Special Dispatch No. 362: Arafat Aide: Jews Nailed Jesus to the Cross

Middle East Media Research Institute ^ | 5 Apr 02 | Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed via MEMRI

[white trash redneck]

Special Dispatch No. 362: Arafat Aide: Jews Nailed Jesus to the Cross
Although Al-Sharq Al-Awsat's editor-in-chief Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed is regarded as a moderate figure in the Arab media, his newspaper recently published articles attacking Jews. The following are excerpts from such articles:

Nailing Jesus to the Cross

In his weekly column for the London based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Arafat's aide Bassam Abu Sharif charged Jews of 'nailing Jesus to the cross.' Accusing Israel of shooting at the statue of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem, Abu Sharif wrote:

"This, of course, was a failed attempt to murder peace, love, and tolerance, just as their forefathers tried to murder the prophetic message when they hammered their nails and iron stakes through the body of Jesus into the wooden cross…"(1)

Nazi Antisemitic Propaganda

Recently, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat columnist Abdallah Bajbir wrote an article titled "The Prophecy of a Philosopher." The article cited excerpts from an infamous Nazi propaganda book:(2)

"If you have a hundred-dollar bill, look at the face on it. This is the face of the American intellectual Benjamin Franklin. Two hundred and fifteen years ago, this man warned the American people about the Jews, at the Constitutional Convention of 1778 [sic]. Of everything I have read about the Jews to date, I have found no attitude more accurate and to the point regarding [the Jews] than that of Franklin – an attitude with which General Washington, who later became the president of the republic, concurred."

"Franklin said: ‘I agree completely with General Washington that we must protect this young country from the Jews' influence. In every country in which the Jews settled, they enfeebled morality, struck at [its] commercial status, isolated themselves, rejected all attempts to absorb them, and mocked the values of our Christian religion, upon which this nation was founded. They have tried to destroy the country by objecting to its borders and establishing a state within a state. They have tried to economically strangle any country that tried to resist them, as did Spain and Portugal. If you do not expel them today, they will come in vast numbers like locusts, and will take over our country – or completely consume it and change the system of government for which we, the Americans, have sacrificed our blood and our lives.'"

"In his historic statement, Franklin went on to say: ‘I warn you, gentlemen: If you do not expel them, your sons will curse you in your graves. Even if they live among us for ten generations, they will not change, as it is said, the leopard cannot change his [spots], they will endanger this land if we permit them to enter. They should be expelled by this constitutional convention.'"(3)

"What this preeminent man said, and what America did not heed, came true there, to the last detail, and then came true again in Palestine. The Jewish gangs took over the sacred land. Palestine is only the beginning. The [Jewish] locusts will spread throughout the Arab world. I am not, God forbid, prophesizing; but reality does not demand wordiness…"(4)

The Nazi-fabricated account of Franklin's condemnation of the Jews is often told, in various formulations, by Arab columnists.(5) Another recent example is Al-Sharq Al-Awsat columnist Faraj Boul'isha's mention of it in an open letter to President George W. Bush:

"Mr. President… You must act openly with your people, who do not know the truth about what is happening in the world because of the central pillars of finance, industry, and the media: Cherchez Shylock!..."

"Mr. President, 205 years ago, even before the so-called monster of ‘antisemitism’ emerged, Benjamin Franklin – the American Voltaire – wrote [of the danger posed by the Jews]… [At this point the writer quotes at length from Franklin's fictitious words].'"(6)

Endnotes:

(1) Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), March 20, 2002.

(2) Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), March 25, 2002.

(3) These statements were supposedly made by Franklin during a recess at the convention, and recorded by Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, the delegate from South Carolina, in his diary. The statements appeared in A Handbook on the Jewish Question, a book of antisemitic propaganda published in 1935 by Nazi Germany.

(4) Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), March 12, 2002.

(5) See www.memri.org for earlier references: Special Dispatch No. 339, "Egyptian Government Weekly Reproduces Nazi Propaganda Forgery."

(6) Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), February 20, 2001. Although persons who utilize the fictitious Franklin-account often claim Pinckney's diary is stored at the Franklin Institute, in a January 30, 2002 telephone conversation, the Institute's chief librarian stated that the Franklin Institute has no such document in its possession.

[white trash redneck]

MEMRI is great - they provide English language translations of what the islamic thugs say and write in Arabic. What they say in English for our consumption, and what they say in Arabic, often differ widely.

[another cricket]

they hammered their nails and iron stakes through the body of Jesus into the wooden cross…"(1)

That would have been the Romans, dear.

If he had been executed by Jews he would have been stoned to death. And the reason was not only the message but that they were scared to death of the Romans. John 18:14 They had reason, look at what happened to Jerusalem later.

a. cricket

[Slyfox]

the Institute's chief librarian stated that the Franklin Institute has no such document in its possession.

Great find, man. This kind of 'jew-baiting' is similar to what the homosexuals do, in claiming that past historical figures were gay, when the evidence is either weak or does not exist.

[white_wolf]

And God in His wisdom saw to it that both Gentiles AND Jews had a hand in the rejection and death of Jesus. However, the temporary rejection of the Messiah by the Jewish leaders of the day did not and does not negate the earlier promises to Abraham. The devil obviously knows it, else why would he try so hard to destroy the Jews?

