26, 2011). On the eve of Jerusalem Day Ahmadinejad said he oped that Jerusalem Day would bring about “the elimination of the Zionist regime and the freedom of mankind from evils…” (PressTV, August 23, 2011).

Iranian president Ahmadinejad participated in the main march in Tehran. Speaking before the Friday prayers were held in Tehran he said that the objective of Jerusalem Day was the full destruction of the “Zionist regime.” He reiterated that the “liberation” of Jerusalem and support for the “resistance movement” [i.e., the terrorist organizations] would always be the number one priority of Iranian foreign policy. He also insinuated anti-Semitic themes into his speech, saying that “one of the big lies is the Holocaust fable” and that Zionism [i.e., the Jews] “ruled the West” (Mehr News Agency, August 26, 2011; the Iranian president’s official website).

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards said in a statement for World Jerusalem Day that “Islamic awareness” and “the popular revolutions” in the region were the prelude to the fall of the “Zionist regime of occupation” and a Palestinian victory (ISNA, August 24, 2011). Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Saidi, representative of the Supreme Leader to the Revolutionary Guards, said that Iran viewed Hezbollah and Hamas as “Iran’s border with Israel” and regarded all threats to them as direct threats to Iran’s interests (Mehr News Agency, August 26, 2011).

Pictures from the Jerusalem Day events in Tehran

 

The Palestinian Authority

In general, there were no exceptional events in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip on Jerusalem Day. In the Gaza Strip the various terrorist organizations marked the day with a demonstration.

Nabil Abu Rudeina, PA spokesman, responded to a declaration made by Iranian president Ahmadinejad, who that if the Palestinian appeal to the UN brought the liberation of the “Palestinian lands,” it would be step toward “the continuation of the resistance and the liberation of more lands”^[4] (Al-Manar TV, August 24, 2011). Nabil Abu Rudeina said that such a statement helped the Israeli right wing, which objected to the Palestinian intention to appeal to the UN. He added that Ahmadinejad’s declaration cast doubt on the Palestinian intentions, the trustworthiness of the Palestinian commitment to the two-state solution based on the 1967 lines, and conflicted with the Arab peace initiative (Wafa News Agency, August 27, 2011).

Regarding the situation on the ground, in the days before Jerusalem Day a group calling itself “Knocking on the Gates of Jerusalem” issued a call for demonstrations at the four compass points surrounding Jerusalem (including Qalandia) in response to Israel’s policy of Judaizing Jerusalem and to stress that it would be the capital of the future Palestinian state and symbol of “national honor.” Apparently, inspired by the call and activities planned for Jerusalem Week, a demonstration was held at Qalandia (north of Jerusalem). However, the Palestinian media did not mention the demonstration at Qalandia or other friction points in connection with Iranian-inspired Jerusalem Day.

The Gaza Strip

The terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip held a march for Jerusalem Day. Most of the Palestinian organizations participated (Fatah apparently did not).

 

Lebanon

As usual, Jerusalem Day events were organized by Hezbollah. The main event was a rally in Maroun al-Ras in south Lebanon, near the Israeli border, attended by about a thousand people. Other events were held in Beirut, Nabatiyeh and Sidon (where there was a march during which the American and Israeli flags were burned), Bint Jbeil and the Beqaa Valley. All the events were supervised by Hezbollah and were kept within control.

At the main rally in Maroun al-Ras Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech projected onto a giant screen. A large part of it was devoted to the Palestinian issue and the campaign against Israel. The main themes were the following:

1) The determination to wage jihad to destroy Israel: Nasrallah began by praising jihad and the so-called “resistance” [i.e., the use of terrorism]. He said that “Palestine” belonged to the Palestinians and the Islamic nation and that “No one could cede an inch of Palestinian land, nor even a drop of Palestinian water…”

2) The Palestinian move in the UN: He said that the establishment of “Palestine” based on the 1967 territory was a “Palestinian issue” and it was up to the Palestinian people to decide. However, he added, any Palestinian entity or state which was established on the basis of the 1967 borders could not be “at the expense of the rest of Palestine, the rest of the land of Palestine…Our real ambition, all of us, is that the day will come when an independent Palestinian state is established from the [Mediterranean] sea to the [Jordan] river, and the state will be established, with the help of Allah…”

 

3) Praise for jihad and the so-called “resistance” [i.e., terrorism]: The “occupation of Palestine” is the reason for the tragedy of the Palestinians, all the other people of the region and of the entire Islamic nation. Thus efforts must be focused on expelling the occupation, especially since there is no prospect of negotiation. He said that the Palestinian people again stated that “its option is the option of resistance.” He said that the “glorious” action in Eilat, which “sent shock waves through the Zionist entity,” showed that the enemy was weak and the Palestinian people were determined. He said the Islamic nation had to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Palestinian people and support them.

