'SRILANKA MUSLIMS' Is Israel Whipping up Anti-Muslim Feelings in Sri Lanka

(By Upul Joseph Fernando)

A top echelon government leader who was in India recently, had reportedly made a very intriguing proposal to South Block leaders at a discussion relating to possible measures that could be adopted bilaterally to prevent Pakistani fundamentalists from infiltrating the Sri Lanka Muslim community.

He had proposed if India used its influence in the international sphere to protect Sri Lanka from the recurring charge of war crimes and Human Rights violations, it could, quid pro quo, take steps to effectively deactivate any Muslim fundamentalism in this country rendering it harmless to India.

It appears, however, Indian South Block was not very keen about this proposal, especially in view of the fact the Muslim communities in both countries shared common historical and cultural ties neutralizing the possibility of any harm befalling India from Sri Lankan Muslims.

Uneventful diplomatic episode

Soon after this uneventful diplomatic episode, anti-Muslim ultra-nationalist forces started sprouting up in several parts of the country. South Block sources have revealed that they are watching this development with a touch of suspicion. It has ipso facto gone on to prove that there exists an undeniable similarity between Hindu extremism against Muslims in India and Buddhist extremism fanned by certain organizations here.

The Indian media had recently disclosed an existing nexus between Mossad and Hindu extremist factions in India, with the latter receiving funds for their operations. It is in this context the possibility of Mossad’s involvement with the extremist Sinhala Buddhist factions in causing anti-Muslims protests become tenable.

Recent attacks on American Embassies in Egypt and Libya were presumably due to a provocative anti-Muslim film produced by an Israeli American, allegedly with the connivance of Mossad, which Israel vehemently denied.

The Sri Lankan President is an avowed friend of Palestine. However, it did not deter him from strengthening relations with Israel, especially during the last two years of the conflict. In 2008 during the height of war he sent the then Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake to Israel to elicit its support in the war effort.

The Israeli Prime Minister agreed to extend the country’s support to Sri Lanka to crush the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Consequent to the Prime Ministerial agreement between the two countries, Israeli experts and strategists in many fields made base in Sri Lanka.

During the war, Sri Lankan military aircraft were manned by Pakistani and Israeli pilots who flew bombing sorties targeting LTTE military bases. It was clearly in recognition of the importance of the two countries the Sri Lankan Government appointed retired Air Force Commanders, Jayalath Weerakkody and Donald Perera as Sri Lankan Ambassadors to Pakistan and Israel respectively. The Algemeiner, an American Newspaper at the time carried a news story throwing light on the level of Sri Lanka-Israel co-operation during the war.

Military ties

“Sri Lanka has substantial military ties with Israel. A large section of the Sri Lankan Air Force consists of Israeli aircraft such as Kafir planes purchased from the Israeli Government and a significant part of the Sri Lankan Navy consists of Dvora and Shaldag attack craft, which were either purchased from Israel or built under licence in Sri Lanka. There were also reports of Israeli missile testing from submarines in Sri Lankan waters.

“The Sri Lankan Government is reluctant to publicize its military links with Israel for several reasons. Sri Lanka imports all of its oil from the Middle East and it does not want to damage its relations with Muslim countries in the region. Additionally, Muslims residing in Sri Lanka make up 8% of the population, and generally have a negative view of Israel. The current Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, is pro-Palestinian – there is even a street named after him in the West Bank.”

Israel maintained an almost total silence about the outcome of the war in Sri Lanka. However, Sri Lanka Israel friendship remained as strong as ever, as clearly evidenced by the fact the then Ambassador to Geneva, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleke, was forced out from his diplomatic position reportedly due to some critical remarks he had made against Israel.

Believed

During JR’s time Israel provided weapons to Sri Lanka to fight against the LTTE. However, according to information contained in a book titled By Way of Deception by former Mossad Agent Victor Ostrovsky, Israel, while provided weapons to Sri Lanka to fight the LTTE, also provided both weapons and training to the LTTE to fight the government forces. It is a well-known fact there exited a nexus between Israel and LTTE. It was also reported at the time it was Mossad that influenced the LTTE to attack Muslims in the East.

It was generally believed Mossad was instrumental in spawning LTTE’s hate towards Muslims, during that time. It may not be known for certain whether Mossad is at its old game of setting the LTTE against Muslims, this time, using the government in that role to act against the Muslims.

As Mossad did in the past, when it fed the LTTE with the canard that the Eastern Province Muslims were the only stumbling block and the LTTE had to get rid of before attaining its goal of Tamil Eelam, there is all possibility it may now be feeding the government a similar tale, on the premises the Muslims are a setback to a united Sri Lankan. Israel is probably spreading this canard to arouse the government’s ire against Muslims, presumably working through Mossad agents embedded in government and security establishments.

It is interesting to note in the diplomatic relations in the international sphere there exists an uncanny similarity in strategies adopted by Sri Lanka and Israel, shedding light on the level of Israeli penetration affecting government policy. This agreement of diplomatic policies of both countries has a visible common strand; both countries are facing international pressure on Human Rights.

It is relevant in this context to take a fresh look at what caused former British Foreign Secretary Liam Fox to resign from his post. His downfall was caused by a financial scandal involving his close confidante Adam Werrity. It was this same person who acted as intermediary between the Government of Sri Lanka and Liam Fox for strengthening their relationship.

At a later stage, it was revealed the government had foot the bill of both Fox and Werrity when they visited Sri Lanka. Both Israel and Sri Lanka have used Liam Fox through Werrity to change British policy in their favour.

International relations

Following is an extract from Daily Mail Newspaper which speaks about this subject.

“It is plain as a pikestaff that Fox had retained his effective partnership with Werritty in lobbying activities that not only were concerned with Israel and Sri Lanka, but which actively sought to promote the geo-strategic interests of those countries for money.”

If Sri Lanka-Israel relations are at such high levels to enable them to operate in the realm of international relations with unrestricted co-operation, it could not be surprising to conceive the idea that Israel Mossad moles in the government and the security establishment may be responsible for whipping up anti-Muslim protests here.