[Ancesthntr]

If he had been executed by Jews he would have been stoned to death.

Agreed. Also, executions of any kind were extremely rare, as the Talmud (commentary on the 5 Books of Moses) has a comment to the effect that a nation that executes more than 1 person every 70 years is unjust.

Another factoid: The Last Supper is commonly believed to have been a Passover Sedar. If true, then there is no way the Jews could have carried out any punishment against anyone - no such actions are permitted on holy days.

The lesson here is that the Arabs have no case, that to win support among the ignorant for their monstrous cause they must not only pervert and distort history, but engage in the Nazi-like demonization of an entire people.

[goldstategop]

The Jews nailed Jesus to the Cross? Oh darn I thought the Romans did. Guess those Jews doctored the New Testament to make themselves look innocent. And as the PLO assures all and sundry, Jesus was the first Palestinian.

[American in Israel]

as the Talmud ...has a comment to the effect that a nation that executes more than 1 person every 70 years is unjust.

Last intifadda in one year, Arafat had over 800 Arab "colaborators" executed in the streets. Does that mean he is 5600 years ahead of himself?

[goldstategop]

Arafat revels in shedding blood. How any one can see him as a decent man is beyond me. If he murdered someone in his own office, the Israeli Oslo Cult and the Eurotrash would still be hailing him as "the avenue for peace." Now its true the world was bamboozled by Hitler. They can be under no such illusions about Arafat; his aim is more than simply to destroy Israel. He wants to start World War III.

[over3Owithabrain]

And God in His wisdom saw to it that both Gentiles AND Jews had a hand in the rejection and death of Jesus. However, the temporary rejection of the Messiah by the Jewish leaders of the day did not and does not negate the earlier promises to Abraham. The devil obviously knows it, else why would he try so hard to destroy the Jews?

Yes. Thank you. People forget Jesus himself was a faithful Jew, who did not abandon them but rather was calling them to a new covenant. And many Jews of the day did follow Him and become Christians. The Gentiles were then included, now all mankind can know the True God.

[uncbob]

The Jews nailed Jesus to the Cross? Oh darn I thought the Romans did. Guess those Jews doctored the New Testament to make themselves look innocent. And as the PLO assures all and sundry, Jesus was the first Palestinian.

As if the muslims give a damn about Christians anyway. Check out how they fare in muslim countries

[goldstategop]

I think I read in an article somewhere that the first President Bush wasn't allowed by his Saudi hosts to celebrate Christmas in their country. And this was PRIOR to Desert Storm. A saying current in the Arab world was "first the Saturday people, then the Sunday people." Back in the 1970s, as Christians were slaughtered mercilessly in Lebanon, the entire Christian world, including the Pope remained silent. The only country to come to their rescue was Israel. And the Arabs have never forgiven the Jews and the Christians for burying the hatchet.

[Alas]

Once again ararat is wrong, the Jews did not nail the Lord to the cross, the Romans did. For the jews had no law allowing them to crucify the Lord. So, they turned to the Romans who didn't seem to mind.

[Logic_3]

That was some rescue!.

[Psycho_Bunny]

"Jews Nailed Jesus to the Cross"

No. It was the Romans....and the only reason it was the Romans was because there were no Muslims back then.

[Helms]

They omitted that Jesus had some foreknowledge of the events to befall him, and gladly gave his life up for mankind.

Some more bitch'n lies.

[Atticus]

The Jews nailed Jesus to the Cross? Oh darn I thought the Romans did.

I saw "The Robe" on TV on Easter and it was definitely the Romans!

The jewish people are lost sheep. The muhammadens are wolves.

[besieged]

Does that mean he is 5600 years ahead of himself?

Well, he has to do SOMETHING to earn the kind of living he does??? I remember in the dark days, the USSR would do things via a 5yr plan. Remember?? Every 5 years, the central commitee would get together, and over a large supply of vodka and caviar, they would decide what the country would do/need over the next 5 years.

The point is that to "get browniepoints", the factories would need to beat the plan goals. So every year, there would be headlines "Kuybishev gasket factory surpasses 5yr goal by 230% in 1st year!!" Of course, there were no cars to put the gaskets into, but noone cared. It would seem to me that Arafat has been outdoing himself and surpassing his very own plans quite a bit.

On another note... I love the historical research accuracy of the Arab hysteric:

hundred and fifteen years ago, this man warned the American people about the Jews, at the Constitutional Convention of 1778 [sic].

I wonder if anyone will pay attention that in THIS VERSION of the constitutional convention, Franklin must have spoken a few years too late? LOL

[CWRWinger]

I quess if you saw it in a movie, it MUST be true. Hollywood only deals with the truth, you know (sarcasm).

Actually, I believe the Romans did the physical nailing at the request of the Jews who chanted "Crucify Him!" to Pilate. Pilate found Jesus innocent but feared political consequences of not being expedient with the Jews demands. Pilate had patched up his differences with Herod and didn't want to make waves.

[GraniteStateConservative]

The Franklin Prophecy hoax

[Mr. Thorne]

Piffle. No one executed like the Romans. Muslims are, and were, second fiddle.

It's nice to look back on a culture that took pride in being the best at something.