4) The current regional upheavals, especially those in Egypt, are very important for the Palestinian cause. According to Nasrallah, the overthrow of Mubarak resulted in an important regional “strategic turning point.” Proof of that was the “glorious action” in Eilat, where “jihad fighters from the Gaza Strip” responded with Katyusha rocket fire targeting the “settlements in south Palestine.” The Israeli prime minister, he said, did not initiate a broad ground action against the Gaza Strip because he was afraid it would damage Israel’s relations with Egypt, even though “Egypt did nothing, only hiccuped.” Thus, he said, the Egyptian constraints on Israel will increase “if the Egyptian position gradually increases…and improves.”

5) Praise for the Syrian regime for its support of Hezbollah and the “resistance” [i.e., the Palestinian terrorist organizations], adding that “even a large portion of Iranian support passes through Syria.” He said he did not want to go into details, “so as not to embarrass the Syrian leadership,” but that “it was not only moral and political support” [a broad hint that Iranian military support to Hezbollah is transported through Syria]. He said that “we all say we support the need for great, important reforms in Syria,” but they have to be achieved through dialogue, “quiet measures,” and without sectarian incitement. He quoted Bashar Assad, who said that the United States and the West wanted concessions from Syria, not reforms. Thus Nasrallah called for support for Syria so that it would not have to capitulate and would be able to “carry out reforms tranquilly and faithfully.” [Note: The rest of the speech, which will not dealt with here, was devoted to internal Lebanese affairs.]

Pictures from Jerusalem Day events in Lebanon

 

Syria

Syrian Jerusalem Day events kept a low profile, in our assessment from the fear that they be exploited for anti-regime activity. On August 26, the Palestinian terrorist organizations operating in Damascus held a modest rally in the Yarmouk refugee camp with the theme “Jerusalem, the historical capital of Palestine from the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea.” The rally was attended by the Iranian ambassador to Syria and members of the Baath Party leadership On August 24 the Iranian embassy in Damascus organized a modest event to mark Jerusalem Day.

The event in the Yarmouk refugee camp was exploited by the Syrian regime for propaganda against the popular protests. Baath leader Yasser Huriya gave a speech using Jerusalem Day as a platform to say that the Syrian regime would continue its reforms, which he claimed were already being implemented, “despite external pressure.” Ahmed Jibril, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (a Palestinian terrorist organization run by the Syrian regime), also said that “external forces” were plotting against Syria and planning to interfere with its position on the Palestinian cause.

 

Jordan

The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan boycotted the meal organized by the Iranian ambassador in Amman on August 26 to break the Ramadan fast. They were joined by the Jordanian trade unions, politicians and media personnel. The reason given for the boycott was Iranian support for the Syrian regime, which oppressed the civilian population (Aljazeera.net and postjordan.com websites, August 27, 2011). A “top Islamic source” (possibly in the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan) denied any links with any elements involved in the “oppression of the Syrian people” (Aljazeera.net in Amman, August 27, 2011).

Hammam al-Saeed, a Jordanian of Palestinian origin who heads the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, merely issued a videoed announcement for Jerusalem Day posted on YouTube (August 20, 2011), in which he referred to the “theft of Palestine by the Jews.” he said that the entire Muslim nation had to go forth with its armies and people to “liberate Jerusalem, impose Islam and expel the Jews.”

 

Jerusalem Day events in other Arab states

Yemen

 

Iraq

A relatively small demonstration was held in Baghdad in Al-Firdaws Square. It was organized by supporters of Shi’ite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who heads the Mahdi Army militia, and other Iraqi Shi’ite groups affiliated with Iran. There were also demonstrations in Shi’ite districts throughout Iraq, attended by hundreds of people.

 

Muslim countries

Turkey

Jerusalem Day events in Turkey were organized by radical Islamist organizations which united into the so-called Jerusalem Day Forum. The Islamist IHH participated but remained on the sidelines, leaving the leadership to radical Islamist organizations such as Ozgur-der^[5] and Mazlum-der,^[6] which collaborate with IHH and whose operatives participated in the Mavi Marmara flotilla.

