Israel Matzav

Sudanese leader: 'I support peaceful relations with Israel'

Following are excerpts from an interview with Dr. Khalil Ibrahim, leader of the Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on June 15, 2008. Of course, he also supports 'Palestinian' rights.... I guess after all they have been through in the Sudan, they don't understand yet that our conflict (and theirs) are existential.

Let's go to the videotape. A transcript follows.

Interviewer: Abd Al-Wahed Nur, the leader of the Sudanese Liberation Movement, has announced that his movement has an office in Israel. Do you support such a measure?

Dr. Khalil Ibrahim: This is the business of the Sudanese Liberation Movement and Abd Al-Wahed. Israel is a country just like any other country in the world. The Prophet Muhammad had good ties with the Israelis [sic]. When he died, he had a debt to a Jew. He would trade with Jews. Relations with Israel are not a crime. How many Arab countries have Israeli embassies in their capitals? The Israelis are of the People of the Book, and so are the Christians and the Muslims. Allah said: "Argue not with the People of the Book unless it is done in the best way." The Sudanese government is trying to create what is called "a taboo." A taboo forbids something that was not forbidden by Allah. Relations with any country or citizen... If Allah did not want these people, why did he create them? Israelis, Arabs, British people, Americans, and Africans – Allah created them all. When Allah created Adam, he was just one person. Now there are over seven billion descendents of Adam in the world. If Allah did not want them, he could have annihilated them. It is Allah who holds people accountable.

As for the Sudanese government, if anyone, not Abd Al-Wahed... [Sudanese President] Omar Al-Bashir used to go to Israel, didn't he? Didn't Ali Othman Taha leave his plane in Jordan, and fly by helicopter to Israel on a daily basis? These two used to go to Israel in secret, but if Abd Al-Wahed says he has a person there... Hundreds of people from Darfur have now gone to Israel – why? Because they are being crushed, killed, and displaced in their own country.

Interviewer: Do you in the Justice and Equality Movement support political ties between Israel and Sudan?

Dr. Khalil Ibrahim: We support political ties with any country in the world. We are in favor of good relations between Sudan and any country in the world – irrespective! But of course, we support the rights of the Palestinian people in its land, its freedom, its right to self determination, and its right to live in its own country. We support all this. Today, the Palestinian president himself met with the Israeli PM. What is wrong!? If they had no ties, how could they possibly meet? The Palestinian president is meeting with the Israeli prime minister. The Egyptian government established relations with Israel. If Abd Al-Wahed opens an office in Israel, is it a crime? No, it isn't. The way I see it, this is no crime. Abd Al-Wahed is free to do so. People should work to resolve their problems. We support a two-state solution – one for the Palestinians and the other for the Israelis. These two states should coexist peacefully, as good neighbors. If it is possible for them to coexist – fine. If not, each side should establish its country, and they should live in peace. What is wrong?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:56 PM