Perak mufti Harussani Zakaria has said that it is forbidden to cooperate in any way with Israeli Jews even if they do not identify with the Zionist ideology.

NONE Harussani ( right ) was reported in Utusan Malaysia today as saying that it is because Jews in Israel are hostile to Muslims.

“Jews were considered friendly non-believers during Prophet Muhammad’s time, but the Jews in Israel are kafir harbi (non-believers who wage war against Islam) as they consider Muslims their enemy and are colonising a Muslim country,” he told the daily.

He was commenting on the views of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang who said that trade with Jews is allowed in Islam.

Reiterating his stand in a statement today, Abdul Hadi said not all Jews are Zionists, while the term could also be used on a small fraction of evangelistic Christians.

“There is among the Jews an orthodox sect who see Zionism as deviating from the true call of Judaism... (and) some have even been imprisoned by the Zionist Israeli regime for opposing the state,” he said.

He also slammed certain parties who accused PAS of softening its stand against Zionists to appease “certain politicians”.

“Even if all Arabic states agree on the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, PAS will still oppose it as Palestine does not belong to Arabia but to all Muslims,” he said.