The Arab hate industry:

Lebanon is still a center for the distribution of anti-Semitic literature, including books by Hezbollah’s publishing house. Such literature, distributed across the Arab and Muslim world, inspires hatred against Israel and the Jewish people and may legitimize violence against them.

Overview

• On December 21-31, 2005, the 17th International Book Fair was held in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Sponsored by the Qatari ruler, the fair was attended by publishers from 17 Arab and Muslim countries. Notable for their presentation of anti-Semitic literature at the fair were Egypt, Syria,¹ and Lebanon. The anti-Semitic books covered in the present document were sold at the above-mentioned fair. They were published in Lebanon by three Lebanese publishing houses in the years 1999-2005.

• The anti-Semitic books covered in this report (arranged according to publishing houses) include elements drawn from “classic” Christian anti-Semitic literature as well as from the Islamic-based anti-Semitic literature. The books claim that Jews are immoral, that the Torah and the Talmud justify acts of murder and slaughter, that the Jews use Christian blood to perform rituals, that the Jews strive to take over the world, and that Judaism is not a monotheistic religion.

Anti-Semitic books published by the Dar al-Nafaes publishing house

• The Dar al-Nafaes publishing house was founded in Beirut in 1970. Its founder, Ahmad Rateb Armoush, who holds an MA degree in Islamic studies, specializes in writing books on Islam and politics. The publishing house publishes numerous anti-Semitic books, which it markets, through its Internet website² and through other means, to the Arab and Muslim world.

Book: Blood for [Baking] Zion Matzos

• The book was published in Beirut by the Dar al-Nafaes publishing house in 2002 (second edition). The author is Najib al-Kilani, a famous Egyptian writer, who passed away in 1995. Kilani’s specialty was historical novels, mainly such novels drawn from Islamic history.³

• The book makes current political use of the well-known Damascus blood libel (1840). This blood libel was concocted when a Christian monk and his Muslim servant disappeared after visiting a market in the Jewish Quarter of Damascus. The Christian community in Damascus, with the encouragement of the French consul, accused the Jews of Damascus of killing the monk and using his blood to bake Passover matzos. The Ottoman ruler ordered the arrest and torture of seven Jewish dignitaries. Two of them died and one converted to Islam in order to save himself. The other prisoners were released in the wake of pressure exerted by Moses Montefiore.

• The publisher’s back cover blurb makes it clear that the use of the Damascus blood libel is intended to expose the murderous character of the Jewish people: “The Jews spill human blood and use it to prepare the holy matzos! The murder of Father Thomas in Damascus by the Jews in 1840 AD, [designed] to obtain Christian blood for [the preparation of] Passover matzo, was a horrifying incident that shocked the world and disturbed the people. The investigation [of the incident] was attended by the consuls of Europe, and the [perpetration of the] crime was proven. On that day, mothers in Damascus started warning their children about the Jewish Quarter. More than just an indescribably revolting and infinitely dangerous crime, it exposes the personality of a people whose beliefs justify its crimes…”

• In the book’s Foreword, the publisher uses horrible attributes to describe what he refers to as the Jews’ ritualistic use of children’s blood:

• “The fear of the local Jewish Quarter was deeply ingrained in the imaginations of Damascene children, and mothers would warn their children against approaching or entering it [the Jewish Quarter]… I remember a conversation I had with a friend of mine: ‘The Jews lure a little boy [into] their Quarter, enticing him to whatever is inside. When he enters one of their houses, they take him and put him in a decorated bed covered in embroidered fabric. Underneath the beautiful bed sheets are nails with sharp points. As the boy is lying on his back on the bed, they tie him with a leather strap so that he cannot get up, while the nails pierce his body and his blood drips under the bed. The boy screams and cries, but to no avail. When he passes away, the blood is collected in special containers which the Jews keep for themselves, while cutting and concealing the body [of the victim]…’”

• “As soon as the war of 1967 ended, I was visited by a friend, a resident of Damascus, who served as a judge in the Ministry of Justice. He brought to me photocopies of the investigation protocols⁵ found among the ministry documents… which included an investigation of the disappearance of a Christian priest in the Jewish Quarter. [The investigation] proved that his Jewish colleagues, under the direction of several of their religious leaders, lured him and murdered him in order to use his blood for religious purposes. When his servant came to inquire as to his whereabouts, he met an identical fate [i.e., he was murdered].”

