Walid Shoebat

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Background

Walid Shoebat is a 'former terrorist' who now supports Israel. His biography on his website states that he was 'Born in Bethlehem of Judea, Walid's grandfather was the Muslim Mukhtar (chieftain) of Beit Sahour-Bethlehem (The Shepherd's Fields) and a friend of Haj-Ameen Al-Husseni, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and notorious friend of Adolf Hitler.'

Shoebat claims that he has claimed that he engaged in a terrorist action, he was imprisoned, and upon his release he converted to Christianity and became an ardent zionist. However, according to the Jerusalem Post most of the these claims are unsubstantiated. For some time Shoebat produced a radio program broadcast from a settlement near Ramallah, but has since moved to the United States where he is a regular lecturer or speaker on 'jihad ideology' and the anti-semitism of those critical of Israel. Shoebat now even has a "publicist" and "agent", Keith Davies who also is the Executive Director of the Walid Shoebat Foundation.

Zionist Activist

Walid Shoebat

Beginning in 2003, Zionist groups have taken Shoebat on well-publicized speaking tours at universities and synagogues, and on radio and television shows; Shoebat is presented as a "former PLO terrorist", someone who has forsaken Islam for Christianity, and who is now also a zionist. In an appearance hosted by the Berkeley's Bridges to Israel group, "Shoebat donned a kippah and proudly proclaimed Ani Tzioni - I am a Zionist - in Hebrew".

On several occasions the scheduling of Shoebat's lectures coincided close to the date of major events hosted by pro-Palestinian solidarity groups (e.g., Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights brought Norman Finkelstein to Concordia in March 2004; Shoebat's lecture took place a week later. NB: this was after a protracted campaign by local zionists to bar Finkelstein's talk and the removal of event advertisements from the campus walls.) On one occasion the title of the lecture presented by Shoebat was very close to that of an alternative event Palestinian solidarity event, and very helpfully, posters for the latter talk had been removed. By following the trajectory of Shoebat's lectures, it is clear that these are not determined by proximity to various venues, the trajectory seems to be determined by local events.

Neocon endorsements

In Shoebat's website one finds an endorsement by Frank Gaffney, Jr., President of the Center for Security Policy:

In the 25 years I have been in Washington I have never heard anything so extraordinary and the truth so eloquently told by someone like this [Walid Shoebat].

Some critical accounts

Youmas' observation and commentary about Shoebat:

Walid Shoebat, from Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, is paraded by pro-Israeli organizations on speaking tours, in articles, and radio and TV interviews. An article in Jewish Week announces the secret of his magic: "a former terrorist repents and discusses his metamorphosis on six-city speaking tour." Articles on BBC's website, as well as pro-Israeli organs such as WorldNetDaily and FrontPageMag depict Shoebat on his own terms, as an ex-terrorist now fully supportive of Israel. In Arlene Pecks' words, he went "from terrorist to zionist."
…
To move on to another point, there is an underlying irony in Walid Shoebat's new found popularity. This celebrated political convert adopted a form of religious fanaticism known for its historical Anti-Semitism. A review of his website, [1], reveals the roots of his views. His ultimate expectation is that Jewish control of Israel-Palestine is essential for Armageddon. Then, rapture will come. The Messiah will destroy the enemies of Israel, but the "many countries who confess Jesus as their saviour will be amongst God's people, called as his people, and will all personally know the Lord Jesus Christ." In short, the Jews will be forced to accept Christ or perish in hell ­ a deeply and traditionally Anti-Semitic view.
Pro-Israeli groups are relying on a speaker who, first, is motivated by a fundamental Anti-Semitism and, second, has actually perpetrated malicious acts of violence against Jews. These also happen to be the two most significant charges they levy against critics of Israel. With the latter, they very rarely find an outspoken critic of Israel in the US who actually committed any violence themselves, rather they lower the charges to rhetorically supporting terrorism, or in the case of Sami Al-Arian, financing it.

Fadi Kiblawi has some useful insights into why Shoebat has been put on tour in the United States:

Shoebat now tours synagogues around the country professing the evilness of Islam. On his Web site, unbridled with blatantly racist declarations against Islam, you will find such profound assertions as "Our fight is against the spiritual forces of Islam" and "After all, they were unable to comprehend the enemy, Islam." Shoebat continues to explain why most denominations, ranging from Catholicism to Jehova's Witnesses, are "false Christians."

