Israel Matzav: Saudi scholar wants to appear on Israeli television

Saudi scholar wants to appear on Israeli television

The Arab News reports that Saudi scholar Mohasen al-Awaji wants to appear on Israeli television.

RIYADH: Saudi scholar Mohasen Al-Awaji has caused controversy by saying he is prepared to appear on Israeli television.

Interviewed on Al Arabiya news channel last week, Al-Awaji said that although he has not been invited by any Israeli TV channel he would be willing to appear purely to tell the Israeli viewing public about the threat posed by Zionism. He added that appearing on Israeli TV was the right move and would help counter Israeli propaganda.

“The aim is to expose the crimes the Zionists have committed. Debating with logic and evidence and using their media and appearing on their television channels will be effective and allow us to reach a wider audience. At the same time it will show the Zionists that we are willing to talk to them on their own ground,” he said.

He can come on television here so long as Dr. Mordechai Kedar appears with him and debates him. But of course, al-Awaji won't do that, and there's not going to be peace between Israel and the Arab Muslim countries anytime soon.

Despite his willingness to appear on Israeli television, Al-Awaji told Arab News that he is impressed and delighted at the negative response [to appearing on Israeli television that he has received from other Saudi scholars. CiJ]. He said that it drove home the fact that the Arab and Muslim worlds “are not and never will be ready to have relationships with the Zionist body, and that this foreign body among us is not accepted, especially following its barbaric attacks on Gaza.”

Nevertheless, he still thinks it is a shrewd move to address the Israelis in their own living rooms. However, if taking part is interpreted as normalizing relations with Israel then he would not do so.

Hope and change same after all.

Israel Matzav: Saudi scholar wants to appear on Israeli television