Editing Saddam Hussein (section)

==== Arab–Israeli conflict ====
{{Main|Israeli support for Iran during the Iran–Iraq war|1991 Iraqi missile attacks against Israel}}
[[File:Iraq, Saddam Hussein (222).jpg|thumb|Saddam addresses the Iraqi state television, in January 2001.]]
Saddam was widely known for his pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel stance.<ref name=":21">{{Cite web |date=2016-05-21 |title=Red fire on the mountain: Saddam Hussein's secrets still haunt the landscape |url=https://www.jpost.com/magazine/red-fire-on-the-mountain-452483 |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=The Jerusalem Post |language=en}}</ref> He appeared on television threatening to burn and destroy Israel.<ref name=":21" /> However, Saddam's official position was that the relations of Iraq with Israel will be determined by the solution accepted by Palestinians.<ref name=":21" /> Relations between Iraq and Egypt deteriorated in 1977, as a result of Egyptian President [[Anwar Sadat]]'s peace initiatives with [[Israel]].<ref name=":21" /> Relations improved after Egypt supported Iraq in the 1980–1988 war.<ref name=":21" /> During the Iran–Iraq War, Israel was one of the main [[Israeli support for Iran during the Iran–Iraq war|suppliers of military and intelligence support to Iran]]. In 1981, it carried out [[Operation Opera]], a surprise attack on Iraq's unfinished [[Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Center|Osirak nuclear reactor]], with Iranian intelligence support.<ref>{{Citation |last=Kaye |first=Dalia Dassa |title=A Brief History of Israeli-Iranian Cooperation and Confrontation |date=2011 |work=Israel and Iran |pages=9–18 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/mg1143osd.7?seq=6 |access-date=2025-01-12 |series=A Dangerous Rivalry |publisher=RAND Corporation |doi=10.7249/mg1143osd.7?seq=6 |isbn=978-0-8330-5860-7 |last2=Nader |first2=Alireza |last3=Roshan |first3=Parisa}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Parsi |first=Trita |url=https://archive.org/details/treacherousallia00pars_0 |title=Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-300-12057-8 |language=en |url-access=registration}}</ref> Amid the 1991 Gulf War, Iraq initiated a [[1991 Iraqi missile attacks against Israel|missile campaign against Israel]].<ref name="Pierson 2011" />

Saddam supported various Palestinian guerrilla movements, provided financial support to Palestinians, and allowed Palestinian refugees in Iraq to obtain full citizenship rights, unlike the situation of Palestinians in other countries.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |last=Ibrahim |first=Arwa |title=The US-led war in Iraq and Saddam's Arab legacy |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/22/hldthe-us-led-invasion-of-iraq-and-saddams-arab-legacy |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> Saddam maintained close relations with Palestinian leaders such as [[Yasser Arafat]].<ref name=":22" /> In May 2000, Saddam and his representatives allegedly had secret meetings with the Israeli government.<ref name="Burke 2000">{{Cite news |last1=Burke |first1=Jason |last2=Vulliamy |first2=Ed |last3=Beaver |first3=Paul |last4=York |first4=New |date=21 May 2000 |title=Saddam in secret talks with Israel |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/may/21/iraq.edvulliamy |access-date=18 August 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> He supposedly offered that Iraq will end its anti-Israel foreign policy if the issue of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon was resolved.<ref name="Burke 2000" /> However, this was later denied by the government.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-03-20 |title=Behind the Headlines; in Secret, Israel and Iraq Fostered Ties in Mid-1980s |url=https://www.jta.org/archive/behind-the-headlines-in-secret-israel-and-iraq-fostered-ties-in-mid-1980s |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}}</ref>

Following the outbreak of the [[Second Intifada]] in the [[Palestinian territories]], Saddam openly expressed solidarity with the Palestinians, and established the [[Jerusalem Army]], a volunteer force in solidarity with the Palestinians.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CNN.com - Saddam ends campaign for volunteers to fight Israel - November 10, 2000 |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/meast/11/10/iraq.saddam.reut/index.html |access-date=13 July 2024 |website=CNN}}</ref><ref name="Brookings">{{Cite web |title=Who Will Fight for Saddam? |url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/who-will-fight-for-saddam/ |access-date=18 August 2024 |website=Brookings |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Thinking About the History of Militias in Iraq |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/thinking-about-history-militias-iraq |access-date=18 August 2024 |website=Wilson Center |date=3 December 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Saddam also provided financial assistance from Iraq's oil revenue, to the families of the Palestinian victims and militants.<ref name=":23" /> Around 20% of Iraq's oil revenue was directed to Palestinians.<ref name=":23">{{Cite web |date=10 December 2000 |title=Iraq pledges Palestinians billion euros from oil |url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/iraq-pledges-palestinians-billion-euros-from-oil-1.436565 |access-date=18 August 2024 |website=gulfnews.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Independent 2003">{{cite web |date=6 May 2003 |title=Palestinians mourn fall of their hero Saddam after flow of dollars for |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/palestinians-mourn-fall-of-their-hero-saddam-after-flow-of-dollars-for-martyrs-dries-up-103638.html |website=[[Independent.co.uk]]}}</ref> Contrary to the claims of the United States and the Israel, the financial support was not exclusively used to support suicide bombing.<ref name="Independent 2003" /> On the eve of [[Christmas]] in 2000, Saddam wrote a [[Open letter|public letter]] urging Muslims and Christians in Iraq to lead jihad against the Zionist movement.<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 December 2000 |title=Saddam calls for jihad against Israel |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/dec/25/iraq |access-date=18 August 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In 2001, Saddam declared on the state Iraqi television:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wistrich |first=Robert |title=Muslim Anti-Semitism: A Clear and Present Danger |year=2002 |pages=43}}</ref>{{Blockquote|text=Palestine is Arab and must be liberated [[from the river to the sea]] and all the [[Zionism|Zionists]] who emigrated to the land of Palestine must leave.|author=Saddam Hussein}}

In 2002, following an [[Operation Defensive Shield|Israeli offensive]] into Palestinian territory, Saddam stopped supplying oil to Western countries in order to force Israel to abandon its offensive, a move supported by [[Iran]] and [[Libya]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=MacAskill |first1=Ewen |last2=Macalister |first2=Terry |date=9 April 2002 |title=Saddam chokes off oil to put pressure on west |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/apr/09/iraq.oil |access-date=18 August 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>