• “Reading the [above-mentioned] protocols sickened me to the core of my being. Human common sense is unable to believe, or accept, that one person driven by a foolish motive should intentionally slaughter another in order to obtain his blood. Only those who consider men to be beasts are able to do so… In order for people to learn what the Jews do and what they are capable of doing, I wanted this incident to be described by author and novelist Najib al-Kilani, who perused the documents. When I handed to him [the documents], he was as influenced by them as was I, and similarly appalled. After asking for clarifications, he gave his blessing to the idea [of writing the book]. Before long, he gave me this impressive work…”

• The following is a translated fragment of the book’s Afterword, which uses a tradition (hadith) dating back to the early days of Islam to once again prove the Jews’ “treachery”: “These were the direct words of Sheikh Dharir to the worshippers [in Damascus], spoken after he had prayed the [Muslims’] morning prayer:… Remember the Jews, Banu Qurayza.⁶ My sons, they were the allies of the Prophet [Muhammad]. They made a pact with him to repel all those who would attack Yathrib [Al-Madina], to help the Prophet, and to put equipment and people at his disposal if necessary. Various groups came from far and wide to fight the Prophet and encircled the city. The Prophet and his closest friends had dug a great moat so that the assaulters could not cross it. [None] was left but the rear guard, but among them were the Jewish allies—[which proves that] the Jews betrayed and broke the alliance, since they thought that their support of the Quraysh [tribe] and the groups [that attacked Prophet Muhammad] would eliminate Islam and the Muslims forever. However, Allah brought [victory] to the Muslims. The wind blew strong, and all the enemies were scattered everywhere. The Prophet turned backwards to punish the traitors. It was a cruel, unforgettable punishment.”

• Published in 1999, this is a renewed edition of “The Jewish Domination over the World”, an anti-Semitic book authored by Othman Bek Kabrizli Zadeh in 1887. At the end of the book (pp. 87-107) is an article by Grace Halsell, an American journalist and author who was highly critical of Israel (died 2000).⁷ The editor and author of the Foreword is a lecturer on (religious) beliefs and groups at the Imam al-Ouzai College for Islamic Studies in Beirut.⁸

The book once again brings up the claim that the Jews aspire to take over the world, for which purpose they make use of international media and global funds.

• Quotations from the book:

• Fragment from the Foreword: “…Presented here is a research on the Jewish deception that uses the media for its purposes… I do not claim that the topic is a new one—and indeed, it is an addendum constituting a repetition—however, it might prove useful…” (p. 7).

• “The book whose Foreword I am currently writing deals with the Jews’ persistent efforts at domination. However, this matter is not an unusual one; on the contrary, the Jewish religious thought which they put in writing in the Old Testament and in the Talmud, in political and literary documents, which they published in full later— all of the above deal with the [issue of the Jewish] takeover [of the world]… All non-Jews, whom the Jews refer to as “gentiles”, are playthings for the achievement of the Chosen People’s goals…” (p. 12).

• “Jewish education was, is, and will be based on racism, hostility, bloodshed, destruction, and annihilation. Power is what they [Jews] yearn for and will keep yearning for, since power is what enables them to continue such conduct” (p. 19).

• “…[The Jews] have plotted schemes and fomented civil wars since the dawn [of history], even though Allah’s emissary [Prophet Muhammad] made a pact with them in the city of Al-Madina… But they [the Jews] are treacherous, and do not abide by agreements as a rule” (p. 25).

