A new front being formed by representatives of the Israeli Right and European lawmakers is threatening to ignite flames of hatred. Knesset Member Arieh Eldad (National Union-National Religious Party) announced Wednesday that he would be hosting a convention in Jerusalem under the banner, “Standing Up to Jihad.”
“The spread of Islam threatens the foundations of Western civilization,” he explained, and screened a scene from a film produced by Dutch politician Geert Wilders, which sparked a row in the Arab world several months ago and was banned in many places in Europe.
The right-wing MK told reporters Wednesday morning that the anti-jihad conference will be held in December and will be attended by some 30 European lawmakers from Denmark, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland and Britain.
“There are 60 million Muslim immigrants in Europe, and they have not necessarily come there to be assimilated into society, but rather to resist it from the inside. The feeling in Europe is that the time has come to stop jihadist Islam, and this may be the last opportunity,” he explained.
According to Eldad, “The level of awareness of Islam’s real character is very low, not only in Europe but also in Israel. Many in Israel live in the eye of the storm and conflict, but don’t understand the difficult reality. It’s time to shatter axioms and conventions.”
The MK presented an example of a convention which he believes should be shattered: “For instance, that Islam is controlled by radicals but that it is different in its foundation.”
He further stated that “the conference will serve as a first opportunity for the new coalition of lawmakers to work in coordination and cooperation in order to deal and fight against Europe’s conversion into Eurabia. If Jerusalem capitulates, Europe will follow in its footsteps and fall,” he said.
See also “Fitna filmmaker Wilders to speak in Jerusalem”, Associated Press, 3 September 2008