A sermon calling for the killing of Jews has been broadcast by the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation, the official television station of the Palestinian Authority which is under the control of President Mahmoud Abbas. In last Friday’s sermon, the imam called Jews “enemies of God and humanity” and likened them to the Nazis. "Even if donkeys would cease to bray, dogs cease to bark, wolves cease to howl and snakes to bite, the Jews would not cease to harbor hatred towards Muslims," he said in his address.
In a recent interview, Abbas had declared that there was no more incitement in Palestinian mosques: "They [Israel] said there is a problem with incitement in speeches in mosques during Friday prayers. Today, there is no more incitement at any mosque," he was quoted by the newspaper ‘Haaretz’ as saying.
On Tuesday, the religious affairs minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Habash, issued a strong condemnation of the anti-Jewish slurs made by the imam.
Following is a translation of excerpts of the imam’s sermon given in a mosque last week and broadcast by the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation [source: Palestinian Media Watch - www.pmw.org.il]
The loathsome occupation in Palestine – its land and its holy places – by these new Mongols and what they are perpetrating upon this holy, blessed and pure land – killing, assassination, destruction, confiscation, Judaization, harassment and splitting the homeland – are clear proof of their hostility, of incomparable racism, and of Nazism of the 20th century. The Jews, the enemies of Allah and of His messenger, the enemies of Allah and of His Messenger!
Enemies of humanity in general, and of Palestinians in particular - they wage war against us using all kinds of crimes, and as you see - even the mosques are not spared their racism..."Oh Muslims! The Jews are the Jews. The Jews are the Jews. Even if donkeys would cease to bray, dogs cease to bark, wolves cease to howl and snakes to bite, the Jews would not cease to harbor hatred towards Muslims. The Prophet said that if two Jews would be alone with a Muslim, they would think only of killing him.
Oh Muslims! This land will be liberated, these holy places and these mosques will be liberated, only by means of a return to the Quran and when all Muslims will be willing to be Jihad Fighters for the sake of Allah and for the sake of supporting Palestine, the Palestinian people, the Palestinian land, and the holy places in Palestine. The Prophet says: 'You shall fight the Jews and kill them, until the tree and the stone will speak and say: 'Oh Muslim, Oh servant of Allah' - the tree and the stone will not say, 'Oh Arab,' they will say, 'Oh Muslim'. And they will not say, 'Where are the millions?' and will not say, 'Where is the Arab nation?' Rather, they will say, 'Oh Muslim, Oh servant of Allah - there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.' Except for the Gharqad tree which is the tree of the Jews. Thus, this land will be liberated only by means of Jihad...