In our assessment, despite the great organizational efforts invested by the Islamist groups, the Jerusalem Day events in Turkey did not impact on general public consciousness. They were held at the height of summer and the enthusiasm following the Mavi Marmara flotilla was absent. [Note: The demonstration against the Syrian regime held in the heart of Istanbul on August 29 attracted a larger audience.] The national Turkish media did not extensively cover the events and most reports were issued by Islamist newspapers and websites.

The focus of Jerusalem Day events this year, as it is every year, was Istanbul:

1) The main event was held in Beyazit Square and attended by several hundred people, who carried anti-Israeli, anti-American and anti-British signs (“Curses on America,” “Curses on Israel,” “Israel must disappear”). The traditional ceremony of burning American and Israeli flags was also held. Signs were waved in support of Hezbollah (“We are all Hezbollah,” “We salute the resistance of Hezbollah and Hamas”), as were pictures of dead terrorist operatives (“shadeeds”) from both organizations. The event was organized by Mehmet Shahin, formerly a member of the Turkish parliament, and a member of the IHH leadership.

2) A panel discussion was held in the community center in the Bagcilar neighborhood with the participation of Nour al-Din Shirin, who edits the Islamist website Verfecr. Nour al-Din Shirin is an anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic, anti-American Islamist journalist who supports the Iranian regime. He organized a Turkish delegation to Jordan for Nakba Day (May 15, 2011), whose The members of the delegation confronted the Jordanian security forces near the Allenby Bridge. At the discussion he gave a speech emphasizing the “strategic importance” of Jerusalem for the Muslim world and said he expected a “defeat of the Zionist forces.”

3) A demonstration was held near the Zeynebiye mosque in which between 100 and 200 people participated. It is located in the Halkali suburb of western Istanbul where many devout Muslims from eastern Turkey live. The demonstrators held pictures of the Mavi Marmara “shaheeds” and waved Palestinian, Hamas and Hezbollah flags. They also carried signs against the king of Saudi Arabia.

Other events held in Turkey included the following:

1) On August 26 a (poorly attended) demonstration was held in front of the Israeli embassy in Ankara. It was organized by Ozgur-der and members of the local IHH branch and activists from other Islamist organizations participated.

2) In Bursa there was a Jerusalem Day event where Nour al-Din Shirin gave a speech.

3) In Diyarbakir, in southeastern Turkey, events were organized by the Jerusalem Day Forum. The organizers enlisted two Mavi Marmara passengers to encourage people to attend. A Hamas representative gave a speech.

Pictures from Jerusalem Day in Turkey

Istanbul’s Beyazit Square

 

Demonstration near the Zeynebiye mosque

 

The panel discussion in the Bagcilar neighborhood

 

Diyabikir

 

Ankara – Demonstration at the Israeli Embassy

 

Southeast Asia

Pakistan

 

Afghanistan

Jerusalem Day protest in Kabul

 

Malaysia

 

Bangladesh

As part of Jerusalem Day events the Iranians held a “seminar” in the auditorium of the high court in Dacca. It was organized by the Iranian Cultural Center and the Iranian embassy in Bangladesh. During the seminar the ambassador from Palestine, Shaher Muhammad, called on Bangladesh’s government and people to support the Palestinian appeal for membership in the United Nations. No official government representative was present, for the first time since Bangladesh received independence (Weeklyblitz.net website). After the seminar Israeli and American flags were burned in the streets of Dacca under the aegis of the Iranian and Palestinian embassies. Both the seminar and the flag-burning were widely covered by Bangladesh’s media (ibid).

In addition, prayers were held for the Palestinian people at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. Muslim clerics delivered vicious sermons against Israel in the presence of a crowd of at least 75,000 people who had gathered for the prayers of the last Friday of Ramadan (Weeklyblitz.net website).

 

Indonesia

 

India

 

Africa

Jerusalem Day events were held in Ghana, Nigeria and possibly other African countries.

Nigeria

Jerusalem Day events were held in a number of Nigerian cities, attended by Islamic activists. Hezbollah flags were waved and there were signs reading “Death to Israel.”

 

Europe

Britain

 

Overview

Jerusalem Day events in Britain focused on London, where there was a march and a rally was held in Trafalgar Square. A conference was supposed to be held in Birmingham. The events were organized by an anti-Israeli British organization called the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC). The London event was held on August 21, five days before the official Jerusalem Day date.

