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Illusive Middle East agreements – the Taqiyya concept

The Quran-derived “Taqiyya” concept is a core cause of systematically-failed US peace initiatives in the Middle East; 1,400 years of intra-Muslim/Arab warfare and the lack of intra-Muslim/Arab comprehensive peace; the tenuous nature of intra-Muslim/Arab agreements; and the inherently shifty, unpredictable and violent intra-Muslim/Arab relations, as currently demonstrated on the chaotic, seismic Arab Street.

The “Taqiyya” concept constitutes Islam-sanctioned dissimulation, deception and concealment of inconvenient data, aimed at shielding Islam and “believers” from “infidels” and hostile Muslims.  It is a tactic utilized, by Muslims, during times of strategic inferiority, intended to achieve provisional accords, only to be abrogated once conditions are ripe for vanquishing adversity.

For example, Iran’s new President, Hassan Rouhani, who was hand-picked by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, demonstrated his “Taqiyya” capabilities during his term as Iran’s chief negotiator with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).  Rouhani perfected double-talk, misleading the “infidel” IAEA negotiators, thus providing Iran with extra time to acquire nuclear capabilities, while systematically violating commitments made to the IAEA.  In September, 2002, Rouhani stated, in his capacity as the Chairman of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council: “When we sign international treaties, it means that we are not pursuing nuclear weapons.  We are not pursuing chemical weapons.  We are not pursuing biological weapons.  Iran is not interested in any of these.” Rouhani’s “Taqiyya’ talent earned him the image of a moderate in Western circles, in defiance of his track record: an early supporter of Khomeini; he represented Khomeini at the Supreme National Security Council; he served as National Security Advisor to Presidents Hashemi and Khatami; and he was one of the planners of the 1994 “AMIA terrorism” which was responsible for the murder of 85 civilians in Buenos Aires.

Quran-based “Taqiyya” was initially adopted by the Shite minority, then by the Sunni majority.  According to Quran’s Sura 3 verse 28, Muslims may appease “infidels” with their lips but not their hearts.   Sura 3:54, Sura 8:30 and Sura 10:21 state that “God is the best schemer….”  Sura 16:106 emphasizes that Muslims may be coerced by adverse circumstances – as a precautionary measure – to pacify “infidels,” by pretending to depart from Islamic values and goals.  Sura 2:225 determines that “Allah will not call you to account for thoughtlessness in your oaths, but for the intention in your hearts.” Hence, Arab leaders have spoken moderately to Western media, while speaking their minds to their own media.  Mahmoud Abbas, like Arafat, has implemented “Taqiyya,” double-talking to Israelis, Americans and Arabs, while hate-educating Palestinian youngsters and inciting Palestinians via the Abbas-controlled media and mosques.

The essence of “Taqiyya” is reflected through the 628CE Hudaybiyya Treaty, which is pivotal in contemporary Islam, since it was concluded by Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, considered by contemporary Muslims as a divine human-being.  It stipulates that truce with the “infidel” is a temporary, non-committal tactical step, enabling Muslims to gather sufficient force to overwhelm the enemy and achieve the strategic goal – subordinating the Abode of the Infidel to the Abode of Islam.

According to Raymond Ibrahim, a researcher of Islam, “The practice of Taqiyya is mainstream Islam…. Taqiyya is very prevalent in Islamic politics, especially in the modern era…. War against the infidel is a perpetual affair until, in the words of the Qur’an, ‘all chaos ceases, and all religions belong to God….’  Peace with non-Muslim nations is, therefore, a provisional state of affairs…. A struggle continues until the realm of Islam subsumes the non-Islamic world…. Taqiyya is of fundamental importance in Islam…. Deception directed at non-Muslims falls within the legal category of things that are permissible for Muslims…. According to Shari’a – the body of legal rulings that defines how a Muslim should behave in all circumstances – deception is not only permitted in certain situations, but may be deemed obligatory in others….”

The imploding Arab Street has demonstrated the destructive power of “Taqiyya” – Arab dissimulating and violently violating commitments made to one another, reaffirming the illusive nature of Middle East intra-Arab agreements.  Intra-Arab agreements have been signed in ice not in stone.  Can one expect agreements concluded with the “infidel” Western democracies and Jewish state to be less illusive?!




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Open letter to Prime Minister Bennett ahead of visit to USA

(Hebrew edition in “Israel Hayom,” Israel’s largest circulation daily)

During your first official visit to Washington, DC, you’ll have to choose between two options:

*Blurring your deeply-rooted, assertive Israeli positions on the future of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), which would be welcome by the Biden Administration, yielding to short-term political convenience and popularity inside the beltway;

or

*Tenaciously advocating your deeply-rooted, principle-driven positions, which would underscore a profound disagreement with the Biden Administration and the “elite” US media, while granting you and Israel long-term strategic respect, as demonstrated by some of your predecessors.

