Israel in Context
The Axis of Evil
By: Bev Goldman
“But with all this, the differences among the three organisations are secondary to what unites them…”
Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis… Is it coincidence that all three terrorist bodies begin with the letter “H”? I wonder. Among all the words in the Koran beginning with “H”, three stand out as particularly anti-Semitic. Haram, or “prohibited”, means that which is unlawful, ie. anything done by the Jews. Hasad, meaning “envy, malevolence, malice”, is used in the Koran as follows: “Many of the people of the Book, Jews and Christians, desire to bring you back to unbelief after ye have believed, out of selfish envy, even after the truth hath been clearly shewn them.” Hirs translates as “avarice, greed, eagerness”. In this regard, the Koran states: ““Thou wilt find them (the Jews) the greediest of men for life.”
Every day during Ramadan, the Qatari government daily Al-Arab publishes a Koran lesson by Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradawi. According to Al-Qaradawi, those who opposed the Prophet Muhammad and acted arrogantly and fanatically are thus deserving of Allah’s wrath. He also quoted Quran 5:60, in which “Allah turned the Jews into apes and pigs.” While Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis form the axis of evil, there are a number of differences among them. Hamas follows the Sunni belief; Hezbollah is Shiite; and the Houthis form part of a Shiite sect known as the Zaydis. Despite this, all Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam follow this creed: “Then kill the disbelievers (Jews) wherever you find them, capture them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush …”
According to the Koran, the Jews committed innumerable sins which caused them to be cursed and removed far away from right guidance. The Jews broke the promises and vows that Allah took from them, they killed many prophets and they also rejected Allah’s Ayat – His signs and proofs – and the miracles they witnessed at the hands of their Prophets. Almost all the Koranic “Jewish” verses are derogatory, resulting in unfettered escalation of Muslim anti-Semitism over the years. The stories accompanying these verses stress the consequential sins of the Israelites, mainly their disobedience of G-d and their prophets, and the harsh punishments they suffered for generations, some of which, in certain verses, will haunt them forever. The harsh allegations, directed against the Jews who refused to join Muhammed’s new religion, are basically “verses of bitter polemic against the beliefs and actions of those Jews”.
Those who hate the Jews and believe that they have “a divine authorisation to kill them” fully support this Koranic verse: “And He brought down those of the People of the Book (the Jews) who supported them from their fortresses and cast terror in their hearts; some you slew, some you made captive. And He bequeathed upon you their lands, their habitations, and their possessions, and a land you never trod. G-d is powerful over everything. (33:26)”
Interestingly, Zaydis’ theological literature emphasises social justice and human responsibility, as well as the ethical and legal obligation Muslims have by their religion to rise up and depose unjust leaders including unrighteous sultans and caliphs. At the same time, their favourite mantra is: “G-d is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A Curse Upon the Jews, Victory to Islam.” Ironic, incongruous, and absurd – but deadly.
Although all three H’s are terrorist groups and not governments, even without official “state” status, they are wreaking havoc across the world. They are committed and militarily savvy; they are rising in power and reach; they act as proxies for official governments; and they flex their muscles in the most deadly ways. The most powerful of the three is Hezbollah, the political party and militant group based in Lebanon, where its extensive security apparatus, political organisation, and social services network have fostered its reputation as “a state within a state”. Since the 2000s it has been one of the foremost political forces in Lebanon. In recent years, long-standing alliances with Iran and Syria have transformed it into an increasingly effective military force, one that could pose a formidable challenge in the event of new fighting against its longtime enemy Israel.
But with all this, the differences among the three organisations are secondary to what unites them: their shared abhorrence and loathing of Israel, and by extension the Jewish people; and the unconditional generous support and funding they receive from Iran. Iran’s Islamist regime is known as “the world’s leading sponsor of terror”. The current conflicts in the Middle East, those before but specifically post 7 October 2023, with Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis attacking Israel and aiming to decimate Jews across the world, all demonstrate the control Iran exerts over conflicts in the region. Yet by employing carefully planned strategies, Iran itself has avoided ever becoming officially involved in the conflicts.
Another interesting fact: While Iran’s official religion is Shia Islam, it is a strong supporter of Sunni Hamas. So why? Because Iran’s political strategies outweigh any religious differentiation. Iran has for a long time challenged Saudi Arabia for the leadership of both the region and all the Islamic states. While their religious brands differ, the competition is “less about religious interpretation and more about power politics”. Herta Muller writes, “The mullah’s and Hamas’s obsession with war is so dominant that when it comes to the extermination of the Jews, it even transcends the religious divide between Shiites and Sunnis. Everything else is subordinated to this obsession with war.”
It is important to remember that there are other violent extremist groups fiercely opposed to the West and other enemies. These include the Islamic State (ISS), Al Qaida, and armed Sunni Muslim groups who are calling on Muslims around the world to carry out vengeance for the Gazan people. Abu Hudhayfa al-Ansar, spokesman of the Wahhabi jihadist group Islamic State, recently pronounced: “Oh lions of Islam, hunt your prey — the Jews, Christians, and their allies — in the streets and alleyways of America, Europe, and the world … Break into their homes, kill them, and torment them in every way you can.” Those who think the only way to rein in or control these terrorist groups is for the USA to approach Iran, have suggested that the US government needs “a dual strategy of sticks and carrots with Iran; engage as it has been quietly doing to pressure them to call off their proxies, but be prepared, if they do not, to continue sanctions or move to military strikes on oil facilities or cyberstrikes on infrastructure”. However, the fatal helicopter crash in May this year, which resulted in the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, has somewhat changed the landscape. “The remarkable success of Iran’s so-called axis of resistance is hard to dispute,” write Takeyh and Maloney of Politico Magazine.[1] Now the focus is on the nuclear programme, a clear and present danger to Israel and the world. They continue, “Iran’s scientists and technicians have done their job and there are probably no longer any remaining technological barriers to detonation. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khamenei has expanded the nuclear infrastructure in terms of size and sophistication but has been hesitant about crossing the final line and actually detonating the bomb. As he contemplates his last and most consequential decision, he will increasingly be surrounded by men who feel they have little to lose in the age of American decline in the Middle East…”
[1] https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/05/22/ebrahim-raisi-iran-hardliners-00159269
