THE MUSLIM REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS AND THE RISE OF ANTI-ZIONISM IN EUROPE
Anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are on the rise in Europe. In the last 10-15 years we hear about more anti-Semitic incidents than we would normally hear in countries like the UK, Germany, France or Austria (these countries are home to over 70 percent of European Muslims ).
Much of the traditional forms of anti-Semitism are now disguised in a new form called anti-Zionism which is demonization of the state of Israel. We read about pro-Palestinian protests in Europe that take the shape of protests against Israel. And many human rights activists of today are nothing else but perpetuators of the Muslim pro-Palestine propaganda which is nothing else but pure evil anti-Semitism.
Some connect the rise of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism of Europe with the rise of the Muslim refugees and immigrants coming from countries like Syria, Lebanon or Iran—countries who are declared enemies of the modern state of Israel and of the Jewish people. The Muslims in Germany are mostly Turkish; the ones in France are mostly from a Maghrebian background and the ones from the UK from countries like Pakistan or India. Between 2010-2016 over 2.5 million Muslim refugees arrived in Europe and with that Europe has seen an increase in anti-Semitic acts.
Anti-Semitism is a virus or as Theodore Isaac Rubin calls it a “symbol sickness” or a mental issue that infects one’s worldview and convinces one’s mind that the Jewish people are to be hated and annihilated. Anti-Semitism has deep and old roots, starting with the 2nd century and the church fathers. All church fathers had an anti-Semitic theology and worldview, and their writings paved the way for the Holocaust.
Zionism “refers to support for the existence of a Jewish state—specifically, the state of Israel.” To be a Zionist is to believe the Jewish people have the right to live in the land given to them by God. Anti-Zionism is in fact “a new version of anti-Semitism” that poses itself as “political opposition to Israel.”
Abraham Foxman points out that after the year 2000, the anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist incidents in Europe multiplied. One of the reasons is the increase of the Muslim population of Europe with new influxes of refugees from Middle East countries. Because of the Muslim refugees and immigrants, many countries of Europe, like France, are becoming increasingly anti-Israel. One of the first actions Muslim communities of Europe did was to establish Muslim Organizations in order to better support their anti-Israel agenda, rise support for their anti-Zionist plans and radicalize as many other Muslim immigrants and non-Muslim leaders for their cause.
One of the main Muslim organizations in Europe is The Union des Organizations Islamiques de France (UOIF) which is affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood (a terrorist organization). This is the largest Muslim organization in France—an organization that has the main purpose to demonize Israel. What is important to keep in mind is that UOIF was founded by Muslim refugees and immigrants. In Germany, for example, IGMG organization (Islamische Gemeinschaft Milli Gorus), which is the second-largest Muslim organization in Germany, aims to implement Shari’a law in the country and attacks Israel on a regular basis.
One cannot help but observe how organizations like IGMG gained power by recruiting members mostly from the Muslim refugees and immigrants who seek political asylum in Germany (IGMG is tied to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist organizations). Another example is the Muslim Association of Britain who equated Nazi Germany and Israel and their agenda is mostly about demonizing Israel.
Moreover, through their organizations, the Muslims focus their efforts on the palestinian people in order to demonize Israel even harder with the purpose of making the EU anti-Israel as well. Robert Wistrich “describes Muslim antisemitism as one important factor today in antisemitism in Europe and suggests that Islamists have spread the Palestinian war against the Jews from the Middle East to the European Union.”
Researches done on Muslim students coming from refugees families in Europe shows a strong anti-Zionism like comparisons between Israel and the Nazis. The rise of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism coming from the Muslims is often viewed as “a result of anger over Israeli policies and, indeed, tensions and violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”—few want to see a connection between Muslim organizations like IGMG or UOIF and their programs (which often include Arab TV series) to radicalize young men and women who come as immigrants or refugees in Europe from the Middle East. Most of the Muslim refugees or immigrants coming to Europe from Muslim countries share negative anti-Semitic views of the Jewish people and of Israel—and many of them are also Holocaust deniers.