Alerts

Amnon Lord on Jihad and Jew-Hatred: Islamism, Nazism, and the Roots of 9/11, by Matthias Küntzel

An Urgent Wakeup Call Jihad and Jew-Hatred: Islamism, Nazism, and the Roots of 9/11, by Matthias Küntzel, trans. Colin Meade, Telos Press, 2007, 180 pp. Reviewed by Amnon Lord
Share this

Table of Contents

Jewish Political Studies Review 20:1-2 (Spring 2008)

An Urgent Wakeup Call

Jihad and Jew-Hatred:  Islamism, Nazism, and the Roots of 9/11, by Matthias Küntzel, trans. Colin Meade, Telos Press, 2007, 180 pp.

Reviewed by Amnon Lord

 “We were the first to think of translating Mein Kampf,” wrote Sami al-Jundi, a leader of the Syrian Ba’ath Party in the 1930s. “Whoever lived during this period in Damascus would appreciate the inclination of the Arab people to Nazism, for Nazism was the power which could serve as its champion” (26). Al-Jundi also confessed that “we were racist, admiring Nazism, reading its books and the sources of its thought, particularly Nietzsche, Fichte, and H. S. Chamberlain” (25).

How many people know that Arab delegations and senior political figures were invited to the annual Nazi rallies in Nuremberg during the 1930s? Such details are not simply random anecdotes from the remote past. Indeed, in his new book Jihad and Jew-Hatred, German scholar Matthias Küntzel argues that the origins of the Islamist terror of recent years, which culminated in the attacks on the United States on 11 September 2001, and of the radical anti-Semitic ideologies of Hamas, Hizballah, Iran, the Palestine Covenant, and al-Qaeda, lie in the lethal link between Islamism and Nazism.

 

The Roots of Israel-Hatred

Here Küntzel presents an interpretation of events that differs from the conventional wisdom. His view seems to be the correct one. As opposed to the illusion of the Israeli establishment, which maintains that the 9/11 attack brought about greater understanding of Israel’s problems and raised international awareness of terrorism, Küntzel argues that 9/11 fostered a tsunami of Jew-hatred (Judenhass). Moreover, as the victims of anti-Israeli terror attacks multiplied throughout the Second Intifada, so did hatred toward Israel, revulsion against its actions, and opposition to its very existence all over the world.

According to Küntzel, the current epidemic of Israel-hatred stems from the link between Nazism and Islam that was established in the 1930s, and not from the foundations of early Islam. For example, he quotes a Nazi directive of 1943: “The extermination of Jewry throughout the world is the precondition for an enduring peace” (153). Such a statement is remarkably similar, if not identical, to Ahmadinejad’s proclamation that “the Zionist regime will be wiped out and humanity liberated” (153).

Recently Jihad and Jew-Hatred has become the focus of a spirited public debate about the sources of anti-Jewish hatred or anti-Semitism in Islamism. Several scholars of Islam and of Middle Eastern history consider the Qur’an and the religious infrastructure of early Islam to be the root of its anti-Semitism. Küntzel, however, asserts that he had no intention to investigate the foundations of early Islam and does not belittle their importance. But he emphasizes a particular point of departure that marks the onset of exterminatory anti-Semitism, that which demands the elimination of the Jews. This is his major contribution to understanding the phenomenon of the murderous terror that is identified with 9/11. André Glucksmann has recently pointed out the common thread of desire for total destruction that is shared by Islamist terror and Auschwitz, along with the capability of massive bombing, as in the case of Hiroshima; hence the validity of the term Islamo-Nazism.

In Küntzel’s view, it is not a coincidence that both German Nazism and modern Islamism arose in the 1920s. He attributes the birth of both movements to the “crisis of capitalism.” If Küntzel is referring to the dramatic effects of World War I on Germany and the Middle East, his assessment apparently is correct. Although the crises in Germany have been studied and explained as reactions to developments, their counterparts in the Middle East still require further investigation.