The London march and rally were attended by radical Islamic organizations joined by elements affiliated with the radical left.^[7] This year the number of participants was apparently smaller than in previous years,^[8] and was not well-covered by either the British or the foreign media. This year, however, the event’s radical nature was particularly conspicuous: the slogans, as in Tehran, explicitly called for the destruction of the State of Israel (“Israel Must Be Destroyed”), there was blatant solidarity with Hezbollah (yellow Hezbollah flags were waved and there were signs reading “We are all Hizbullah”) and there was support for Hamas and terrorism methods (the “resistance”).

The slogans and signs exposed the basic worldview of the rally participants — Islamic organizations, some of which call themselves “human rights organizations,” and extreme left-wing groups. They are engaged in the campaign to delegitimize Israel and joined forces for Jerusalem Day, whose theme is the destruction of the State of Israel. Note that many organizations participating the delegitimization campaign are usually careful not to state explicitly that their objective is to destroy it. In many instances they use vague slogans, some of them from the lexicon of the human rights organizations, which are accepted readily by British public opinion (the call to destroy Israel is not considered politically correct) or because they do not want to difficulties with the British law-enforcement agencies.

A sample of Jerusalem Day speeches

There were various speakers at the Trafalgar Square rally. Among them were Massoud Shadjareh, IHRC head, who organized the rally, and representatives from various other organizations (most of the radical Islamic). There were also representatives from anti-Zionist Orthodox Jewish organizations and from groups involved in the campaign to boycott Israel (BDS).

Remarks from two of the speakers:

1) One of the speakers was Lauren Booth, half-sister of Cherie Blair (wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair). She is an anti-Israeli activist, participated in the August 2008 flotilla to the Gaza Strip (and was banned from entering both Egypt and Israel). In October 2010 she announced she had converted to Islam. A journalist and broadcaster, today she works for Press TV, Iran’s English TV network. In her speech she denounced what she referred to as “Israel’s crimes,” called them “criminal injustice against humanity” and shouted for “Liberate Al-Quds” and “March to Al-Quds.” She supported Hamas and its so-called “right” to carry out terrorist attacks: “And I want to remind everybody here who Hamas is. They are the elected government that the Gaza people elected and they have a right to resist an occupation. This is a right under international law, and I say we back your resistance! (Crowd cheers). You resist! Do not stay in your homes and die under those bombs! For we are not cowards, we are Muslims! And you will not kill us anymore without feeling the vengeance of the people that you oppress! (Crowd cheers and shouts “Allahu Akbar”) (YouTube, Richard Millet’s blog).

 

2) Another was Dr. Abd al-Wahid, representative of the so-called Liberation Party in Britain:^[9] He spoke in praise of jihad and said that the prophet Muhammad encouraged jihad against despots. He spoke in support of the “resistance fighters” [i.e., terrorists] who were waging jihad on Israel to “liberate” their lands, but also said that in the end “Palestine” would eventually be “liberated” only by the regular armies of one or more of the states bordering Israel: “It needs one of those states, some of those stats, around to release their armies to liberate that land and then truly, by Allah truly, then that region will see peace like it had in the past” (Hurryupharry.org website). He referred to the terrorist operatives killed by the IDF in the latest round of escalation in the Gaza Strip “shaheeds,” and he said he was confident that one day Jerusalem would be named for the Muslim who liberated it, just as Trafalgar Square, where the rally was being held, was named for [the battle won by] Admiral Nelson.

 

Hatred for Israel and solidarity with Hezbollah: Pictures from the Trafalgar Square rally

(from Richard Millet’s blog)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other European countries

France

A demonstration was held in Paris with poor participation, apparently mostly Muslim. There were shouts (in Arabic) of “Faithful to the blood of the shaheeds” and “Allahu Akbar” (YouTube).

 

Germany

In Berlin and march and rally were held, both heavily guarded by police. It was attended by about 600 people, the overwhelming majority of whom were Muslim, some of them apparently of Turkish origin. It was also attended by Neturei Karta Orthodox Jews. Slogans were shouted and signs were held reading “Israel is a terrorist,” “Israel is not a Jewish state,” and “Allahu Akbar.” There were also signs encouraging a boycott of Israel, Hezbollah flags were waved and there were pictures of Khomeini and Khamenei.

A pro-Israeli demonstration was held on the outskirts of the rally, the initiative of the local Jewish community. There were about 400 demonstrators, including Iranian exiles, as well as two leftist German politicians.^[10] They expressed solidarity with Israel, called for the liberation of the Gaza Strip from Hamas, called for the liberation of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, and expressed opposition to anti-Semitism and radical Islam.