For example, the late Prime Minister Shamir honed the second option, bluntly introduced his assertive Israeli positions on Judea and Samaria, rebuffed heavy US pressure – including a mudslinging campaign by President Bush and Secretary of State Baker – suffered a popularity setback, but produced unprecedented expansion of US-Israel strategic cooperation. When it comes to facing the intensified threats of rogue regimes and Islamic terrorism, the US prefers principle-driven, reliable, patriotic, pressure-defying partners, irrespective of disagreements on the Palestinian issue.

Assuming that you shall not budge on the historical and national security centrality of Judea and Samaria, it behooves you to highlight the following matters during your meetings with President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, National Security Advisor Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Austin and Congressional leaders (especially the members of the Appropriations Committees):

  1. The 1,400-year-old track record of the stormy, unpredictable, violent and anti-“infidel” Middle East, which has yet to experience intra-Arab peaceful-coexistence, along with the 100-year-old Palestinian track record (including the systematic collaboration with anti-US entities, hate-education and anti-Arab and anti-Jewish terrorism) demonstrates that the proposed Palestinian state would be a Mini-Afghanistan or a Mega-Gaza on the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria.

It would dominate 80% of Israel’s population and infrastructures in the 9-15-mile sliver between Judea and Samaria and the Mediterranean, which is shorter than the distance between RFK Stadium and the Kennedy Center.

Thus, a Palestinian state would pose a clear and present existential threat to Israel; and therefore, Israel’s control of the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria is a prerequisite for its survival.

  1. The proposed Palestinian state would undermine US interests, as concluded from the Palestinian intra-Arab track record, which has transformed the Palestinians into a role-model of intra-Arab subversion, terrorism and ingratitude. Arabs are aware that a Palestinian state would add fuel to the Middle East fire, teaming up with their enemies (e.g., Iran’s Ayatollahs, the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey’s Erdogan) and providing a strategic foothold to Russia and China. Consequently, Arabs shower Palestinians with favorable talk, but with cold and negative walk.

Hence, during the October, 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty ceremony, Jordan’s military leaders asserted to their Israeli colleagues that a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River would doom the pro-US Hashemite regime east of the River, and lead, subsequently, to the toppling of all pro-US Arab Peninsula regimes.

  1. There is no foundation for the contention that Israel’s retreat from the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria – which are the cradle of Jewish history, religion and culture – is required in order to sustain Israel’s Jewish majority. In reality, there is unprecedented Jewish demographic momentum, while Arab demography – throughout the Middle East – has Westernized dramatically. The Jewish majority in the combined area of Judea, Samaria and pre-1967 Israel benefits from a robust tailwind of fertility and migration.
  2. Israel’s control of the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria and the Golan Heights, bolsters its posture of deterrence, which has daunted rogue regimes, reduced regional instability, enhanced the national security of all pro-US Arab regimes, and has advanced Israel’s role as a unique force-multiplier for the US. An Israeli retreat from Judea and Samaria would transform Israel from a strategic asset – to a strategic liability – for the US.
  3. As the US reduces its military presence in the Middle East – which is a global epicenter of oil production, global trade (Asia-Africa), international Islamic terrorism and proliferation of non-conventional military technologies – Israel’s posture of deterrence becomes increasingly critical for the pro-US Arab countries (e.g., Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan), who consider Israel to be the most reliable “life insurance agent” in the region.

Contrary to NATO, South Korea and Japan, Israel’s defense does not require the presence of US troops on its soil.

  1. Sustaining Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge is a mutual interest for the US and Israel, which serves as the most cost-effective battle-tested laboratory for the US defense industries and armed forces. Thus, Israel’s use of hundreds of US military systems has yielded thousands of lessons (operation, maintenance and repairs), which have been integrated, by the US manufacturers, into the next generation of the military systems, saving the US many years of research and development, increasing US exports and expanding the US employment base – a mega billion dollar bonanza for the US. At the same time, the US armed forces have benefitted from Israel’s military intelligence and battle experience, as well as joint training maneuvers with Israel’s defense forces, which has improved the US formulation of battle tactics.

Prime Minister Bennett, your visit to Washington, is an opportunity to demonstrate your adherence to your deeply-rooted strong Israeli positions, rejecting the ill-advised appeals and temptations to sacrifice Israel’s national security on the altar of convenience and popularity.

Yours truly,

Yoram Ettinger, expert on US-Israel relations and Middle East affairs

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