Most Israelis today hold the view that Islam is an inherently aggressive and violent religion hostile to Jews, a perception that fuels persistent fears and skepticism about potential reconciliation, according to Ron Shaham, professor emeritus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In his recently published book, *Beyond Jihad: What You Aren’t Told About Islam*, Shaham seeks to challenge dominant misconceptions about Islam that have shaped public discourse in Israel, especially following the October 7 massacre.

Shaham, whose academic career spans over four decades in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, argues that the conflict between Israel and Muslim societies is often framed in misleadingly simplistic religious terms. He contends that this framing serves political ends, particularly those aligned with right-wing ideology, which promotes a view of the conflict as inevitable and rooted in immutable religious animosity. According to Shaham, this perspective discourages efforts toward diplomatic solutions and legitimizes ongoing military confrontation.

He identifies influential right-wing voices in Israel, including scholars, journalists, and religious leaders, who portray Islam in explicitly hostile terms. Among them are figures such as Dr. Mordechai Kedar of Bar-Ilan University, former Knesset member Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, commentator Zvi Yehezkel, and Rabbi Oury Sherki. These individuals assert that Islam harbors systematic antisemitism and aggression, presenting the faith as fundamentally incompatible with coexistence. For example, Ben-Ari’s forthcoming book describes Islam as a doctrine of violence and deceit aimed at global domination, while retired intelligence officer Nir Zoref has written about the Quran as endorsing forceful imposition of Islamic rule and hostility toward minorities.

Shaham counters that such analyses are overly reductive, emphasizing that Islam’s sacred texts—the Quran and Hadith—are complex and subject to varied interpretations by different Muslim sects over 1,400 years. He stresses that understanding Islam requires more than selective reading of scripture, much like interpreting Jewish law demands knowledge of later rabbinic development beyond the Bible. He points out that Israeli right-wing thinkers use religious texts selectively to serve political narratives.

The professor highlights that viewing the conflict as purely religious obscures its national and territorial dimensions, which are central to most secular Israeli scholars’ analyses. While acknowledging that recorded religious hostility between Islam and Judaism dates back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad, Shaham notes that for centuries Jews lived under Muslim rule as protected minorities, often with relative security and occasional prominence—conditions that challenge the notion of constant religious enmity.

Shaham traces the increasing intertwining of religion and national politics to the rise of Zionism and disputes over Eretz Yisrael, citing calls to defend Muslim holy sites like the Al-Aqsa Mosque. However, he argues that religion is not an insurmountable obstacle to peace. He points to the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty as an example of religious flexibility, noting that prominent Muslim clerics, including Egypt’s Grand Imam Gad al-Haq and Saudi Arabia’s Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, issued fatwas permitting peace agreements for the sake of security and Muslim interests.

The concept of jihad, often equated in Israel with militant struggle, is another area where Shaham underscores nuance. He explains that jihad primarily means striving in the way of God, with the “greater jihad” referring to personal spiritual effort, and “lesser jihad” often associated with warfare. He cites modern Muslim scholars like Muhammad Abduh and Abdallah bin Bayyah, who promote peaceful coexistence and reinterpret jihad in a contemporary context that prioritizes peace, life preservation, and social stability.

Bin Bayyah, who holds significant influence in the Gulf region and contributed religious endorsement for the normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, advocates for understanding jihad without violent connotations, adapting traditional Islamic jurisprudence to modern international realities.

While Shaham acknowledges that such moderate interpretations are not universally accepted in the Muslim world, he notes growing support for these views among younger Muslims in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. His analysis ultimately calls for acknowledging the diversity within Islamic thought and cautions against simplistic depictions that hinder potential reconciliation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and broader regional relations.