Pictures from the march and rally in Berlin

 

Russia

A demonstration was held in Moscow which, according to claims of Iranian sources, was attended by several hundred people (The number cannot be verified.)
(Occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com website).

Norway

A march and rally were held in Oslo. They were apparently attended by several hundred people, most of them Muslims (Occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com website).

 

North America

The United States

Jerusalem Day events were held in a number of American cities. The main events were a march and rally in New York’s Times Square. According to the rally’s Facebook page, 774 people announced their participation. However, according to the photographs and audience participation in chanting slogans, in our assessment, there were several dozen. In other cities as well, for instance Chicago, attendance was also limited.

At the Times Square rally Israel was referred to as a “genocide” state, Zionism was equated with racism and apartheid, and the Israeli security fence was called the “Israeli apartheid wall.” Signs were also carried denouncing the “War criminals of Syria,” a phenomenon not found at any other Jerusalem Day demonstration.

Pictures from the Facebook page of the New York City rally

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the speakers was Ali Naqvi, an activist from a group calling itself the Al-Quds Committee, which organized the events in the United States and other countries. His main themes were the following:

1) Defense of the Palestinian “right” to “self defense” and justification of the “resistance” [i.e., violence and terrorism] he claimed existed under the “occupation.” He repeated the slogan, chanted by the crowd, “Resistance is justified when people are occupied.”

2) Support for the “right” of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to choose their own government and leaders [i.e., a hint at Hamas, designated by the United States as a terrorist organization]. It is ridiculous, he said, for the United States to tell the Gazans whom they can elect to office. The crowd, which, judging by the number of voices, was quite small, then chanted “No justice, no peace, US out of the Middle East.”

3) A call for a consumer boycott of products made by companies such as Coca Cola, McDonald’s and Starbucks (companies on the BDS list because of their relations with Israel), including the chant “Not a nickel not a dime, Israel out of Palestine,” somehow connected to the issue.

4) Support for the one-state [i.e., “Palestine”] “solution” and “the dismantling of the Zionist state.” He said that “We have full confidence that the South African model of the peaceful dismantling the apartheid state could be replicated with apartheid Israel.”

 

Other speakers included:

1) Rabbi Yoel Loub, from Neturei Karta: He said “the creation of the Zionist state was a rebellion against God” and that the Zionists were the “root cause [sic] of all the problems in the Middle East today.” He called on God for “the dismantlement of of the so-called State of Israel,” and was joined by the crowd in the the chant “Judaism yes, Zionism no, the State of Israel must go.” He also claimed that during the Holocaust Zionist Jews wanted “authentic” Jews to die so they could establish the Zionist state.

 

2) Rahmah Zarrin: She claimed to have participated in the Viva Palestina convoy in October 2010. she said that the Mavi Marmara flotilla was a “peaceful flotilla” of “humanitarians” who were “attacked” by Israel in international waters. She called for the end of the blockade of the Gaza Strip and for the flotillas to continue.

 

3) Maulana Agha Mehdi: Introduced as a resident scholar and Imam at New Jersey’s Bait e Wali il-Asr mosque. He called for the end to the “apartheid” and claimed that the houses of the Palestinians had turned into concentration camps, just like under the Nazis. He also claimed that the “Arab spring” was a “Muslim spring” and shouted “Allahu Akbar.” The chant was taken up by the audience.

 

4) Mauri Saalakhan, director of the Peace and Justice Foundation: He has written several books about Islam, and received the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Prize in 1995. He claimed that “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing” were being carried out in “occupied Palestine,” financed by American dollars. He quoted Iranian President Ahmadinejad (“may Allah preserve him”) and George Galloway, British anti-American pro-Hamas activist who heads Viva Palestina, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

 

Canada

Jerusalem Day events in Toronto were sponsored by a local Shi’ite organization and included anti-Israeli, anti-Zionist and anti-American slogans.

Overview

On August 28 Jerusalem Day was marked in Toronto, Canada, with a rally in Queen’s Park. It was attended by more than 100 people who marched from Queen’s Part to the nearby American consulate. The event was organized by CASMO, the Canadian Shia Muslims Organization, an organization founded to connect Shi’ites throughout Canada, which has a number of branches (CASMO website, September 5, 2011).