Book: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion

• This is yet another⁹ Lebanese edition of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the most notorious example of anti-Semitic hatred literature, published in the Arab world in numerous editions. This edition was published in Beirut by Dar al-Nafaes in 2002. The translator and editor of this edition is Dr. Ihsan Haqqi, who has written many books on society, politics, and religion across the Islamic world.¹⁰
  

• Quotations from the Foreword by the publisher, Ahmad Rateb Armoush (pp. 5-9): “There has never been a book as polemic and controversial [credibility-wise] as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion… Even Henry Ford I, who wrote “The International Jew”,¹¹ avoided the question when asked about the [Protocols’] credibility and said: “The only commentary I’m willing to give on the Protocols of the Elders of Zion is that their predictions fully reflect what is going on today” (p. 5); “The long history of the Jews is riddled with planning crimes, concocting schemes, and disregarding all holy things and [sacred] values” (p. 6); “Their destructive plans are exposed every day” (p. 7); “The first Muslims completely eradicated racist Jewish concentrations in the Arabian Peninsula, Jerusalem, and elsewhere in the world in retaliation for the evils, schemes, treasons, and hostilities [of the Jews] against the Muslims…” (p. 8).

• In his Foreword, translator Dr. Ihsan Haqqi states that it was the Jews who were interested in distributing the Protocols in order to build for themselves the reputation of being immensely powerful and possessing extraordinary capabilities (pp. 16-17). He even insinuates that the author of the Protocols was a Jew (!) who sought to inspire his persecuted people by exaggerating his people’s abilities. The author claims that the Protocols were meant to serve the Jews’ propaganda and psychological warfare needs, in order to form an illusion of being stronger than they actually are. Muslims must keep in mind that Jews are not that strong, and the author insinuates that they can be overwhelmed by an ‘Islamic awakening’ (pp. 18-28). Haqqi downplays the number of Jewish victims in the Holocaust, saying that “Hitler killed tens of thousands of them [Jews], not millions as is usually claimed” (p. 20).

What follows is the Arabic translation from the French edition of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

Dar al-Hadi Publishing House

• Dar al-Hadi is the publishing house of Hezbollah, even though it is careful not to formally associate itself with the organization. The publishing house is named after Hadi Nasrallah, the son of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed in a clash with the IDF in South Lebanon in September 1997.

• Among other things, the publishing house publishes anti-Israeli, anti-Zionist, and anti-Semitic incitement literature, alongside books on Hezbollah and the legacy of Imam Khomeini, the leader of the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979. The publishing house distributes its publications through its website, making it easy to search for a variety of books, booklets, and other materials.¹²

Book: Secrets of the Evildoers

• This unambiguously anti-Semitic book presents a ridiculous, false statement on the Jews’ schemes to corrupt and take over the world by secret organizations that rely on the Kabbalah. The book was written as part of the struggle waged by Hezbollah over Arab/Muslim public opinion. Its goal is to provide the reader with an awareness of purported Jewish “plots” in order to fan hatred against the Jews and justify acts of violence against them.

• For translated excerpts from the book, see Information Bulletin from May 19, 2005: “Publishing and distributing anti-Semitic literature in the Arab world: the Hezbollah publishing house issues Secrets of the Evildoers. The book slanders international Jewry as secretly conducting subversive actions to corrupt and take over the world”.¹³

Book: Jewish Zionist Racism and the Religious Ideological Perspective: A study of the religious and historical background for the racist acts of the Zionist entity in Palestine , Lebanon , and elsewhere”

• The author reiterates a claim frequently seen in Islamic anti-Semitic literature, according to which Judaism is not a monotheistic religion. The implication is that killing Jews is justified and Muslims must therefore wage an all-out war against them, as against any infidels. The author claims that it was Zionism that changed the character of Judaism: “We may not be against this religion [Judaism] or [against any] other monotheistic [religion], as long as its followers are peaceful. However, our position changed when Judaism turned into Zionism, and embraced racism [as a policy] which exceeded the Nazis’ racism and [was directed] against Muslims and Christians alike. It occupied the land [of Palestine], desecrated the holy places, took over Holy Jerusalem, set fire to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and damaged the Church of Nativity” (p. 33).

