New Year Greetings from Kasim Hafeez

Kasim Hafeez is a British citizen of Pakistani Muslim heritage. Growing up in a predominantly Muslim community in the United Kingdom, in his teenage years he made a natural progression towards a more radical Islamist ideology, becoming very active in the Anti-Israel movement, calling for Israel’s destruction and delegitimizing its existence on campus and beyond. After coming across Alan Dershowitzs book ‘The Case for Israel’, a book that challenged his fundamental beliefs, Hafeez began a period of research and reflection that led to him visiting Israel for the first time in 2007.

Read his New Year greetings to his Jewish friends

Shana Tovah to all my Jewish friends. I pray the coming year be blessed and sweet for you all. The last year has been one full of challenges and tragedy, skyrocketing open murderous anti-Semitism and an ever belligerent Iranian regime are just a few examples. It has been a year when old hatreds seemed refreshed anew. But I say this to my Jewish friends, have you not felled more mighty foes before? Have you not survived and thrived while your enemies are footnotes in history?

Without a state have you not outlasted mighty empires, in the desire to return to your home have you not survived unspeakable perils and even when alone, have you not been able to cry out Am Y'Israel Chai' making an impossible dream a undeniable reality.

Today you have a state, today you have the courageous warriors of the Israel Defence Force, today you have returned home. With all the challenges ahead today you are strong and you no longer stand-alone. You have friends and supporters all over the world.

At Christians United for Israel (CUFI)I alone you have over 7 million and growing friends, and this year, next year or a decade from now, we will stand with you, we will stand against hate and stand for truth. So this is Rosh Hashanah, remember as the Jewish people have returned to their homeland and thrive, where are all those who sought to erase you from history. Shannah Tovah wishing you a sweet and blessed new year.