Nazi Propaganda for the Arab World (20 page)

England has placed herself in the hands of the Communists and of the Jews, and they, the Jews, have greatly rejoiced at the new ally, hoping that they would find a great supporter in the Communists, but Communist Russia is being overridden by the Germans, and the Soviet Army is either being annihilated or utterly crushed. Neither American help nor British aid will be of any use to Russia and this we shall very soon be able to witness.

Arab countries should find consolation against British oppression, Communist tyranny and Jewish ambitions inasmuch that there are still some powerful countries which carry the banner of truth and justice, and at the head of these is Germany and her powerful Army, not to mention Japan with her overwhelming power.43

At the time Britain was restricting Jewish immigration to Palestine. Franklin Roosevelt had postponed a formal decision in favor of a Jewish state in Palestine until after the end of the war. The Soviet Union, on the whole, did not focus on the mass murder of the Jews on the Eastern Front. Nevertheless, at this moment of complete Jewish powerlessness, the Arabic broadcasts from Berlin skillfully adapted the general Nazi propaganda line about Jewish domination of the anti-Hitler coalition to a radical Arab and Islamist view of events in the Middle East.

A broadcast of April 12 praised the "glorious achievements of the German troops" and denounced "atrocities committed by the Russians against the Moslems in the Soviet Union." The Bolsheviks had "continually fought Islam because Islam is a sound religion which preached principles completely differ ent and contradictory to all Bolshevik principles. 1144 Germany and Italy, on the other hand, were allies and friends, a friendship manifest in praise for some Arab leaders. Also on the twelfth, "Italy in Arabic" asserted that "the Arabs have one leader and he despises the British and defies the threats of British forceshe is the Mufti," that is, Haj Amin el-Husseini. Moreover, "Palestine is an Arab country and will remain an Arab country."45 On April 29, the Voice of Free Arabism (VFA), which by now had a well-deserved reputation for stridency, announced that Husseini and Kilani had been "warmly received everywhere in Italy." The station seized "the opportunity to congratulate the Mufti and Rashid Ali on their escape from the hands of the criminal British. We pray that God will keep them well for the sake of Arabism and of Arab freedom. 1146 In a broadcast of "Germany in Arabic" on April 14 entitled "Egypt and Bolshevism," the speaker declared that Britain's alliance with the Bolsheviks had "opened wide the gates of the Middle East" to the Communists. But "thanks to the Islamic faith of the Egyptians, which is in open conflict with Bolshevik teaching, and thanks to the late King Fouad" as well as to "religious leaders led by the heads of Azhar University, the Bolshevik plague has been prevented from gaining a hold in Egypt." Reflecting the interweaving of religious and secular themes, the speaker argued that "Bolshevik principles are irreconcilable with Islam" and expressed confidence that "the Arabs will certainly defend their religion against its enemies. "47

The coupling "Britain and the Jews" became one of the most ubiquitous phrases in the rhetorical arsenal of Axis radio propaganda. Despite AngloAmerican refusal to openly support Zionist aspirations, the April 14 broadcast entitled "Britain and the Jews" stated that "the whole Arab world is now thoroughly acquainted with the aims of the Jews, if the British and the Bolsheviks win this war. The knowledge of these aims, which are supported by the British and Americans, is the reason why the Arabs have refused to side with Britain in the present war. The Arabs realize that their freedom can only be gained by an Axis victory." The British would be advised to "cancel their promise to the Jews." In any case, the Jews' hopes would not be realized "because the present war will result in the Jews being driven out of the Arab countries."48 An Axis victory would mean not only the end of Jewish hopes for a state in Palestine but would lead to the far more extensive goal of expulsion of the approximately 700,000 Jews from the Arab countries. On April 25,VFA broadcast "Britain and the Arab Volunteers." The speaker stated that all Arabs knew "that all who help Britain in the war effort are traitors to their country and their religion." Britain alone had been responsible for Jews laying "hands on everything worthwhile in Arab countries ... by opening doors of the Arab country to the Jews and helping them in underhand competition against the Arabs whom they bribed away from their homes."49

