The vast majority of Muslims in the Arab world were taught that it was Ishmael, not Isaac who Abraham bound on Mount Moriah. Additionally, many Muslims do not believe there was ever even a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. But a new Arabic video series is trying to bypass the propaganda and reveal the truth to the Arab world.
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) has released a series of videos in Arabic explaining the Jewish roots of Jerusalem, it’s Biblical history and the Temple. Their Youtube channel, AJC Arabic, already has over 7,000 subscribers with one video garnering 122,000 views.
In their only English video, a voice over can be heard explaining why Jerusalem in Arabic is rooted in the Hebrew word for the Temple saying: “The Hebrew term for [Solomon’s] Temple, “Beit HaMikdash” is likely why Jerusalem became known in Arabic as “Bait al-Maqdis.” .
“Jerusalem and the Jewish people are inextricably linked,” notes AJC CEO David Harris, “This important video tells the story of Jerusalem through Jewish eyes, introducing audiences across the Arab world to the facts behind the Jewish people’s powerful connection to the city. Only once that connection is acknowledged, alongside that of Christians and Muslims who also venerate the city, will true peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors be possible.”
To date, the initiative’s Arabic-language Facebook page boasts more than 168,000 followers. Their Twitter account has garnered over 63,000 followers. Most of the project’s viewers hail from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Judea-Samaria, Gaza, Jordan, and the UAE, the AJC said in a statement.