A protest against Palestinian terrorism last week in New York featured, for the first time, a Moslem sheikh. Only hours after the bus bombing in Haifa that killed 17 Israelis, Rabbi Avi Weiss, president of the Coalition for Jewish Concerns, called yet another protest outside the PLO Mission in New York City against the murderous Palestinian terrorism. Though in previous similar instances Weiss' call for a Muslim leader to join him had gone unanswered, this time was different. Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, secretary-general of the Italian Muslim Association, who happened to be lecturing not far away in New Haven, immediately drove to New York to join Rabbi Weiss in the protest. The Haifa bus massacre was an eerily appropriate tragedy for the joint protest, as its 17 victims included an Arab, a Druze, and two Christians - one of whom was an American citizen.
While demonstrators held signs such as, "Bus Bombings: Haifa Today, NYC Tomorrow", Rabbi Weiss declared, "The challenge of terror, of radical Islam, is aimed at peaceful Islam, Judaism, Christianity, at all of us." Sheikh Palazzi denounced the Palestinian Authority and called for a battle against terror "in all its forms." He stated, "It is time for the world and civilized nations not to consider the Palestinian Authority as representative of a people, of having a place among the nations, but rather as a gang promoting terror, educating children in terror from elementary school age. The tragedy is that this organization receives funds and donations… If you promote a Palestinian state with American and European funds for the PLO, you increase the opportunity for terror."
As the crowd sang "Am Yisrael Chai" (The Jewish Nation Lives), Rabbi Weiss and Sheikh Palazzi walked to the door of the PLO Mission and left a jointly signed note that said, "In the name of G-d, stop your terror."
In February 2001, Sheikh Palazzi led a delegation of the Islam-Israel Fellowship of the Root and Branch Association in Jerusalem to meet with President Moshe Katzav, who honored his guest for his support of America, Israel and Jews worldwide.
In an interview with WorldNetDaily.com before returning to Rome this week, Palazzi said he fears a repeat of history following the likely defeat of Saddam Hussein - just as after the Gulf War in 1991 the U.S. pressed Israel to accept the Oslo peace process, resulting in the present intifada. He said he is wary that after Saddam's demise, the U.S. will make a similar miscalculation and renew a path toward the establishment of a Palestinian state. "Why would you destroy a totalitarian regime in one part of the world and create it in another?" Palazzi asked. "You defeat Saddam Hussein and then you reward the Palestinian Authority, which was the best ally of Saddam Hussein [and was] funded by him from the very beginning."
Sheikh Palazzi explained that the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam exported by Saudi Arabia - the most visible and powerful expression of Islam in the U.S. - is the source of Middle East terror. The Wahhabist Saudi government began "colonizing" the West after World War II, Palazzi said, sending students abroad to study with a mission to "start creating the local mosques, local organizations and groups such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations," or CAIR. Though it claims to represent moderate Muslims, Palazzi calls the Washington-based lobby group the "U.S. section of Hamas." He says that the Wahhabi aim "is nothing short of bringing the whole world under its domination." For more information, see.
While demonstrators held signs such as, "Bus Bombings: Haifa Today, NYC Tomorrow", Rabbi Weiss declared, "The challenge of terror, of radical Islam, is aimed at peaceful Islam, Judaism, Christianity, at all of us." Sheikh Palazzi denounced the Palestinian Authority and called for a battle against terror "in all its forms." He stated, "It is time for the world and civilized nations not to consider the Palestinian Authority as representative of a people, of having a place among the nations, but rather as a gang promoting terror, educating children in terror from elementary school age. The tragedy is that this organization receives funds and donations… If you promote a Palestinian state with American and European funds for the PLO, you increase the opportunity for terror."
As the crowd sang "Am Yisrael Chai" (The Jewish Nation Lives), Rabbi Weiss and Sheikh Palazzi walked to the door of the PLO Mission and left a jointly signed note that said, "In the name of G-d, stop your terror."
In February 2001, Sheikh Palazzi led a delegation of the Islam-Israel Fellowship of the Root and Branch Association in Jerusalem to meet with President Moshe Katzav, who honored his guest for his support of America, Israel and Jews worldwide.
In an interview with WorldNetDaily.com before returning to Rome this week, Palazzi said he fears a repeat of history following the likely defeat of Saddam Hussein - just as after the Gulf War in 1991 the U.S. pressed Israel to accept the Oslo peace process, resulting in the present intifada. He said he is wary that after Saddam's demise, the U.S. will make a similar miscalculation and renew a path toward the establishment of a Palestinian state. "Why would you destroy a totalitarian regime in one part of the world and create it in another?" Palazzi asked. "You defeat Saddam Hussein and then you reward the Palestinian Authority, which was the best ally of Saddam Hussein [and was] funded by him from the very beginning."
Sheikh Palazzi explained that the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam exported by Saudi Arabia - the most visible and powerful expression of Islam in the U.S. - is the source of Middle East terror. The Wahhabist Saudi government began "colonizing" the West after World War II, Palazzi said, sending students abroad to study with a mission to "start creating the local mosques, local organizations and groups such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations," or CAIR. Though it claims to represent moderate Muslims, Palazzi calls the Washington-based lobby group the "U.S. section of Hamas." He says that the Wahhabi aim "is nothing short of bringing the whole world under its domination." For more information, see