Can a Muslim Join the Israeli Parliament?

Can a Muslim Join the Israeli Parliament? Are the Arab members of the Israeli parliament doing the right thing? Is it permissible in Shari`ah for them to join the Israeli parliament?
( the answer was given by a group of muftis ) ear questioner, thank you very much for having confidence in us, and we hope our efforts, which are purely for Allah's Sake, meet your expectations.

It goes without saying that the Israeli occupation and atrocities should be resisted with every possible means, and to liberate the land from the usurpers, it's the duty of Muslims to lay down an effective plan for this in light with the noble principles set by Islam.

As to the participation of Muslims in the Israeli parliament, Muslim scholars differ on the issue. Some of them prohibit doing so, such as the prominent Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi; Sheikh Ra’id Salah from Palestine; and Dr. Muhammad Sa`id Hawwa, Professor of Shari`ah at Jordanian Universities. Those who maintain that participation in the Israeli Parliament is prohibited base their view on the fact that it is obligatory to totally boycott and sever ties with the enemy, and Muslims’ participation in the Israeli Parliament presupposes admission of the Zionist State.

On the other hand, some Muslim scholars state that there is nothing wrong with such participation so as not to render those Muslims living within the occupied territories an isolated entity. The proponents of this opinion state that such participation is a form of jihad, and when Muslims participate they do ascertain their rights in the Palestinian land. According to the proponents of this opinion, participation is not a concession of Israel, as all the Israeli institutions within Palestine are forms of the Israeli entity in Palestine. Among the proponents of this latter view are Sheikh Faysal Mawlawi, deputy chairman of the European Council for Fatwa and Research; and Sheikh Ibrahim Sarsour, leader of the Islamic movement in South Palestine since 1948.

To mention the detailed opinions of the first group, we would like to cite for you the following fatwas as follows:

The prominent Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, states:

"From the Islamic perspective, Israel is no more than an alien entity to the Arab world. This entity imposed itself by forcing people to leave their homeland through terrorism and blood shed. That is why Israel is considered an enemy to both the Arab and the Muslim nations. It is not an organ of the Arab body and it never will be.

It is worth stressing here that Israel is imposed on the Muslim Ummah in general and the Palestinians in particular. So facing Israel is a collective obligation upon all Muslims and an individual obligation upon all the Palestinians. In facing the Israeli occupation, the Palestinians should spare no effort. They should strive hard to face the Israeli occupation with their souls and property. They must strive hard to expel the enemy and restore their usurped lands. Referring to this, Allah Almighty says: "Relent not in pursuit of the enemy. If ye are suffering, lo! they suffer even as ye suffer and ye hope from Allah that for which they cannot hope." (An-Nisa’ 104)

He Almighty also says: "And with how many a prophet have there been a number of devoted men who fought (beside him). They quailed not for aught that befell them in the way of Allah, nor did they weaken, nor were they brought low. Allah loveth the steadfast." (Al `Imran 146)

Indeed, Muslims have faced lots of enemies since the advent of Islam. But they never faced plans and strategies as hostile as those of the Zionists. All the previous enemies who challenged Islam, such as the polytheists and the Crusaders, aimed at occupying the lands without expelling their inhabitants. Previous enemies tried to overrule the lands of Muslims and dominate their resources. But the Israelis strive to drive the Palestinians away from their own land in order to inhabit the land and establish their unjust Zionist state. Actually, this is the policy they adopt. In their policies and vicious schemes, they exceed the French occupation of Algeria, as the latter did not drive people from their homeland.

The Israelis use the vilest ways to fulfill their hostile plans in Palestine. They undertake great Zionistic massacres in Palestinian villages and they slaughter guiltless villagers, as they did in the Massacre of Deir Yasin and many others.

Therefore, the Shari`ah attitude that must be taken is the complete rejection of Zionism and fighting it with every means until the last drop of our blood so as to overthrow its dominance. Allah Almighty says: "That He might cause the Truth to triumph and bring vanity to naught, however much the guilty might oppose." (Al-Anfal 8)

He Almighty also says: "Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not, aggressors. And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out." (Al-Baqarah 190-91)

This entails the following:

1-All acts that legalize the Israeli entity or allow it to stay in the Palestinian land and rule over it are unlawful acts, and hence all their outcomes are unlawful. That is to avoid many dangers. For example, people may be influenced by the enemies' thoughts and follow them, and rulers may affiliate with the polytheists and fight against Islam and Muslims.

2- There should not be any peace treaties with the Zionists who usurp the Palestinian land and drive the Palestinians out of their homeland, slaughtering and humiliating them. Actually, signing peace accords with the Zionists is no more than submissiveness and humiliation. The Qur’an says: "So do not falter and cry out for peace when ye (will be) the uppermost, and Allah is with you, and He will not grudge (the reward of) your actions." (Muhammad 35)

In the light of the above, let us reflect on the question that was raised in 1948 by some Palestinians in the occupied territories. They asked whether it is Islamically lawful for them to join the Jewish Parliament (Knesset). They saw that it was beneficial for them and that it would make them stronger in facing occupation, et cetera. Pondering over the issue, I first considered the matter of gaining certain benefits by membership in the Israeli Parliament. That is what made me explicitly answer the brothers who asked about the matter.