• More examples of anti-Semitic claims in the book:

• The Torah was originally sacred; however, its contents were twisted by the Jews (p. 39).

• The Talmud permits taking interest and making human sacrifice. Jewish clerics preach hatred against Christians and others (pp. 54-55).

• “They [the Jews], as they are described in their false Torah, are a people who will not sleep until they have eaten their prey and drunk the blood of the dead” (p. 69).

Book: Our Campaign against the Jews

• “Our Campaign against the Jews, Past and Present” was published by Dar al-Hadi in 2005 (first edition). The author is Bassam Murtada, an author who specializes primarily in Islamic subjects.¹⁴ The book deals with anti-Semitic incitement. Its main claim is that Judaism is a corrupt religion and that that is the reason for the Islamic-Jewish conflict. The book also includes anti-American and anti-Christian statements.

• Following are several examples of anti-Semitic statements used in the book:

• “The Old Testament contains moral deviations” (p. 11).

• “It is small wonder that the system of oppression, destruction, and annihilation, which is the cornerstone of Jewish faith [as reflected] in [their] holy writings…” (p. 13).

• Accusing the Jews of performing sacrilegious rituals and describing the Torah as justifying massacres (pp. 30-32).

• The wars waged by the Jews, described in the Torah, are used as proof of the Jews’ brutality and the massacres they perpetrated. Furthermore, the book quotes verses from the Torah purportedly testifying to the Jews’ greed and desire of power (pp. 41-44).

• “By their guardedness, greed, ceremonies, clothing, and stubbornness, [the Jews] triggered hostility against the Semitic race. Accordingly, they were mocked, disdained, and murdered” (p. 107).

Riyad al-Rayyis lil-Kutub wal-Nashr publishing house

• Founded in London in 1987, this was the first publishing house to publish books in Arabic from London. The publishing house has an office based in Beirut, and it has published more than 500 books.

Book: Holy Prostitutes

• “Holy Prostitutes” was published in Beirut in 2005 by Riyad al-Rayyis lil-Kutub wal-Nashr. The author is Misbah Mahjoub, who has written other anti-Semitic books (this is probably a pseudonym, since the Arabic meaning of the name is “hidden lamp”). According to the author, the book’s title is a quote of Yael Dayan, a journalist, author, and former Knesset member, who allegedly made such a claim regarding women in Israel. The author uses the quote to support the book’s thesis, according to which Jewish women are whores and are humiliated by Jewish men.¹⁵ The author brings the full quote he ascribes to Yael Dayan: “The behavior of modern Jewish women is identical to the behavior of their holy prostitute mothers in the records of the Almighty”. The book’s Introduction states that Yael Dayan is “the daughter of homosexual (!) general Moshe Dayan.”

• Translation of part of the back cover: “They [i.e., Jewish women] go to bed with different men to have mechanical sex, with their emotions [turned] to Israel and for Israel. They gather the information with their eyes, their ears, and all the special senses which God bestowed upon them.

Jewish author and journalist,

Neville Georgian”¹⁶

• Some quotes from the book follow:

• “In the history of the human race, there has never been, nor will there ever be, women who reached the bottom of the world of [human] abomination as the Jewish women” (p. 32).

• “The Jews have two sacred holidays: the first is Purim, held in the month of Adar (March) every year. The other is Passover, held in the month of April every year. It should be noted that the Jews never hold these holidays unless they eat matzo soaked in human blood, [that is,] the blood of a newborn baby or a Christian cleric, as was the case in the murder of the Christian priest [referring to the Damascus blood libel]; [they] take his blood and mix it into the holiday [Passover] matzo” (p. 209).