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Anti-Zionism in the Middle East

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad",s comments last week that Israel should be "wiped off the map" stirred controversy across the globe. Attacks on Zionism and Israel are daily staples of not just the Iranian press, but across the Muslim world. They",re part of the backdrop to everything from democracy rallies in Egypt to Friday prayers in Indonesia and debates in Pakistan over whether it should accept emergency earthquake aid from Israel.

Just as the withdrawal from Gaza is only the first step on a path to peace for Israel and the Palestinians, so is it only a tentative first step that could change Muslim attitudes towards Israel. Unlikely to change overnight is the deep-set belief among many Muslims that Zionism relies on depriving Palestinians of their political rights.

But while that rhetoric remains as common as ever, it",s also true that some Muslim states are drawing closer to Israel. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said recently that he wants to move his country closer to normalization with Israel, something he and other leaders feel has been made easier by Israel",s Gaza withdrawal.

Egypt, the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel, distanced itself from the Iranian leader",s comments. ",Iran and Israel are two United Nations member states, and such a phenomenon (the disappearance of a member state) was never seen in history,", Egypt",s foreign minister told reporters. On Friday, the UN Security Council - including Algeria - condemned Ahmadinejad",s remarks.

Just as the withdrawal from Gaza is only the first step on a path to peace for Israel and the Palestinians, so is it only a tentative first step that could change Muslim attitudes towards Israel. Unlikely to change overnight is the deep-set belief among many Muslims that Zionism relies on depriving Palestinians of their political rights.