Barry Zeve discusses Islam and Palestinians within the context of his broader views on the Abrahamic faiths, the history of religious conflict, and the spiritual state of humanity. His perspective is heavily influenced by his identity as a gay Jew, the child of Holocaust survivors, and his interpretation of Scripture.

Here’s a summary of what Barry Zeve says about Islam and Palestinians:

On Islam:

Zeve identifies Islam as one of the three Abrahamic faiths, alongside Judaism and Christianity
. He sees them as pieces of a universal puzzle, not meant to exclude one another

He views Muslims as descendants of Abraham through Ishmael
The story of Ishmael and Isaac meeting over Abraham’s grave with nothing to say symbolizes the spiritual silence and inability of Abraham’s descendants to talk to one another

Zeve believes Islam was brought into being by GOD in the 8th Century
and that the Prophet Muhammad spoke for GOD

He states that Muslims are required by God to hold the State of Israel with love in their heart and devotion to the wisdom in their soul, just as Jews and Christians are required to do the same for Mecca

Zeve claims that the influence of clerics and imams in Islam is, in many cases, detrimental to its spiritual body
. He states that homophobic imams cannot claim to be doing a good job

He contends that Islam encourages mass murder
and that Muslim terrorists kill innocent bystanders. Events like the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi and 9/11 and 10/7 indicate that respect for human life is low in Islam, suggesting Islam is going the way Christianity has come back from

Zeve asserts that radical Islam has threatened earthly authority with its own “ultimate authority” and the horrors awaiting from God for perpetrating the next “Final Solution”
He refers to the Christian “Final Solution” (the Holocaust) being usurped by the Muslim “next Final Solution” for Jews in the 21st Century, which will use a much more powerful arsenal. He views the idea that Muslims still think they can return to a “Final Solution” after killing their Muslim brothers as deeply delusional

He states that Muslims who deny the Holocaust are being perverse, noting that not even Christians and Jews are that perverse

Zeve claims that some Muslims still don’t believe that the survival of the Jewish people from the Holocaust and the creation of the State of Israel were GOD-given
He says they are still betting they can finish the job Hitler started, and their silence on approving Israel’s existence contributes to their hopeless cause

He argues that Islam needs to modernize its spiritual thinking skills by learning about the Source of their beliefs from Torah, not just the New Testament or Quran
He believes the future of Islam is in serious trouble unless imams and clerics study with rabbis, priests, pastors, and ministers

Zeve states that the Muslim delivery system of faith was extremely violent to Jews and non-believers alike, unlike the Jewish one
He notes that Muslims took out their zealousness on each other and on Jews and Christians

He claims that Muslim countries look a lot like “hell”
and that Muslims haven’t learned through pain and suffering what Scripture could mean to them personally. Experience hasn’t been the kindest teacher in the Middle East

Zeve believes the problem Islam has with sexual latitude in the Western world is never going to go away, and Muslims should take their complaints about others’ sexuality directly to GOD
He finds it morally fascinating that extremists in all three faiths agree in their abhorrence of gays and lesbians

He notes that Muslims have cleansed their societies in the Middle East of Jews, Christians, and the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. community and that being gay and/or Jewish in a Muslim country is still bad for your health. Gay men in the Muslim world are not asked their opinion on religious matters

Zeve contends that the recreation of Israel in 1948 has been tearing Islam apart, causing a fraction in Sunni/Shiite politics
. He states that Muslims dividing their loyalties between Sunnis and Shiites is not wise

He argues that Muslims who cannot create democracy in their own countries, yet insist they hold the moral compass to judge Israel, are morally bankrupt and insane, dripping with hypocrisy

Zeve suggests that the Islamic world (internally) is filled with racism, homophobia, and misogyny
pointing to the racism of Muslim terrorists in Africa, the homophobia worldwide, and the practice of hiding women’s faces. He suggests the answers to Muslim prejudices lie in Torah and the red words of Jesus

He believes that Islam cannot turn the whole world into a Muslim caliphate

Zeve claims that some Muslims are beginning to question the efficacy of Islam when comparing the quality of life for Muslims under Muslim rule versus Israeli rule
He notes that Muslim Israelis are doing much better than those living under Arab rule

He states that hundreds of millions of Muslims are being kept from driving 9 million Jews into the sea, which he views as miraculous

On Palestinians:

Zeve states that the Palestinians have been cursed by both Sunnis and Shiites

He notes that the Israeli government would like to help the Palestinians and that Israel would be happy to rent them a piece of the land if they would recognize it as Jewish

He believes that if Palestinians want a piece of Israel, they will have to surrender

Zeve describes the Palestinians as “pickles in the middle” of Islam playing pickle ball with Israel

He claims that when Israel left Gaza in 2005, the Gazans built tunnels like termites instead of a country

Zeve states that the horrors committed by Gazans on October 7th cannot be justified
and that they treated the Israeli hostages like vermin. He views this as evidence that if that’s what Islam stands for, it’s a cult

He contends that Palestinians may only understand what their religious leaders have told them about Jews making them unlikely to explore Torah for personal enlightenment

Zeve argues that what Muslims consider a Palestinian issue is really an issue of truth versus fiction, empathy versus cruelty, and GOD versus man

He claims that trading Gaza for the West Bank would force all Muslims (including Palestinians) to admit that they are giving us a piece of Muslim land in exchange for a piece of ours

Zeve states that extremist Palestinians are convinced by GOD to vote Democratic, which he remarks on negatively
He suggests they should have joined the Nazis on the far right instead

In a strongly worded statement, Zeve says that any Palestinian who makes trouble for Jews in Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, or the West Bank should be given safe passage to Russia, Iran, China, or North Korea

He believes that Palestinians need to learn about the relationship between antisemitism and anti-Zionism

Zeve notes that the clashes between hyper-religious Jews and Palestinians will likely increase, as both blame politicians instead of their religious leaders and are adamant about moving backward

Overall, Zeve portrays Islam as a faith currently struggling with internal issues, extremism, violence, and a failure to adapt spiritually to the modern world. He sees the conflict over Israel, involving both Muslims and Palestinians, as a spiritual one rooted in historical animosity and a failure to accept God’s design, particularly regarding the Jewish right to the land and the spiritual importance of the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. community.