2020 brought the Arab Nations and Israel diplomatically closer over economic deals, something that was unimaginable about 72 years ago, when Arab Nations were nothing but angry over the Jews, annexing the Muslim land of Palestine. When Israel was under formation, Muslims were on the front row of protest. With hundreds of thousands sitting in protest in front of Palestinian embassies around the Muslim world. Muslim Leaders were no different, in fact, they spoke and wrote sparingly against the Jewish illegal settlements. However, the fall of the Mughal and Ottoman Dynasties also snubbed their voices against the West. With the west in power for many decades, Arab countries like Jordan, Morocco, Bahrain, and UAE seem to have forgotten the Muslim resort and tied up economic ties with a country that was never there.
Israel- Palestine Issue History
In early 1900, British colonial rule was at its peak, with its branches in Asia, Africa, and Australia. With the possession of territories around the world, came the power to influence the world. In November 1917, the British Foreign Secretary, Arthur Balfour, with arch- Zionist Lord Rothschild and American President Woodrow Wilson announced support for the Jewish people to form a national home in Palestine. In July 1922, the League of Nations also gave its blessing to establish a Jewish state at the heart of Muslim land. The Jews started hoarding land in Palestine under the blessings of the British, in the name of agriculture and colonization.
Palestine, a Muslim Holy Land, was dominated by Muslims for 1,279 years, from 638 A.D. to 1917 A.D, except for 88 years when Fatimid’s lost to crusaders, who then later wiped out by Sultan Salah Uddin. Muslims, on the loss of the holy land, by the hands of the British, to the Jews, were infuriated. Many leaders across the globe raised their voice against the upcoming torture, destined for the people of Palestine.
Iqbal and Quaid on Israel-Arab relations and Palestine
Iqbal, a visionary leader of the Muslim Ummah, was keeping a close eye on the development and he wrote a letter to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, President of All- India- Muslim League, expressing the agitation, Muslims of India felt on the Palestine issue. He hoped that the All India Muslim league will convey Muslim apprehensions to the British so they may rethink and retrieve their decision.
“The Palestine question is very much agitating the minds of the Muslims… I have no doubt that the League will pass a strong resolution on this question and also by holding a private conference of the leaders decide on some sort of a positive action in which the masses may share in large numbers. This will at once popularise the League and may help the Palestine Arabs. Personally I would not mind going to jail on an issue which affects Islam and India. The formation of a Western base on the very gates of the East is a menace to both.”
Only a week later, on 15 October 1937, in the course of his presidential address to the All-India Muslim League Session at Lucknow, Muhammad Ali Jinnah said:
“May I now turn and refer to the question of Palestine? It has moved the Mussalmans all over India most deeply. The whole policy of the British Government has been a betrayal of the Arabs, from its very inception. Great Britain has dishonored her proclamation to the Arabs, which had guaranteed them complete independence for the Arab homelands and the formation of an Arab Confederation under the stress of the Great War. After having utilized them, by giving them false promises, they installed themselves as the Mandatory Power with that infamous Balfour Declaration, which was irreconcilable and incapable of simultaneous execution. Then, having pursued the policy to find a national home for the Jews, Great Britain now proposes to partition Palestine, and the Royal Commission’s recommendation completes the tragedy. If given effect to, it must necessarily lead to the complete ruination and destruction of every legitimate aspiration of the Arabs in their homeland -I am sure I am speaking not only of the Mussalmans of India but of the world; and all sections of thinking and fair-minded people will agree, when I say that The Muslims of India will stand solid and will help the Arabs in every way they can in the brave and just struggle that they are carrying on against all odds.”
At the same session at Lucknow, under the chairmanship of Jinnah, the All-India Muslim League passed the following resolution on Palestine, calling Muslim leaders around the world to fight for Palestinian rights. And warned the British that if it doesn’t change its pro-Jewish policy and de-acts against the Palestinians, Muslims will consider the British enemies.
However, the British at that time didn’t listen, the Arab rebellion saw a fury, but of no good. The Arab rebellion, led by the Grand Mufti Al-Haj Amin al-Hussaini and the Arab Higher Committee, could not stop the annexation by the Jews and the state of Israel came into being.
Arab World and Israel – Palestine Relations
The Arab World in the first three decades was at war with Israel over the illegal occupation in 1973 ceasefire and peace agreement with Egypt in 1979. Iran along with Cuba and some other countries had recognized Israel but soon took back the recognition after the Islamic revolution. Recently, in a deal brokered by the US, UAE had normalized relations with Israel, followed by Morocco, Sudan, and Jordan. This recognition was met with anger by the rest of the Muslim world, including Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey. Pakistan, keeping up with its ideological leaders, has kept up with the resort to never give up against the cruel.
Conclusion
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan had advised the Muslim Nations to keep in mind, the interest of the whole Muslim Ummah and Islam, and to follow the teachings of Islam that call for unity for Muslim rights. According to Quaid, the realization of Israel could never bring peace for the Muslim Nation, any deal would be a coax attempt. Arab World, which has always said that it stands by all Muslim brother under the teachings of Islam, if accepts would be neglectful of its promises.
Muslims living under influence of Jews, in Palestine, have gone through ethnic cleansing, violence, torture and, what the Arab World called an Israeli Apartheid. Muslims living in Palestine are targeted on the basis of their religion and deprived of their Basic Human rights. A recent example of one human right violation was seen during the COVID-19 Pandemic, when vaccination reached Israel, Palestinian were intentionally not included in the vaccination program.
On the other hand, history has shown Jewish people were treated better under Muslim rule than any other. One pertinent example is the mass expulsion of Jews from Spain after the fall of their last refuge there, Jews migrated to the Ottoman Empire, and Jewish historians write that the treatment was better than treatment by Christians in the pre-modern era. (Lewis, 1984).
Israel, with its illegal settlements in the Palestinian land, disregards the UN resolutions that do not allow the formation of Israel and condemn the Human Rights violations. UN Security Council Resolution 446 declares that the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal. If all Arab Nations were to recognize Israel, they would not only defy the UN resolutions but will also be accepting the apartheid and ethnic cleansing. With the normalization of the Arab- Israel ties, no one would voice out for the human right violations against the Palestinians and the Israeli Plan of cleansing Palestinian ethnicity would see success.
