Italy: For Syrian refugees in Italy, Israel remains enemy #1

The Times of Israel reports:

Despite fleeing civil war and exposure to hardships in crossing the Mediterranean, migrants still have energy to bash the Jewish State

Their nightmarish journey across the Mediterranean Sea from Libya was marred by beatings, starvation and dehydration, and the fear of drowning in rough waters. Yet despite the cruelty at the hands of Libyan smugglers, despite the suffering that was inflicted upon them by their own government that forced them to flee for their lives, Mahmoud’s family and other Syrian refugees I met still view Israel as their real enemy. [...]

Despite his surprise and interest, he still warned me not tell the other refugees that I was Jewish. “Some of them could react badly,” he said.  Sitting with her parents and brother, Mais, 21, is another refugee from Syria whose family also harbors strong resentment towards Israel.

“Israel is a colonial power, that’s it. They stole the Palestinians’ land,” her mother Inaia was quick to respond when asked her thoughts on the subject.  [...]

However, when asked if she would be willing to read or explore different perspectives on Middle East issues and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, she simply said, “Not really, I don’t read too much.”

A similar reaction arose when I brought up the possibility of a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians.

“I don’t think that Jews should have a state. They are a religion, not a people,” Rima explained. “They can be Syrian Jews, German Jews, Italian Jews. But I don’t think a Jewish state has any reason to exist.”   Read more.

On the same topic:

Syrian Actress Amal 'Arafa: Hatred of Israel Is in Our Genes and Blood; No Peace Treaty Will Change That (MEMRI video clip, 2008)