Egyptian counter-terrorism specialist argues that not selling weapons to Israel is antisemitic

“The argument to suspend arms sales to Israel over the accidental killing of aid workers is antisemitic” stated Khaled Hassan an Egyptian, native-Arabic speaker, and a national security and counter-terrorism researcher on the social media platform X.

Hassan in his Thursday post states that both the UK and US would have to stop “selling arms to every single military on Earth” if these countries stopped selling weapons to militaries who accidentally killed civilians. He further points out that if those countries were required to stop selling weapons to armies after such incidents, then they “would stop manufacturing or buying arms for OUR OWN military, which has repeatedly killed civilians by mistake in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and elsewhere.” 

In his post, Hassan says that this argument “has nothing to do with decency, justice or international law.” He continues to state that when such incidents occur elsewhere, they are not as harshly condemned as they relate to Israel. Hassan then begins to list the “numerous examples of similar accidents in war zones,” emphasizing that he also has knowledge of past similar incidents.

I am an Egyptian, a native-Arabic speaker, and a national security and counter-terrorism researcher. I have an MA in Intelligence and National Security and over 14 years of experience. Members of my family fought the Israelis in the 1973 and 1967 wars. But, I can tell you, with… pic.twitter.com/785zAHfnDg

— Khaled Hassan (@Khaledhzakariah) April 4, 2024

Calling out the confusion between real concerns and Islamophobia

In 2022 Hassan wrote an opinion piece on The Jerusalem Post  website discussing a vote “to censure JNF UK over reported anti-Muslim remarks made by its senior leadership.” In his article, Hassan explains that “whilst there are thousands of law-abiding British-Muslims who continue to enormously contribute to British society … our current immigration system is incapable of separating the wheat from the chaff, making immigration from countries where antisemitism is at the core of the collective identity a threat to British Jewry.”

Hassan highlighted the case of Moataz Matar, a radical Islamist broadcaster with a history of antisemitism, who was allowed entry into the UK despite his public support for Hamas and its terrorist activities, which violate UK terrorism laws. He then expresses puzzlement over this decision, stating, "It is mystifying why our security and immigration officials granted entry to a prominent Islamist radical who promotes antisemitism."

Hassan further stressed his concerns about Matar's potential to fuel antisemitism in the UK, fearing that he may be present at antisemitic events, as stated, "Matar will, I fear, reinforce and contribute to the unprecedented rise of antisemitism that we have been experiencing in the UK."

Addressing broader concerns about demographic changes, Hassan quotes a Jewish National Fund (JNF) leader who faced criticism for remarking, "The demographic of British society is changing." This quote underscores the organization's worries about the impact of demographic changes on society and politics.

Additionally, Hassan references a controversial incident involving a Liberal Democrat politician urging Muslim voters not to support a Jewish candidate. Hassan highlights this incident, noting, "It is difficult not to wonder why she believed the announcement that Straw is Jewish would dissuade Muslim voters from voting for him."

The article emphasizes the significance of acknowledging the influence of demographics on political behavior, as noted by Muslim communal organizations. Despite potential criticism, the author argues for the importance of recognizing this impact, stating, "It is therefore misleading and ignorant to dismiss the impact demographics has on local and national politics."

In concluding remarks, Hassan’s opinion piece on The Jerusalem Post website calls for unity within the Jewish community and defends the legitimacy of the Board of Deputies of British Jews amid internal disagreements. He further rejected calls for boycotts against the JNF and expressed pride in the organization's work, stating, "I believe that my colleagues on both sides of the argument ... conducted themselves in an exemplary manner."