Abu Arafa Abu Sorour, UNRWA Employee, Posts Antisemitic Video

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Abu Arafa Abu Sorour lists himself as working at UNRWA. He shares an antisemitic video that uses Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque to incite violence.

Video

Abu Arafa Abu Sorour posts a cartoon video of an Israeli soldier denying a Muslim woman entry to Al Aqsa Mosque but allowing a Jewish man to pass. The soldier is depicted with a Jewish Star of David on his armor and helmet and with a stereotypically large nose. The Jewish man is also depicted with a stereotypically large nose. The soldier is seen violently confronting the woman. The Muslim woman finally passes after she distracts the soldier by claiming there is a gift behind him, insinuating the classic stereotype that Jews are greedy. When the soldier turns around, the woman beats, humiliates and steps on the soldier. The video concludes with the statement that it is okay to lie to the enemy. 

The Al Aqsa Mosque is a flashpoint that has been used to incite violence and terrorist attacks. The rights of Jews to visit the Temple Mount Plaza outside the Al Aqsa Mosque are highly restricted due to the potential for violence. In the past, when prominent Jewish or Israeli figures, such as former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon or Temple Mount activist and former MK Yehuda Glick, have visited the area, or when Israel has restricted Muslim access to the area for security, this has sparked incitement and violence on the Palestinian side. Therefore, a cartoon that depicts an Israeli soldier preventing a Muslim woman from entering the area—while allowing in a Jewish man—is intended to incite anti-Israeli hatred and violence.

 

For UN Watch’s full 2021 report on UNRWA incitement, Beyond the Textbooks, click here

UN Watch