On April 24, a broadcast from Germany in Arabic on "Arab Unity" urged the Arabs to reject British plans for that goal and not to forget the aim of "independence and complete freedom from British and Jews." Despite support from "the Americans, Jews and Communists," the British would gain nothing from such efforts. In fact, the Allies were collapsing "under the deadly blows dealt them by the Japanese and Germans." In a striking celebration of ethnic cleansing, the announcer stated that the Japanese had "purified Eastern Asia from the dirt of the Americans." Despite Roosevelt's claims of great strength, "when war became a reality the American lion turned into an ostrich, and the American horse became a donkey." The Communists also were "about to collapse and in a few months will be annihilated. The Jews thought that with their financial intrigues and treachery, together with the British and American aid, they could turn the world upside down, but they have failed." Their goal extended beyond Palestine into Syria, Iraq, Transjordan, and Egypt. The Jews sought to penetrate "into other Arab countries to take over control of their financial affairs." It was vital that the Arabs understood that in spring 1942, Axis victory and with it Arab independence was "at hand.."50

As a result of the invasion of Greece in April 1941 and the subsequent occupation of the country, Nazi Germany was able to establish a shortwave radio station in Athens, and moved closer to the Middle Eastern audience. On April 25, the German station Athens in Arabic broadcast "Jews in America;" repeating anti-Semitic descriptions of the United States that by now had become familiar themes of German propaganda. According to Axis radio, the Jews in the United States owned "97% of the newspapers, 9o% of the broadcast stations and all the cinemas and theatres. They also own 98% of the banks and 87% of other important industries. Thus we see that the vital life of America is being directed by the Jews for their own benefit. "5' This collection of bogus statistics suggesting great exactitude combined with assertions about Jewish power was another, oftrepeated, component of the offensive. On the same day, a station calling itself the Arab Nation pursued the same theme. The United States had 7 million Jews. "One influential Jew" was "enough to demoralize a whole country to say nothing of what 7 million will do. They could demoralise the whole world and the rest of the planets as well. The low level to which the U.S. society has sunk can be clearly attributed to the influence of the Jews and this is instanced in American films where prostitution, immorality and crime are depicted as acts of heroism and encouraged in the film industry. Furthermore the Americans are well known to be slaves to money making to satisfy their physical appetite and their gluttony for food and drink." This demoralized population of American workers would not put in long or strenuous hours in munitions factories. On the battlefield, the "hard little Jap soldier whose faith is to be killed in battle so that his soul will go in peace to Heaven" met "the Yankee soldier who wallows in luxury and is soft and degenerate."52

The Arabic broadcasts obsessively associated Franklin Roosevelt with the Jews. Indeed, a broadcast of May 27 from Athens in Arabic on "Roosevelt and the Jews" referred to "the Grand Rabbi, Roosevelt."53 On April 27, VFA called him "the head of Zionism" who was "working for the Jews, and getting paid for her work:'54 Two days later, the Arab Nation announced that Roosevelt's idea of peace meant that "Jewish Capitalism and British Imperialism shall dominate the world. If anyone tries to get rid of these two evils, he is immediately accused by the Anglo-Saxons that he is working against peace. We do not understand such a peace, and we want war, a destructive war which will liberate us definitely from such evils."55 On April 29, VFA described a meeting between Alexander Kirk and the Egyptian prime minister to discuss aid to Egypt as evidence that "the Americans, or in other words, the Jews of America, intend establishing Jewish control in Egypt under guide of Lease and Lend facilities."" The virulent denunciations of Roosevelt, Churchill, and the Jews continued in a broadcast from Athens in Arabic of April 30. Churchill and Roosevelt were "the greatest enemies of their own countries." The Jews supported them both and "elected Roosevelt because they wanted to use him as a means of pushing America into the war." Both leaders had "yielded to the Jewish demands, thus enabling them [the Jews] to extend their domination throughout the world." The cowardly Jews used financial power to attain their ends while remaining "hidden behind the scenes. The National Socialist Government, realizing the danger and realizing the evil consequences which the world would suffer from the Jews, immediately set about annihilating them before it was too late. History will record this action as one of the wisest steps ever taken."57 This frank and public assertion of an ongoing program of "annihilating the Jews" mirrored similar blunt comments by Nazi leaders addressed to the domestic German audience. Doing so was intended to enhance Arab support for the Axis.

