‘Remove this fifth column’: Israel’s Arabic account sparks outrage over anti-Muslim tweet

A tweet posted by Israel’s official Arabic-language X account has ignited a wave of condemnation across social media this week, after claims that Europe, once home to under a hundred mosques in 1980, now shelters over 20,000 - an increase it described as “the true face of colonisation”.

The post, published on 25 August, juxtaposed a map of European mosques with inflammatory language warning of violence and indoctrination.

While acknowledging freedom of worship as a “basic human right”, the account alleged that “the real danger lies in the contents that are taught in some of these mosques” which encourage “escalating violence in the streets of Europe” and “spread hatred for the other”, while calling on European governments to “wake up and remove this fifth column”.

The "fifth column" is a term originating from the Spanish Civil War that refers to a group or entity within a country at war that works to advance the interests of its enemies.

في العام 1980، كان في أوروبا أقل من مئة مسجد فقط. أما اليوم، فهناك أكثر من 20 ألف مسجد.
هذا هو وجه الاستعمار الحقيقي. وهذا ما يحدث بينما أوروبا غافلة ولا تكترث للخطر.
والخطر لا يكمن في وجود المساجد بحد ذاتها، فحرية العبادة هي من حقوق الانسان الأساسية ولكل شخص الحق في الايمان… pic.twitter.com/4WvVaUr7km

— إسرائيل بالعربية (@IsraelArabic) August 25, 2025

Far-right rhetoric

Many social media users described the tweet as an Islamophobic campaign targeting Muslims in Europe, echoing far-right talking points and stereotypes.

“Israel’s official state ideology is global race war against Muslims,” wrote one person, while another asked: “What would the reaction be if an Arab state wrote this about synagogues and Jews?”

Another highlighted the timing of the tweet, warning that “at a time when anti-Muslim racism in Europe has reached unprecedented levels - evidenced by the fact that one in two Muslims report experiencing discrimination in their daily lives - such Islamophobic content further jeopardizes the safety and well-being of millions”.

Another social media user drew a parallel between Israel’s rhetoric and Germany’s anti-immigrant party, noting: “Even the AfD [Alternative for Germany] don’t tweet ‘Europe must wake up and remove this fifth column’ over a map of mosques.”

Pointing to its growing alliances with European parties known for anti-Muslim rhetoric, another account accused Israel of positioning itself as “a blueprint for the international far right”. 

“It’s posted this insane anti-Muslim hate rant. And Israel is one of the last states on earth to credibly lecture on hateful indoctrination,” the social media user added.

Highlighting the hypocrisy, several stressed that Muslim migration to Europe cannot be separated from decades of wars, invasions, and displacements in which Israel has played a direct or indirect role.

“It’s hypocritical for Israel to warn about Muslim migration to Europe when its wars in Gaza, the West Bank, and civil wars in Lebanon and Syria have caused the very displacement driving it - Muslims just want to live and raise their children without being bombed or subjugated.”

Colonisation?

With large Muslim populations in Europe, around 45–50 million today, making up roughly six to seven percent of the continent’s population, according to Pew Research Center and the FAF Policy Brief, a user on reddit, wrote: “Maybe if they didnt displace muslims and destroy there homes in the middle east maybe they wouldn’t need to go to Europe to get a better life to begin with.”

“Israel invaded Middle East, destabilized it, driving Muslims out in droves, yet it doesn’t want Muslims to live anywhere else,” another user added on X.

I remember when another entity called Jews a fifth column in Europe. How did that go exactly?

This is vile, brutal hate designed to whip up support for its genocidal policies impacting far more than the Muslim community in Palestine.

Until folks realize that, it won't stop. https://t.co/vRZKAUvzpK

— Alexander Langlois (@langloisajl) August 27, 2025

Many pointed out the choice of language for the tweet: although it targeted Europe, it was posted in Arabic.

“Do they know that the official language of Europe is not Arabic? This is a humiliation ritual and a threat to those readers who do,” a user wrote.

Others mentioned that the “map is so inaccurate on so many levels” and they are "curious" about where the source of 100 mosques came from.

“That map is so inaccurate. Spain has over 2,000 mosques, mostly because of it being under Moorish control for a bit,” one user noted, questioning the claim that Europe had fewer than 100 mosques in 1980.”

People widely dismissed the idea that Europe could plausibly have had fewer than 100 mosques in 1980, noting centuries of Islamic presence across the continent.

While the tweet framed the increase of mosques in Europe as a form of "colonisation", others highlighted Israel’s own plans to build a Third Temple in Jerusalem, a site under Israeli occupation since 1967.

"So building mosques is a form of colonization but Israel wanting to build the third temple is not? Deluded state."