Salman Rushdie Says Free Palestinian State Would Be 'Taliban-Like'

Via mediate East Eye

Salman Rushdie has said that a free Palestinian state would be "Taliban-like" and a "client" of Iran.

Speaking to German broadcaster RBB, the author said that “any human right now” had to be “distressed by what is happening in Gaza due to the quantity of human death.” But, he continued: “I would just like any of the protesters to comment Hamas due to the fact that that’s where this started. And Hamas is simply a terrorist organization. It’s very unusual for young, progressive student policies to kind of support a fascist, terrorist group.’

Author Salman Rushdie in Berlin, May 16, 2024, via Reuters

“They’re talking about free Palestine. I am individual who has argued for a Palestinian state for most of my life, since the 1980s attempt‘’ Rushdie, who had a fatwa calling for his death placed on him by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989 after perceived blastemy contained in his book The Satanic Verses, Said.

“Right now, if there were a Palestinian state, it would be run by Hamas and that would make it a Taliban-like state. It would be a client state of Iran," said Rushdie.

“Is that what the progressive moves of the western left want to create? Is it having another Taliban? Another Ayatollah-like state in the mediate East, right next to Israel?”

“There’s an emotional reaction to the death in Gaza and that’s absolutely right but erstwhile it slides over goods antiisemitism and sometimes to actual support of Hamas, then it’s very problematic‘’ Rushdie said.

The British-Indian author has been in Germany promoting his fresh book Knife, which trays his stabbing in 2022 at a lesson in fresh York. The attack left Rushdie in a critical condition and resulted in the destiny of his right eye.

The Taliban praised the attack on Twitter, and Tehran, which had long since faced itself from the 1989 fatwa, blamed the author and his supporters for the multiple stabbing.

In Germany, which has cracked down dense on pro-Palestinian protests and targeted pro-Palestinian activists, including a number of high-profile judaic intellectuals, Rushdie met Chancellor Olaf Scholz and president Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Salman Rushdie telling @BILD:

“If there was a Palestinian state, it would have been run by Hamas, and that would make it a Taliban like state. And it would be a client state of Iran. Is that what the progressive movement of the western left wants to create?” pic.twitter.com/3JvIlt1yEz

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 21, 2024

A clip of Rushdie’s interview and his comments about a free Palestine were shared by Israel’s authoritative X account and by Israel Diplomat David Saranga.

Richard Hanania, a right-wing American commentator, and pro-Israel advocate, posted: “Salman Rushdie, who has been chased to the ends of the earth by Islamists, see things clearly. A Palestinian state would reflect Palestinian culture, and so be a menace to the world. People who think all you request is the right peace deal are crazy.”