The author argues that, in the past, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini in Mandatory Palestine played the leading roles in inculcating the spirit of Nazism into Muslim consciousness. Küntzel maintains that experts, politicians, and the media are aware of the Islamist-Nazi connection but do not relate seriously to expressions of hatred and calls for destruction. “Knowing the historical consequences of ‘redemptive antisemitism’ (Saul Friedlander), they ought to be on red alert. Instead they have shut their eyes. The fact that since September 11, Jew-hatred has reached truly epidemic proportions in the Islamic world has been downplayed or ignored” (153).

In fact, Küntzel has been confronted by this typical reaction. In 2003, the topic of his lecture at Yale University created a scandal. He was asked to change the title and not to mention the word anti-Semitism. Although he was allowed to give his lecture, an opposing view had to be presented. In this case he shared the program with a totally unqualified speaker who headed a Palestinian organization. And last year, Leeds University in England canceled Küntzel’s lecture. He clearly can be proud of these infringements on his freedom of speech.

 

Understanding the Nazi-Arab Nexus

Jihad and Jew-Hatred is perhaps the most important work written in the wake of 9/11. One would have expected similar books to appear in Israel, but this did not happen. Therefore, it is imperative that Küntzel’s book be translated into Hebrew and widely distributed as soon as possible so as to extricate Israelis from their collective amnesia regarding both Egypt since the signing of the peace treaties nearly thirty years ago and the PLO and the Palestinians since the Oslo accords of 1993. Since then, Israelis have been subject to a type of thought control that has eliminated confronting inconvenient information about the Mufti and Palestinian admiration of Nazism, along with the later links of the PLO and its leaders with the Soviet Union and its methods of warfare.

Küntzel asks: “Why then, unlike all other semi-fascist movements of the 1930s, did jihadism not depart the stage of history after the defeat of the Nazis?” (147). He notes that Nazis found refuge and continued their activities in exile-in the Arab world, mainly Egypt. Küntzel continues: “How, despite the uncovering of the Shoah, could the Muslim Brotherhood’s Jew-hatred survive the turning point 1945…? The answer has to do with the pro-Arab opportunism of the great powers after the war” (147). Such opportunism played a decisive role in not putting the Mufti on trial as a war criminal, an act that the Arabs interpreted as rehabilitation of Haj Amin’s activities and as justification for the anti-Jewish ideology.

In retrospect, it appears that the cycle of wars in the Middle East resulting from the religion of Jew-hatred prevalent in the Muslim world was not considered a high price to pay for such opportunism. Today, even while the Middle Eastern mills of hatred threaten to turn into an atomic cluster bomb, diplomatic opportunism and appeasement policies continue to thrive. Whoever wishes to know the future should learn about the past that Küntzel exposes in Jihad and Jew-Hatred.  This book challenges the views of the Western and Israeli elites who are in charge of thought control and molding public opinion.

*     *     *

AMNON LORD is the editor of the Makor Rishon daily newspaper and the author of three books: The Israeli Left: From Socialism to Nihilism, War at Home, and a short novel, Pretty-Face Dudi.

Amnon Lord

An Israeli journalist with the daily newspaper <em>Yisrael Hayom</em>, Amnon Lord’s articles and essays about media, film, and politics have been published in <em>The Jerusalem Post</em>, <em>Mida</em>, <em>Azure</em>, <em>Nativ</em>, and <em>Achshav</em>. Lord wrote and anchored a TV series about the beginnings of Israeli cinema. He is the author of <em>The Israeli Left: From Socialism to Nihilism</em> (2003), a political and historical analysis of the Israeli Left from a personal perspective.
Share this

Subscribe to Daily Alert

The Daily Alert – Israel news digest appears every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Related Items

Stay Informed, Always

Get the latest news, insights, and updates directly in your inbox—be the first to know!

Subscribe to Jerusalem Issue Briefs
The Daily Alert – Israel news digest appears every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.