Now imagine if a campus Israel group invited Shoebat, also a certified kook and racist, to speak on the savagery of the Palestinian people and the righteousness of Israel. How would the student body react?
Well, fortunately, we need not conjecture this scenario, as we are lucky enough to have Student Alliance for Israel, a group so apparently indifferent to racism that it has decided to host Shoebat as part of its "Orange you glad you stand with Israel" advocacy campaign. According to SAFI's Web site, the theme of this year's Israel Awareness Month, during which Shoebat will be speaking, is "Shake it up for Israel."
…
I guess hosting Islamophobes and obstinate fanatics with absolutely no credentials to enlighten audiences by attacking Islam as a religion is what SAFI considers a "celebration of diversity." In the same vein, I am left only with the conclusion that "shaking it up for Israel" consists primarily of promoting racism. Conceivably, there is some truth to that, as Israel's policies since its inception in 1948 have been pockmarked with racist exclusion of native Christians and Muslims.
Surely the campus community would in fact benefit more from a moderated debate examining the claims of each of the respective sides of the conflict, rather than a tirade by Walid Shoebat. So why would SAFI choose the latter?
Looking at "The Hasbara Handbook," published by Israel's Jewish Agency and distributed widely to Israel's campus exponents, might shed some light. The handbook prescribes fascinating instructions on manipulating audiences "in ways that engage the emotions, and downplay rationality, in an attempt to promote" Israel.
One section describes the tactic of "transfer," which is done by "taking some of the prestige and authority of one concept and applying it to another… Some of the symbols that might be used in discussing Israel might include… Islamic symbols." So Shoebat, a former Muslim, seems to be the perfect fit for SAFI's attempts to manipulate us. Maybe SAFI believes the student body is dense enough to overlook Shoebat's overt racism and take his commentary on the Palestinian people to be truthful and credible on account of his formerly Muslim background. I, for one, have more faith in GW's student body, and believe this to be a tactical error by the group.

Affiliations

• Obsession Interviewee in this Islamophobic film
• Endowment for Middle East Truth – Advisory Board

References, Resources and Contact

Statements, publications and interviews by Shoebat

• Some of Shoebat's statements about Islam can be found in the Answering-Islam website (viewed 29 Nov 2006; NB: much of it is quite offensive).
• The Shoebat.com website home page contains a number of disturbing and offensive statements, and these are analyzed here.

2004

• Dennis Prager interviews Walid Shoebat (MP3 audio), 23 May 2004 (available 29 Nov 2006). (remarkable interview in terms of its offensiveness; it harps on the theme that Palestinians and Islam are inherently anti-semitic; and if that weren't enough, Islamic anti-semitism has rubbed off on Palestinian Christians).

2005

• Walid Shoebat, Why I Left Jihad: The Root of Terrorism and the Return of Radical Islam, Jan. 2005. (ISBN 0977102114) No Publisher specified.

Shoebat's book

2006

• Walid Shoebat press release: Shoebat Fights for Muslim Dissident's Freedom, Journalist on Trial Today, 16 Nov 2006. (It is certainly curious that Shoebat has issued a statement about Shoaib Choudhury because the campaign for the release of Choudhury has been spearheaded by the American Jewish Committee. Choudhury's alleged offense is that "... his writings, which are critical of the rise of terrorism and call for peace and understanding between Muslims and Jews".)

External Resources

Media Appearances

• On CNN
• On Fox
• On Fox (from 2005)

Media Accounts about Shoebat

• Raffi Berg, Palestinian militant turned peacemaker, BBC Online, 26 Jan 2004.
• David Quinn, "Ex-PLO member warns against Islamic militants", Irish Independent, 16 Oct 2004.
• Deaglán de Bréadún, "Palestinian bomber who changed sides in the conflict", The Irish Times, 26 Oct 2004.
• Dany Horovitz, "Terrorist turned Zionist speaks at Concordia", The McGill Tribune, 18 Mar 2004.
• Chip Berlet, Islam-Bashing Bigots Train Counterterrorism Agents, Huffington Post, 29 December 2010.

Propaganda uses

• Arutz Sheva, From PLO Terrorist to Lover of Zion, 27 Jan 2004.
• Alyssa A. Lappen, The Ravages of the Jihad-Occupied Mind, FrontPageMag.com, 17 Feb 2004.
• Alyssa A. Lappen and Jerry Gordon, Former Terrorist Speaks, FrontPageMag.com, 2 April 2004.
• Keith Davies, "Shoebat Showdown", New Voices, Oct. 2004.

Contact

Website: www.shoebat.com

Alternative website: www.answering-islam.org/Walid/index.htm

email: : walid@shoebat.com