Friday, April 15, 2022
Elder of Ziyon
I often wonder when I see accusations by Palestinians that Jews are planning something nefarious - accusations that never come true - whether they are driven by stupidity or malice.
A typical example comes from academic and author Dr. Louay Bawana who confidently writes in Jordanian news site Rums:
The Jews have no right to Al-Aqsa, and all they tell and try to prove are myths. The danger of these rituals is embodied by the sacrifices they will make and the work to slaughter them inside the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, as it represents, in their view, an advanced and important step for their extremist project related to the alleged temple. From our point of view, it is also a dangerous step that represents an attempt to change the status quo of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by force and violence, with the support of the Israeli government, and a clear international, Arab and Islamic absence. The summit of their rituals is embodied by offering sacrifices and slaughtering them in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque and scattering their ashes in the Dome of the Chain area there...The question that arises. What are the Arabs and Muslims waiting for as peoples and leaders? ? The storming will take place tomorrow, Friday, and sacrifices will be slaughtered, and rituals will be practiced before our eyes there, with the protection of the Israeli police, and the martyrs will fall. And the situation explodes and then we intervene and denounce. Yes, we need to close ranks, and we need a clear challenge to Israel and its plans. And each of us needs a historical testimony to prove his defense of Jerusalem and his non-complacency or neglect in the face of the arrogance of the Jews...
It is Friday. Jews are never allowed on the Temple Mount on Friday.
The guy is a professor, although I don't know in what field. Either he cannot distinguish between truth and fiction or he wants to incite violence.
There is of course some projection going on here - Arabs assume Israel will act like they would if the roles were reversed, and that idea is difficult to dislodge. But there is a more subtle projection going on here as well.
Arab media are censored and self-censored. They do not contradict what the rulers want them to write. So if an Israeli nutcase claims that he will slaughter animals on the Temple Mount and puts this on his Facebook page, Arabs naturally assume that it couldn't have happened without Israeli government support. So even when the Israeli leaders deny the story, they cannot believe them, because how could the claim have been published without their support?
That explains the many articles from pundits and "experts" who write about imminent Israeli abuses. (And when Israel doesn't play along, they provoke it.)
Yet even after years of watching and reporting on Israeli media, they still choose to believe what they want and ignore the rest.
Not to say that there isn't direct, purposeful incitement and lies. Like this statement from Hamas' Ismail Haniyeh today:
In the face of Zionist thuggery and the storming of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, there are only two options:1- To accept the occupation assault, its brutality, and its colonial settlers' animal slaughter in Al-Aqsa Mosque,2- To consolidate the Islamic character and origin of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque
He knows very well there wasn't any "animal slaughter" or even attempt at one today. In Hamas' case, incitement is its own reward. And this also goes for Palestinian Authority officials, who also look at inciting violence as a way to stay in power - and distract people from the shortcomings of their leaders.
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