In recent years, a number of signs can be seen in the public arena in the region, describing the possible change that is imminent in light of the change in attitudes in the Gulf states toward Jews and Israel.
In Saudi Arabia, for example, in 2020 the drama series "Um Harun" (Hebrew: Am Aharon), filmed in the United Arab Emirates with Saudi production and funding, garnered widespread media reactions regarding attitudes toward Jews.
The series dealt with the Jewish community living in Kuwait in the 1940s, and focused on the difficulties experienced by a physician named Umm Harun due to her being Jewish.
In practice, the series referred to the coexistence that existed between the Jewish community and the Christians and Muslims in Kuwait until the establishment of the State of Israel.
Poster of the series "Um Harun",
Other public calls in Saudi Arabia were for recognizing the Holocaust as part of a "true pursuit of peace," but a more prominent expression of the fresh approach was in a precedent-setting article published in an Israeli academic journal, entitled "Contributing to Improving the Prophet Muhammad's Image The Arabian Island. " Uniqueness of the event - Author of the article: Prof. Muhammad Ibrahim Al-Rban, a senior Saudi researcher and responsible for Hebrew studies in the Department of Modern Languages at King Saud University in Riyadh.
The article was published in June 2020 in "Kesher", a Tel Aviv University journal of the history of the Jewish press, against the background of the atmosphere in the Islamic League and Saudi Arabia, which is intended to promote interfaith understanding for cooperation with Jews and Israel for peace.
In the column, al-R'ban claimed that mistakes in Mizrahi hypotheses from the previous century regarding the history of Islam, led to a misunderstood understanding of writings - and these in turn led to misconceptions and "negative effects on modern scholars of the Hebrew language today".
Prof. Al-R'ban and the "Contact" issue in which his article was published,
According to the Saudi scholar, "accusing the religion of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad of incitement and racism against the Jewish tribes in Hajjaz is a false accusation. Muhammad treated all social groups in al-Madinah and other places that were under his control equally, regardless of race and religion."
To substantiate his claim, al-R'ban reviewed the events in the Arabian Peninsula before and after the emergence of Islam, while translating the original sources from Western to Hebrew - emphasizing that many Orientals choose to cite Islamic sources at the points of contention between different schools of Islam (Sunnis, Shiites, Sufis, etc.). And in practice "present a picture that serves their ideology."
In addition, he noted that many Hebrew writers do not show complete command of Arabic.
Al-R'ban described the fact of the historical existence of ancient kingdoms and states in the Hajj region of the Arabian Peninsula - including Dadan, Kedar, Tamud, Madin, the Nabataeans - proving the important role of Jews in the history of the Arabian Peninsula in a number of areas such as religion, economy, culture and commerce. .
Arriving at Muhammad, he claimed that the Prophet had good relations with the Jews, as the clashes with them were purely political and not religious.
"The historical truth is in the eyes of the contemporary observer" (illustration), Photo: Dudi Vaknin
Dramatic normalization
"Muhammad's actions and the statements attributed to him can be taken in any direction you want, the methodological maneuvering range is wide," explains historian Prof. Eyal Zisser of Tel Aviv University.
"Is there a historical truth behind what is attributed to him? This is certainly in the eyes of the contemporary observer. In general, it is clear that Muhammad was influenced by Judaism, but it is known that as soon as the Jews refused to accept him as their prophet he went into political struggle. 'Aber from the Arabian Peninsula.
"Some take this as an example, to this day, of the 'proper treatment' of the Jews. In clashes between the IDF and the Palestinians, for example, the call 'Khyber, Khyber Ya Yehud, Jish Muhammad Suf Yaud's is often heard. "Remember Khyber, Jews, Muhammad's army will return."
"Is Islam tolerant of the existence of the Jews? It is more indicative of our day."
Prof. Zisser,
Although alongside his persecution of the Jews of the Arabian Peninsula, Muhammad accepted Judaism as a legitimate religion, Zisser explains the writer's intention.
"In the positive sense of the word, the writer is interested in reconciliation and hence blurs the uncomfortable things a bit, and claims that the religion of Islam accepts Judaism and is tolerant of the existence of the Jews. It is more indicative of today and less of what was then."
In the spirit of the time, the entire Arab world today has a different view of Judaism and the Jews, as well as the coexistence that existed with them in the past, the feeling of grief over their deportation and more.
"Normalization with the Gulf states is dramatic in this context - in part because it is already clear that other countries, which have not yet officially signed anything with Israel, are already in such and such contacts with it in an attempt to break new ground," concludes Prof. Zisser.
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