As the fighting in North Africa approached Egypt, Axis propaganda attacks on the Jews continued. On May 5, VFA stated that it was its "duty to keep the Arabs informed of the activities of the Jews, so that they may unite in their struggle against them." Unfortunately, Egypt and the Egyptians had "never fully recognized the Jewish danger.... Egyptians allow the Jews to plunder their country and try to lay their hands on Egypt's wealth and trade. They allow the Jews to worm their way into Egyptian administration to such an extent that the whole country became nothing more than an appetizing meal for them. Whether as doctors, lawyers, merchants or public servants, the Jews are controlling the destiny of Egypt. They dominate the Egyptian Press and the large industrial concerns." "With their enormous power," the Jews were exercising "a great influence in the internal and foreign policy of the country" as the Zionists tried to occupy "not only Egypt but other Arab countries." The station urged Egyptian politicians "to resist Jewish influence and to create a solid front against the Jewish infiltration." Had the Egyptians put up a more effective resistance, neither the Jews nor British "could have made of Palestine a Zionist colony."58

On May 9, VFA returned to the theme of "Egypt and the Jews." It expressed regret that "Egypt has not taken a firm stand" against Zionism, was not "helping her cousins the Arabs of Palestine and the neighboring countries," and did not take "a patriotic attitude towards the Jews who have taken the wealth of Egypt." The Jews were "the leading people" in England and had "hindered to a great extent Egypt's attainment of freedom." While the Zionists were trying to "occupy the whole of the Arab countries including Egypt and her neighbors," Egypt's willingness to assist the British was a "shameful attitude. 1159 The May 12 VFA broadcast, "Palestine and the Jews," asserted that in Palestine, the Jews were determined to throw "the Arabs out of their own country by force." They had "spent much of their money in corrupting the British in order to have Palestine as a reward. They have also urged the U.S.A. to enter the war to help Britain for that same purpose." Yet all this would be in vain because "this war will put an end to the British, to the Americans and the Bolsheviks including the Jews"; Jewish decisions would "remain so-much ink on paper."60 On May io, Athens in Arabic sent the following child-rearing advice to Egyptian mothers: "Arab mother, teach your baby to hate the British and when he grows a little bigger teach him every morning and every night that his duty is to take revenge on the British. Arab mother, if you give your baby a nasty medicine, tell him that it is like Britain and when you give him sweets to take away the nasty taste tell him that is like the revenge he will take on Britain. When you rock him in the cradle sing him the lullaby of revenge against Britain, and see that your baby grows up with a bitter hatred of every thing that is British."61

On May 10, 1942, VFA informed its listeners that its purpose was to voice the ideals of the Free Arabs, [and] to collaborate in the Arab effort against the British and the Jews." Though broadcasting from Germany, it declared that, in fact, it was located "in the heart of the Arab world" near "the enemy who is always endeavoring to crush any movement which aims at Arab independence." It sought to expose "the evil deeds of the English," warn the Arabs about them, and aid the Arab struggle "to get rid of the English and the Jews." It was "the voice of liberty which is our aim since the British violated our territory and profaned its sacred soil." It was the voice of freedom of "the whole Arab world" and of an "Arab dignity" and freedom that had been lost and stolen "since the English with brutal force occupied our countries." It was the voice of "the true Arab nation" and of "the fraternity and love which we used to possess before the British came and separated us into many countries." VFA was a voice of generosity and faithfulness, strength and bravery, which had enabled Arabs "to fight and defeat any nation who came against them until Britain came and made it her purpose to kill us and spoil all our efforts." It was also

the voice of revolution against humiliation and injustice, revolution for the sake of our complete independence and freedom and revolution to crush the British who occupy our countries and oppress us. Oh! Arab world the time has come for you to rise for the sake of your freedom and welfare. Stand up like a man and let there be no difference between a Syrian and an Egyptian or an Iraqi and a Palestinian. Let those who live in Arabia and in North Africa be as one, for in the veins of all Arabs runs the clean blood of Arabism which refuses to be humiliated and oppressed.