Prominent Saudi Ulema Calls For Fight Against Antisemitism

Saudi Arabia's leading cleric, Sheikh Mohammad al-Issa, is of the view that combating antisemitism is a religious duty, according to the approach of the head of the World Muslim League which received appreciation from Jewish groups.

Recently Saudi Arabia's leading cleric, Mohammad al-Issa was awarded the Combat Antisemistism Movement and the American Sephardi Federation, in a virtual ceremony celebrating Muslim leaders who fought against antisemitism and racism.

"Fighting antisemitism is a religious and moral obligation," Issa told AFP from the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

The former Saudi Arabia's minister of justice swore that the World Muslim League will "continue this effort until there is no more antisemitism and racism."

This organization is funded by the petrodollar state of Saudi Arabia and is seen as an extension of the royal diplomatic arm, as well as instruments of Wahhabism, a doctrine held by Sunnis.

Political conflicts have caused tensions between Islam and Judaism, Issa said while calling on people to put aside such differences.

"Political views change over time but our values, our morals should never change," he said.

Visit to Auschwitz

The Saudi cleric was praised in January by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for visiting Poland to take part in an event that marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz camp.

"This is another sign of a change in the attitude of Islamic bodies and, of course, Arab countries towards the Holocaust and Jews," Netanyahu said at the time.

Visiting Nazi camps during World War II, where more than one million people were killed were Jews, marking a turning point for Issa. "We went to Auschwitz to tell the world that we were against this crime and so that it would not happen again," he said.

Israel is increasing ties in the Gulf region

The government in Riyadh has no official diplomatic relations with Israel, but both have a common enemy, Iran.

Both countries accuse the government in Tehran of wanting to expand its influence in the Middle East and develop nuclear weapons.

While Egypt and Jordan have relations with neighboring Israel, other Arab countries have agreed to a peace agreement with the Palestinians as a condition of normalizing relations.

But the Netanyahu government has sought to improve relations with Gulf countries in particular. Israeli officials who appear at sporting events in the United Arab Emirates.

The administration of United States President Donald Trump believes that further diplomatic relations between Israel and Arab countries will enhance the prospects for peace with Palestine.

Source: dw