REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The holy book of the Koran has revealed the true nature of the Jews. In the Quran it is said that the Jews were known to be fearful, pessimistic, greedy for the world, and preferred a life of contempt rather than a noble death.
In Quran Surat Ali Imran verse 112, Allah SWT says:
ضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ اَيْنَ مَا ثُقِفُوْٓا اِلَّا بِحَبْلٍ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَحَبْلٍ مِّنَ النَّاسِ وَبَاۤءُوْ بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَسْكَنَةُ ۗ ذٰلِكَ بِاَنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا يَكْفُرُوْنَ بِاٰيٰتِ اللّٰهِ وَيَقْتُلُوْنَ الْاَنْبِۢيَاۤءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّۗ ذٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوْا وَّكَانُوْا يَعْتَدُوْنَ
Duribat 'alaihimuż-żillatu aina mā uqifū illā biḥablim minallāhi wa ḥablim minan-nāsi wa bā`mu bigaḍabim minallāhi wa ḍuribat 'alaihimul-maskanah, żālika bi`annahum kānmu yakfurna bi`āyātillāhi wa yaqtulnal-ya ambiyā`a bigairi ḥaqq, żālika bimā 'aṣaw wa kānmu ya'tad
“Dishonor is inflicted on them wherever they are, unless they hold on to the rope (religion) of God and the rope (covenant) with men. They must have received wrath from God and misery was inflicted upon them. That is because they disbelieved in the verses of Allah and killed the prophets without right (righteous reason). This is because they are rebellious and transgressive.”
Related to this verse, in the Tafsir Tahlili Kemenag it is explained that with the disbelief and desire of the People of the Book (Jews), as well as their outrageous act of antagonizing Muslims in various ways and endeavors, God brings disgrace upon them wherever they are, except when they submit and obey God's rules and laws by paying the jizyah, which is a tax to obtain a guarantee of security (ḥabl min Allah) and they obtained security from the Muslims (habl min al-nas).
But they could not do this in their dealings with the Prophet and his companions in Medina, even though they always opposed and sought to weaken the position of the Muslims and remain hostile to Islam. Therefore they received the wrath of Allah, were cast into disgrace and expelled from Medina.
They were disgraced into a fearful people. In Al-Maidah's letter it has also been described that they do not need the promised land and do not want independence as long as there is still a group of strongmen living there. Then they asked Moses and his Lord to fight on their own.
قَالُوْا يٰمُوْسٰٓى اِنَّا لَنْ نَّدْخُلَهَآ اَبَدًا مَّا دَامُوْا فِيْهَا ۖفَاذْهَبْ اَنْتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَآ اِنَّا هٰهُنَا قٰعِدُوْنَ
It means: “They say, “O Moses! At any time we will not enter it as long as they are still in it, therefore go with your Lord, and fight the two of you. Let us stay here. (QS Al Maidah [5]: 24).