Notifications

The Jerusalem Center
What makes a child believe killing a #Jew is justified?

In PA textbooks, Jews are called liars and frauds; their fate: elimination. This is #indoctrination—not #education. But change is happening. On East to West, @IMPACT_SE CEO Marcus Sheff exposes how #UNRWA-funded schools are fueling extremism—and what real reform looks like.  Listen now on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/2JHqh973U  Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/8OkJTGNfVUc

11:43am
The Jerusalem Center
Highlights from the @Jerusalem_Post Annual Conference in NYC:

Dr. @Dan_Diker, President of the JCFA: “October 7 wasn’t just an attack on Israel — it was a blow to the U.S. on Israeli soil. It demands moral clarity and a united front between Israel and the U.S. to defeat jihadist terror.”

2:20pm
The Jerusalem Center
@XAVIAERD says it like it is

Well, @XAVIAERD says it like it is: If you’re part of “#Queers for #Palestine,” he’ll pay for your flight to #Gaza. Go see for yourself how they treat LGBTQ+ people over there. Don’t miss this bold take on the Israel-Hamas war and the woke right.

2:32pm
The Jerusalem Center
“This isn’t Israel vs. Hamas — it’s the frontline of the free world.”

“This isn’t Israel vs. Hamas — it’s the frontline of the free world.” On Our Middle East by @JNS_org, @Dan_Diker@KhaledAbuToameh (JCFA/@GatestoneInst) break it down: If Hamas isn’t crushed, Iran wins. The jihadis—from #Gaza to your campus—get the green light. Diker: “This war is for the West.” No fluff. No filters. Just raw insight from two insiders who actually know what’s going on.  Watch: youtu.be/4Aq_zcbb4Yo

2:15pm
The Jerusalem Center
5/5 Lt. Col. Kalo on East to West with @smartinezamir:

“This operation showcases Israel’s strategic intelligence superiority both regionally and globally. It demonstrates the moral commitment to recovered soldiers and also strengthens Israel’s position with allies.” youtube.com/watch?v=nIvNNi

2:07pm
The Jerusalem Center
4/5 The operation built on intelligence gathered during the 2019 #Baumel recovery

#Mossad agents operated under cover in #Syria for years, visiting a graveyard multiple times under fire to collect remains for DNA matching. The intelligence community’s evolution combines technology, big data analysis, and human intelligence capabilities.

2:02pm
The Jerusalem Center
3/5 This recovery coincided with the release of Israeli hostage Edan Alexander

This recovery coincided with the release of Israeli hostage Edan Alexander from #Hamas in #Gaza, significantly boosting national morale amid an ongoing conflict now stretching over 18 months. The dual successes demonstrate #Israel‘s unwavering commitment to bringing all soldiers home.

1:58pm
The Jerusalem Center
2/5 The operation used the power vacuum following #Assad’s fall from #Damascus

Lt. Col. Avi Kalo, former head of IDF Prisoners & Missing Persons Division, calls it “an outstanding event that brings hope and new spirit to the people of Israel.” The operation utilized the power vacuum following #Assad‘s fall from #Damascus, allowing #Israeli intelligence to deploy ground capabilities in #Syria.

1:56pm
The Jerusalem Center
1/5 Israeli forces recovered the remains of Sergeant First Class Zvi Feldman

In an unprecedented operation, Israeli forces have recovered the remains of Sergeant First Class Zvi #Feldman, missing since the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub. The complex #Mossad mission was conducted deep within #Syrian territory, 43 years after his disappearance. This follows the successful 2019 recovery of Zachary #Baumel from the same battle.

1:54pm
The Jerusalem Center
A molotov attack on a bus = a “barbecue party”?

That’s what #Palestinian kids are being taught under @UNRWA  — from grade school to graduation. This isn’t education. It’s indoctrination. Marcus Sheff of @IMPACT_SE  breaks it down with @smartinezamir

12:51pm

Close