Rebels clash with Syrian government forces
Rebels clash with Syrian government forcesAFP photo

A Syrian cleric recently accused Jews of being responsible for all the Muslims’ woes, including the ongoing civil strife throughout the Middle East.

The remarks were made in a sermon at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, which aired on Syrian TV on June 28.

They were translated and posted by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

“Let us take a look at the history of mankind, which has recorded the true nature of the Jews, the slayers of prophets and violators of agreements. It shows how they have tried, since pre-Islamic times, to fragment, divide, and rip apart the Arab and Islamic nation,” claimed the preacher.

“In an effort to gain influence in the world and to realize their desires, the Jews have set two basic goals. Listen, oh Muslims, and beware of what is happening in Syria – in that land with steadfast people and leadership.

“They have two basic goals. The first is to divide the nations of the world, to pit them one against the other, and to spark war and civil strife among them. The second goal is to rip apart the nations of the world, destroying their notions, moral values, and codes, and making them stray from the path of Allah,” he said.

“That is what they did throughout the ages all over the world. Oh nation of Islam, the Jews have been tearing this nation apart for many years.

“What is happening today in this steadfast fortress [Syria], and in the Middle East in general, is nothing new. It was premeditated.

“We are a nation in slumber, a nation that does not study the books of history, and has not studied what its enemies are plotting and devising against it. They kindled the spark of civil strife in Palestine and in Afghanistan, and then in Iraq, then in Egypt, and after that, in Syria,” stated the preacher.

Israel has made it clear that it does not intervene in the affairs of neighboring countries, including Syria, but it does act when its red lines are crossed.

"We’ve established red lines regarding our interests and we maintain them. Whenever there is an explosion or attack over there, the Middle East blames us anyway,” Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said last week.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday declined to comment on reports that Israel had carried out air strikes on July 5 near the Syrian port city of Latakia to destroy Russian-supplied anti-ship missiles.

“Every time something happens in the Middle East Israel is most often accused. And I'm not in the habit of saying what we did or we didn't do," he told CBS.

"My policy is to prevent the transfer of dangerous weapons to Hizbullah and other terror groups," he said.

Despite the fact that Israel does not take sides in the civil war in Syria, a commander in the Syrian opposition recently claimed that Israel was collaborating with Iran and Hizbullah to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power.

Assad, for his part, has claimed the opposite, that Israel is assisting the rebels fighting to topple his regime.