Palestinian Authority Information Minister Nabil Shaath called for the suspension of a Muslim preacher who recently delivered a venomously anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist sermon which described Israel as "a cancer spreading through the body of the Islamic nation." The sermon, delivered by cleric Ibrahim Mdaires at a Gaza Strip mosque last Friday — and broadcast live on Palestinian television — questioned the Holocaust and blamed the Jews for the rise of Nazism and the orchestration of World War II. "We have ruled the world before, and by Allah, the day will come when we will rule the entire world again. The day will come when we will rule America. The day will come when we will rule Britain and the entire world — except for the Jews. The Jews will not enjoy a life of tranquility under our rule, because they are treacherous by nature, as they have been throughout history. The day will come when everything will be relived of the Jews - even the stones and trees which were harmed by them. Listen to the Prophet Muhammad, who tells you about the evil end that awaits Jews. The stones and trees will want the Muslims to finish off every Jew," Mdaires said.
In one of the PA's strongest moves against incitement, Shaath condemned the sermon and asked the Muslim Waqf and Religious Affairs Ministry on Wednesday, who employ the cleric, "to suspend him, investigate him and prevent him from delivering further sermons on Fridays," Reuters reported. Shaath, who is responsible for Palestine Television, said he would ensure that such sermons were never again broadcast as the comments constituted incitement and violated Islamic teachings. "We condemn an assault on Judaism as a religion. As Muslims we reject such remarks," Shaath said.