Featured were Hezbollah flags, pictures of Iranian leaders and anti-Israeli banners, such as “From Iraq to Palestine, Occupation is a Crime” “Down with Zionism” and “Zionism is Racism.” There were also many Bahraini flags bearing the inscription “Not Shia Not Sunni Just Bahraini.” The demonstrators shouted anti-Israeli, anti-Zionist and anti-American slogans such as “Shame, shame, Israel, shame, shame, USA,” “Free, free, Palestine,” “Allahu Akbar,” and others.

A number of speeches were given slandering Israel, the Jewish people and the United States:

1) Zafar Bangash, an imam, journalist, a leader of the Muslim community in Toronto and director of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought attacked Israel (calling it the “Zionist parasitical state”), and the United States (calling President Obama “This black man in the White House”). He presented his vision of the day “when we the Muslims will march on Palestine and liberate Palestine for all the people in the world, for the Jewish people, for the Christian people, for the Muslim people, and under Islamic law they will all be living as equal citizens” [followed by cries of “Allahu Akbar”]. Of the events aboard the Mavi Marmara he said, “They killed nine peace activists on the Mavi Marmara…that is what makes them racists, that is what makes them inhuman, that is what makes them barbarians. That is why we oppose Zionism.”

 

2) Maulana Assad Jaffery, a student from the Iranian city of Qom, said that “…wherever you see injustice happening there is a one percent, a two percent, a one hundred percent involvement by the Zionist regime. The same Zionist regime that sucks the resources, the blood, and everything that belongs to the people all across the world, and use it for themselves.” He ended his speech the the slogan “Zionism is racism,” which was repeated by the crowd.

 

3) The rally leader (who was not identified) compared Israel to cancer, saying that the first thing it did was to take all the resources of the healthy cells around it, then it multiplied, and finally it occupied all the organs which kept the body alive. The situation with Israel, he said, was in no way different. The world was the body, and the body had cancer, and the cancer was spreading, and the Palestinians were not the only ones who were suffering…

4) Another anonymous speaker called, in the name of those who attended the rally, for an immediate an unconditional end to the so-called “occupation of Palestine” by what he called “the illegal state, Israel.” He also demanded the immediate withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Bahrain. He appealed to the Canadian government to take Hezbollah off its list of terrorist organizations, called the United States and Europe “a gang of criminals,” and supported the popular resistance in the Arab-Muslim world while denouncing the call of the world powers for President Assad to resign.

Pictures from the Demonstration

(YouTube; The Photos courtesy of The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs in Canada)

 

 

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Notes:

[1] Supplement to the August 17, 2011 article (ITIC) “International Jerusalem Day: anti-Israeli anti-West Incitement“.

[2] Boycott, divestment, sanctions.

[3] Iranian propaganda included the demonstration in its reports on Jerusalem Day, but no mention was made of it at the time in Egypt.

[4] Ahmadinejad was asked if Iran supported the Palestinian attempt to gain international recognition in the UN. He said it would, and that if it brought about the liberation of the “Palestinian lands” it would be an excellent move. He added that if a sovereign Palestinian government were established, it would means “the continuation of the resistance [i.e., terrorism] and the liberation of more lands.”

[5] Ozgur-der: An organization whose radical Islamist ideology is similar to that of IHH. It provides assistance to Muslims around the world, including in Afghanistan, Egypt and Lebanon. Three passengers aboard the Mavi Marmara belonged to Ozgur-der.

[6] Mazlum-der: Mazlum-der was founded in 1991 and considered the strongest and best-organized human rights organization in Turkey. In the past it was also suspected of being a front for an extremist Muslim organization. Under the previous Turkish government it was subjected to monitoring and searches, its branches were closed and the Turkish attorney general’s office initiated legal proceedings. The organization’s activists participated in the Mavi Marmara flotilla.

[7] For further information about the organizations, see the August 17, 2011 (ITIC) article “International Jerusalem Day: anti-Israeli anti-West Incitement“.

[8] IHRC, which organized the rally, claimed that there were 6,000 participants and that it was the largest rally ever held (IHRC website). In our assessment their estimation was an exaggeration.

[9] The Liberation Party (Hizbut Tahrir) is a radical Islamic party which is anti-Israeli, anti-Zionist. It was founded in East Jerusalem in 1953 and supports the return to the Islam of the first generations through the reeducation of the masses. Is in favor of a return to the Caliphate. The party has branches throughout the Arab- Muslim world and in Western countries. It does not have a terrorist wing but has served as a hothouse for radical Islamic activists who were its members and transferred to activities in violent networks.

[10] Jpost.com website.

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