200 Islamic clerics and legal scholars in Mauritania issued a fatwa (decision based on the principles of Islam) against peace with Israel. Writes about this Al Maydeen.
The ulema and imams said the normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab countries “supports the Zionists responsible for the occupation of [Palestine], murder and destruction.” In their opinion, this does not contribute to the restoration of peace.
The fatwa states that relations with the “usurper of the land of Palestine and the occupier of Jerusalem and its environs” are prohibited and unacceptable. The signatories believe that the peace treaties can be regarded as an alliance with the enemy against Islam and Muslims.
At the same time, on January 20, the Middle East Eye wrote that the Mauritanian authorities were close to signing a peace treaty with Israel. A source close to the administration of former US President Donald Trump said that the deal could have been signed if the politician had been in office for a couple of months longer.
Al Maydeen recalls that Mauritania itself broke off relations with Israel relatively recently, in 2009. Diplomatic relations between the countries were established in 1999.
The normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries began with the September 15 agreement. Then Israel, the UAE and Bahrain signed a peace treaty in the White House. Abu Dhabi and Manama have pledged to recognize the State of Israel, while it must halt the spread of sovereignty to Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
