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Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, a prominent institution of Islamic learning in Egypt, strongly condemned on Thursday the visit of a group referred to as “European Imams” to Israel and their meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
The institution called the visit a “betrayal of religious and human values” and a move that disregards the suffering of the Palestinian people.
In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, Al-Azhar said the individuals “falsely claimed their visit aimed to promote coexistence and interfaith dialogue, while blatantly ignoring the ongoing genocide, aggression, and ongoing massacres against the Palestinian people for over 20 months.”
The statement added that those who took part in the visit demonstrated a “blindness of insight and numbness of conscience,” with sentiments seemingly utterly disconnected from the suffering of Palestinians, acting “as if no human, religious, or moral connection binds them to this devastated people.”
Al-Azhar warned against the group of European imams, describing them as “morally compromised” individuals who have betrayed their religious and ethical values for personal or political gain.
The statement stressed that history “shows no mercy to people like these,” often recording their actions on its “darkest pages.” It also urged Muslims across the East and West to remain vigilant against such “paid voices” who abandon their principles for the sake of political or personal interests.
The condemnation from Al-Azhar comes amid growing Arab and Islamic outrage over the delegation’s visit to Israel. It is not the first backlash sparked by the trip.
The Bilal Mosque Foundation announced the suspension of Imam Youssef Msabih from his duties and said it would pursue legal action against him, citing harm to the mosque and its reputation.
Dr. Ali al-Qaradaghi, Secretary-General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, also weighed in on the controversy, stating on X that the visit “does not condemn the scholars themselves, but rather those who organized it,” adding that it reveals their submission to external agendas.
Meanwhile, the European Council of Imams in Paris issued a strong statement rejecting the visit, calling it “suspicious” and asserting that it “does not represent the position of Muslims in Europe.”
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