http://gty.im/454444516 What’s the deal with European parliaments? Why are they not dealing with the ongoing exodus of some 10 million Syrians fleeing their homes, or the millions of Africans who are suffering from malnutrition and starvation, or the persecution of the Christians and the Yazidis in Muslim countries, or the chaos in Libya and Iraq, or the military coup in Egypt? Why are they bent on unilaterally recognizing a Palestinian state by undermining the spirit of the Oslo Accords (which stipulate that any such recognition would have to be a product of peace talks)?

Why have they marched along this route? One could point to three main reasons. Two are related to Islam and the third has to do with Western anti-Semitism.

The first reason: European parliaments want to pander to the Muslim electorate in Western Europe. The second reason: Lawmakers want to appease the rich Muslim nations that are heavily invested in Western economies. Most of the Muslim immigrants and most of the rich Muslim states have nothing but contempt for Israel, which is routinely on display in the mass demonstrations in Europe. During one such event in Paris, protesters chanted, “Jews, get out, France is not yours!” and “Israel, go away, Palestine is not yours.” This hatred has also helped create a rising tide of anti-Semitic attacks. Similarly, in rich Arab states such as Saudi Arabia this sentiment has made its way to school textbooks and sermons at mosques.

Why have Muslim immigrants become such a force to be reckoned with? The low birthrate in Europe has created a vacuum that ripened conditions for immigration. Many Muslims seized on this opening and made their way to Western Europe. As a growing constituency, they are poised to become a key factor that could decide local races and national elections. In the French presidential elections in 2012, more than 90 percent of Muslim voters supported the winner, Francois Hollande. He owes his victory to them.

The jerseys of soccer icon Lionel Messi and his FC Barcelona teammates clearly show that the Qatar Foundation sponsors the team. The Qatar Foundation is run by the wife of a Qatari emir whose family founded Al Jazeera. Gulf emirates also bankroll many Western universities. Millions of dollars go to Harvard, Georgetown, Oxford and Moscow universities.

Muslim hatred of Israel goes back to the far reaches of history. According to Islamic orthodoxy, the Jews are the main religious adversary. Sirat Rasul Allah, a biography of the founder of Islam the from the eighth century, tells us that Jews killed the Prophet Muhammad. The biography further predicts that the Day of Judgment will arrive only after the Muslims wage their final battle against the Jews.

The Jews’ crimes are threefold: They founded a state on part of Dar al-Islam (the Abode of Islam); they are a non-Islamic power ruling Muslims; and they have refused to submit to Islam, and therefore should be humiliated. Islamic precepts, encapsulated by the concept of Fard al-Ayn (the set of individual obligations), make it imperative to annihilate the Jewish state. Religiosity among European Muslims has reached a new high: About 70 percent of French Muslims fast on Ramadan; only 14 percent say their French identity is stronger than their Islamic affiliation.

The third reason, as noted, is Western anti-Semitism, which was rampant from the late 19th century until the end of the 20th century. Guilty feelings in the wake of the Holocaust resulted in a brief respite, but it has recently reared its head. The Palestinian cause has helped legitimize anti-Semitism to the point that Western intellectuals who used to make anti-Israeli statements have become unabashed Jew-haters. Alain Soral, a French national, established a political movement to fight Zionism. He has recently been charged with incitement against France’s Jewish community.

These developments have yet to affect Israeli exports to Europe, but many Israeli manufacturers have been losing sleep over what they call the “Ketchup Bottle Phenomenon” – a sudden boycott of Israeli goods that would spread like wildfire, to the point that companies would refuse to do business in Israel. This would make Israel an outcast on the world stage and on global markets.

The government must reckon with the growing anti-Israeli sentiment in Europe. Overflowing anti-Zionism has joined forces with Western anti-Semitism and Islamic anti-Semitism. This must be countered on all levels. Israel must also cultivate ties with the Far East, which doesn’t share the West’s age-old anti-Semitism.

Ephraim Herrera is the author of “Jihad — Fundamentals and Fundamentalism.”

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=10863