In this issue, one must weigh the benefits and the harms that happen due to joining the Israeli Parliament. If the benefits outweigh the harms, then there is nothing wrong in it, and if the harms outweigh the benefits, then it is prohibited.

Afterwards, when I had studied the issue well from different sides, researched it and considered all aspects, I discovered that the correct Islamic attitude is to refuse to join the Israeli Parliament because joining it includes an implicit admission of the Israeli right to occupy the land and appropriate it, whereas the original inhabitants of the occupied land should always oppose them and refute their claims.

Hence, it is wrong for the owners of the land to submit to the usurpers or verify their false claims, either explicitly or implicitly, no matter for how many years they have occupied the land. Even if a long time elapsed, this would never turn false claims into truth, nor true claims into false. Joining the Israeli Parliament is rejected for the same reasons that holding peace treaties is refused.

However, if we consider this issue carefully in an attempt to see the benefits, we find that the long-term benefit and welfare of the Palestinian people require complete rejection and boycott of Israel. They must be treated as usurpers, thieves and invaders. It is necessary to go on fighting against them and spreading Islam on the other hand.

No doubt that doing so would make the enemy of no account in the eyes of the Palestinian people. It would be a great loss for the enemy to lose morale and feel that no one believes them and that all their thoughts and strategies lack legitimacy. This would be a loss for the enemy and a great victory for the Muslim Ummah. It would be added to the history of the Arab and Muslim Ummah.

When weighing benefits and harms, there is a principle in Islamic Jurisprudence that avoiding harms takes precedence over incurring benefits. Also, there is another principle that collective benefits take precedence over individual benefits. In addition, long-term benefits are better than short-term ones. Therefore, joining the enemy parliament is prohibited by all means except for an urgent necessity that knows no law. Such necessity is measured by its urgency. We cannot judge slight needs as necessary, so that exception should not be taken as a fixed rule.

So the Palestinians must not falter in claiming their right; they must strive hard to restore it with all steadfastness and persistence. The Qur’an says: “O ye who believe! Endure, outdo all others in endurance, be ready, and observe your duty to Allah, in order that ye may succeed.” (Al `Imran 200)

The Palestinians should keep on reiterating the du`a’ (supplication) of Talut’s people, who used to say: “Our Lord! Bestow on us endurance, make our foothold sure, and give us help against the disbelieving folk.” (Al-Baqarah 250)"

Maintaining the same opinion, Dr. Muhammad Sa`id Hawwa, Professor at Jordanian universities, states: "It is unlawful to participate in the Israeli Parliament as a sign of denial of its existence. There is nothing wrong in participating in any parliaments except that of the claimed Zionist state, because we do not even confess to its right to exist. Having said this, I would like to stress that Muslims should participate in the political life of other existing countries."

In addition, Sheikh Ra’id Salah, the Head of Islamic Movement in Palestine in 1948 prohibited participation in the Israeli parliament saying: "The idea we have about the Israelis must remain as it has always been in the past. We know that the Israeli Knesset is a baseless organization. So the Arabs have no place in it. Also, we see that those who participate in the Israeli Parliament have nothing to do but to declare their rejection through the mass media. But the power to make decisions is still restricted to the non-Arab members, whereas the Arab members have no effective role in the parliament."

On the other hand, Sheikh Faysal Mawlawi, Deputy Chairman of the European Council for Fatwa and Research, states that such political participation is lawful only for urgent need; otherwise it is prohibited. He states:

"Joining the Israeli Parliament is a political activity that is subject to the living conditions in the occupied lands of Palestine. As we see, the Zionist reign has prevailed, driven people away from their homes and usurped their lands. So those who refuse to leave their land and insist on staying have every right to do so, and it is even an obligation on them to resist.

Then the way they must deal with such occupation depends on their conditions and potentialities

Really, I prefer that none of the Palestinians in the region that has been occupied since 1948 join the Israeli government or Parliament so that their refusal to participate would always recall to the minds of people all over the world the racial discrimination which Israel practices. But if our brothers in Palestine see that participation in the Israeli government may lift some harm from them or bring them some benefits, then it is up to them. They are to measure the urgency of the necessity, and if there are good intentions, commitment to the teachings of Islam, and care for Muslims’ welfare, then there is nothing wrong in it. This situation is made lawful only because of urgent necessity. However, I see that there is no goodness whatsoever in joining the Israeli government; I think it neither lifts harm nor incurs significant benefit."

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to write back!

May Allah guide you to the straight path, and guide you to that which pleases Him, Amen.

Allah Almighty knows best.