Arabs Who Believe in the Jewish Right to Israel? They Exist

Hidabroot regularly receives interesting responses from readers, but one of the responses we got this week was especially surprising. First of all, it was written by someone named... Mustafa. Yes, a Palestinian Muslim is among Hidabroot's readers and found it appropriate to respond to us. When we contacted him, he wrote us the following email:

"My story is not unique because I am sure that anyone who contemplates the words of the Torah and gives themselves a bit of time to reflect and observe, comes to the conclusion that it – meaning the Torah – is the true light not only for the people of Israel but also for all nations and the whole world.  I come from a non-Jewish background, but since I started learning Hebrew a great and extraordinary love for Judaism has awoken within me. Other students in the Hebrew class did not receive the same impact. I have tried several times to connect with religious people to guide me on how I can begin to learn about the religion, but I did not succeed. I also tried to connect with the conversion office, but encountered the condition that I must first have an Israeli ID card, which unfortunately I do not have. I explained to them that I am a mature and serious person, as I am already over fifty years old, and I do not intend, God forbid, to waste anyone's time, but that did not help me either.

I know that as a Gentile I am required no more than the seven Noahide laws. But it is hard for someone who is drawn to the Torah and the people of Israel to be satisfied with just the seven laws. Thank God there is the internet, and I greatly enjoy the wonderful lectures by Rabbi Zamir Cohen. He speaks in a very beautiful and unique language, and I always make sure to watch his lectures every Thursday. Maybe when the Messiah comes – Amen – I will be able to say that I really tried, but it all depended on a piece of paper".

Mustafa's story is special, but not unique. Even in an era of waves of attacks by Arab citizens, it is worth remembering that there are also Muslim lovers of Israel, whether they are considering conversion or not (and in any case - it is unnecessary to say that there is an absolute and most severe prohibition on assimilation, even if the person declares a love for Israel).

Do you remember Muhammad Zoabi? The brave young man from Nazareth who had to flee the country after uploading a video supporting the kidnapped teenagers and was photographed with an Israeli flag? Zoabi stayed abroad for five months, and when he returned, he wrote: "I am happy to be part of the country I love so much, both physically and mentally, because what happens to the people of Israel, happens to me too. I was and always will be ready to pay the price for my love for this country...

Mohammad Zoabi

Unfortunately, the last six months have not been an easy time in my life or my family's life – I had to hide, keep a low profile, and eventually flee my country, one I am ready to give my life for just for being a Zionist Arab who condemns terror. If there is one thing I want everyone to know, it is that despite the harsh reality I experience, nothing will change my blind love for this country - this is my land, my homeland, and I was born Israeli to die Israeli".

Zoabi, by the way, learned his love for Israel at home. His mother, Sarah Zoabi, has previously stated that she is a proud Zionist Israeli. "I believe in the Jewish people's right to a state of their own in the Holy Land, the Land of Israel." Zoabi also added that in her opinion, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is safer in Israeli hands than under any other control.

Sarah Zoabi declares she is a proud Israeli:

Not only in Israel but around the world, pro-Israel Muslims can be found. Here are some of them:

"The Temple Mount Belongs to the Jews"

Sheikh Ahmad al-Adwan, a Jordanian cleric, holds a Facebook page – whose messages provoke much anger among Muslim fanatics. This Jordanian Sheikh not only supports Israel but believes that all Muslims have a duty to support Israel. He believes that according to the Quran, the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people, and a Palestinian state should not be established. "The Jews are our cousins, and therefore we must pray for them and visit them, live alongside them, respect them, and cooperate with them," writes the Sheikh, who even calls the Palestinians "child murderers".

Al-Adwan has visited Israel in the past, met with various rabbis, and openly spoken about Jerusalem and the Temple Mount belonging to the Jews – not to Muslims. "The Quran says that Jews have their direction of prayer, and Muslims have their direction of prayer. The Muslims' direction is Mecca, while the Jews pray towards the Temple Mount, Al-Aqsa. And it should remain so, no matter what the nations of the world say, for this is the decree of Hashem, the King of Kings, who chooses how to manage his world".

