The position of Islam has never changed, since its origins. All religions except monotheism are pagan idolatry, and must be exteminated. To be fair, that has certainly been the mainstream Christian position too until fairly recently. An exception is made for Judaism and Christianity, which Muslims consider prototypes or precursors of Islam, "The People of the Book". However, even though Christians and Jews are tolerated, they are second-class citizens and for a Muslim to convert to these religions is considered apostasy.

The rigidity of these codes varies enormously from country to country, and through historical time. During the middle ages, for example, the Muslim world was much more tolerant of the Christian community than vice-versa, and the Muslims were also much more tolerant of the Jews than the European Christians were.

This is why you always hear Muslims speak about how they are opposed to "Zionists" as opposed to against Jews, since their own Koran exhorts them to treat Jews and Christians with respect. The "Zionist" label allows them to hate with impunity. It does not explain acts of terrorism by Muslims against Jews who are not Zionists, such as the recent synagogue bombings in Buenos Aires.

I believe the current antipathy of Muslims to Jews is more psychological and social than religious or political. The Christians have always been feared as a military power, from the days of the Crusades to the ascendancy of Europe over the Ottoman Empire and the days of European colonialism in the MidEast and North Africa. The Jews were never considered a threat, but were always seen as quaint, eccentric, and perhaps a bit cowardly. Muslims always saw them as their goofy distant cousins, laughable, but harmless.

The ascendancy of Israel changed all that. After repeated military defeats at the hands of a Jewish state, it soon appeared that not only Muslim religion was at risk, but Muslim manhood as well. Their quaint, eccentric cousins had grown up and they would not tolerate being second class any more. The fundamentalist Muslim response was that this could only happen because of a conspiracy of Christians and Jews against the true believers.

Muslims are not dumber or smarter than any other race of people, and I am sure that many educated Muslims would have no trouble agreeing with anything I've said here, but it is highly unlikely they would bring it up in their own communities. For their leadership, Israel is a useful distraction, a way to keep their own people from noticing their own political and economic problems. They can conveniently blame everything on the Israelis. As I've mentioned before, the Muslims, especially the Arabs, need Israel the way conservatives need Commies. If Israel didn't exist they would have to invent it.

There never will be peace in the Middle East until Israel suffers a massive military defeat and Muslim military macho honor is restored. The question is, will a victorious Islamic army stop at just winning a war, or will they feel the need to exterminate their helpless foe?