Extraordinary and unprecedented remarks by a prominent Iraqi intellectual have ignited an intense storm across the Arab digital sphere. Iraqi author and former cleric Ghaith al-Tamimi appeared on the high-profile television program The Hard Question, delivering an uncompromising, pro-Israel defense that left the interviewer visibly stunned. Al-Tamimi passionately defended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address before the United Nations, justified Israel’s military campaign following the abduction of its civilians, held Palestinian leadership responsible for the destruction of their own people, and flatly rejected long-standing anti-Israel “occupation” claims.
2+At the outset of the interview, the host asked al-Tamimi whether he had tuned in to Netanyahu’s address at the UN General Assembly, and he responded immediately and surprisingly: “Yes, and I applauded him.” When the stunned presenter pointed out that Netanyahu faces international accusations of war crimes, al-Tamimi pushed back forcefully: “Show me a single leader who has defended his people the way Netanyahu defends his! I applauded a man who is ready to battle the entire earth for the sake of his nation, a man who, for the honor of Israeli women, is prepared to shake the whole globe! Yes, that is exactly what a real leader must do!”
The interviewer attempted to counter by citing the plight of ‘Palestinian’ women and children, but al-Tamimi dismissed the challenge, pointing the finger directly at Hamas and the ‘Palestinian’ Authority: “That is the duty of Mahmoud Abbas; that is not Netanyahu’s duty! That is the responsibility of the ‘Palestinians’ themselves! Why should the duty to protect ‘Palestinian’ women, out of all the women in the world, fall upon the entire international community instead of Sinwar and Mahmoud Abbas?!”
2+Al-Tamimi further drew comparisons to other sovereign Arab nations: “Moroccan women are under the responsibility of the King of Morocco; Saudi women are under the responsibility of the King of Saudi Arabia; Iraqi women are under the responsibility of the Iraqi government! When Israeli women were taken hostage, who defended them? The Israelis did! So let the ‘Palestinians’ defend their own—they are the ones who chose to launch this war!”
The televised exchange reached a crescendo when the host argued that he was deliberately “ignoring the occupation.” Al-Tamimi delivered a sharp, unapologetic rebuttal: “Where is the occupation?! Where is it?! An occupation exists when an established state seizes land. Show me where this state was?! It is an imaginary state that exists only inside our own heads, crafted merely to feed conflict in our nations! Our fundamental interest lies with Israel! We have zero interest in Mahmoud Abbas, nor in Sinwar—that is the honest Arab truth.”
2+Baghdad-born Ghaith al-Tamimi is a former Shiite cleric who transitioned into an author, philosopher, and liberal political dissident based in London. He is widely recognized for his outspoken opposition to the Iranian regime, Shiite militias, and political Islam, consistently advocating for regional modernization, interfaith reconciliation, and diplomatic normalization with Israel.