Sheikh Ahmad al-Adwan

"The Media Promotes Propaganda for Hamas"

Dr. Qanta Ahmed is a Pakistani Muslim residing in New York. Dr. Ahmed is known for her pro-Israel stances, and her critics often refer to her as 'a Zionist in Muslim disguise'. She is waging a fierce battle against the movement to boycott Israel. Although Ahmed supports the establishment of a Palestinian state, she notes that it is currently impossible for Israel to relinquish control over areas containing toxic jihadist ideology. She often argues that Muslims exhibit disproportionate interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, compared to other global conflicts.

Interview with Dr. Qanta Ahmed:

A few months ago, Dr. Ahmed was interviewed by an Australian TV network, and spoke about a project to train Palestinian doctors at Hadassah Hospital, a project in which she, as a doctor and philanthropist, participates. During the broadcast of the interview, the TV network simultaneously aired images of bombed Gaza and wounded Palestinian children – all in an attempt to ridicule the project and Dr. Ahmed's views. Following the episode, Dr. Ahmed published an angry article in which she wrote: "This is not journalism and not television – this is pure pro-Hamas propaganda. This is what Israel is dealing with, something no other nation facing a deadly Islam threat is experiencing: the battle over the narrative. While Pakistan wages a far more destructive war against Islamic tribes, while Afghanistan has been under siege by the Taliban for a decade and a half, while Britain, Canada, and the United States prosecute and kill Islamic terrorists, while Egypt wages a fierce war against the Muslim Brotherhood and criminalizes their ideology, while Saudi Arabia imprisons Islamists... only the Israelis are judged separately from the rest of humanity, as they face the Islamic threat on every one of their borders".

Qanta Ahmed

"Palestine is Jordan"

Mudar Zahran is a Jordanian from a Palestinian family, leading the democratic opposition in Jordan. Zahran is a staunch advocate for peace with Israel. Zahran currently resides in Britain, which granted him asylum after he was prosecuted for his opposition to the regime. Zahran has considerable influence in Jordan: when he urged the population not to protest in front of the Israeli embassy in Amman, fewer than 200 people showed up.

Mudar Zahran Speaks in Israel:

Zahran often cites the Faisal-Weizmann Agreement signed in 1919 between Chaim Weizmann of the Zionist movement and Emir Faisal. According to this agreement, a Palestinian state was to be established in 78% of the Mandatory Palestine (in today's Jordan), while in the rest of the area a Jewish state was to be established. Because of this agreement, Zahran believes that Israel should annex the West Bank. He also claims that the Palestinians received more aid from Israel than from any other country. Zahran has visited Ariel in the past and said the following: "I came to Ariel to declare very clearly that the settlements are legitimate... You Israelis need to understand that most Palestinians in East Jerusalem, for instance, want you to stay here. I feel it is my duty as a Palestinian to tell this truth".

"Muslims Must Not Interfere with the Will of Hashem"

Dr. Tawfik Hamid was once a member of the Islamist movement in Egypt, and among his acquaintances were people who later founded Al-Qaeda. Long before the attack on the Twin Towers, however, Dr. Hamid changed direction and recognized the threat of radical Islam and the need for reform based on peaceful interpretations of the Quran. Hamid argues that there is also a need to improve relations between Muslims and Israel. He bases his argument on the Quran, stating that those calling for a Jihad against Jews simply did not understand Muhammad's words correctly.

"I am a typical Egyptian from a Muslim background," Hamid says about himself. "I was raised to hate Israel and the Jews. When I was four, the stories I heard about Jews made me imagine them as a green, ugly people, full of evil".

Tawfik Hamid

"I love the concept of such a wonderful nation, that Hashem gathers them from all corners of the world back to their homeland. This proves the power of Hashem, who saved the Jews from the evil of Pharaoh and promised them the Land of Israel. The Quran explicitly states that this land is the inheritance of the Jews.

"According to the Quran, Hashem will gather the Jews again to the promised land before the end of the world. This means that it is Hashem's will, and no Muslim has the right to interfere with Hashem's will...

"Israel is a democracy, risking its sons and daughters to identify terrorists hiding among civilians and targeting only them. A land that allows people of different faiths to live there peacefully... Israel is the flower of the Middle East".