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MSR · 11-12-04, 07:18 AM

What Palestinian Nation?
Part II

Palestine in the 20th Century

In 1918 the Arab peoples of Palestine allied with the Jewish population revolted against the Ottoman Turks and helped the British gain control of all of Palestine. The League of Nations gave Britain a mandate over Palestine that was to last from 1922-1948. Under this mandate, the Nation of Israel was to be re-instated to fulfill the Balfour Declaration of 1917. The Arab peoples claimed that promises were also made to them through Husein ibn Ali of Mecca in an 1915 correspondence from the British. This stated that after the war the Arabs would be given independence for their countries too. Britain tried various legislative solutions to allow the Jewish Palestinians and the Arab Palestinians to peacefully co-exist. But the Arabs rejected involvement in the legislatures. In 1936 the Arab Palestinians led a revolt, and in 1939 the British agreed to restrict further Jewish immigration and Jewish land purchases from Arab Palestinians.

The end of World War II brought no clear solution to the problems in Palestine. Finally the British turned the problem over to the United Nations in April of 1947. The UN proposed partitioning of Palestine but, the “Mufti of Jerusalem” the proclaimed spokesmen for the Arab Palestinians, rejected the plan while the Israelis accepted it. The State of Israel was re-established on May 14, 1948. Five Arab countries immediately attacked. Out number 1,300,000 to 600,000, the Jewish state defeated their attackers and actually expanded her boarders. But Israel was not the only one who expanded her boarders. Jordan and Egypt also refused to leave UN designated “Palestinian lands”.

In 1956 Israel defeated Egypt in what became known as the Suez-Sinai War. Ten years later Egypt organized a confederation of the Arab states that surrounded Israel and were on the verge of attacking them when, on June 5, 1967, Israel preemptively struck the confederation troops and defeated them in six days. This was an amazing accomplishment in light of the fact she was out numbered at every level by the nations who rose against her. Israel destroyed 309 of the 340 total combat aircraft belonging to Egypt during day one. Israel then destroyed two thirds of Syria’s air force on day two. At 10am on day three Jordan signed a peace accord with Israel. By the end of the fourth day, Syria, too, signed a peace accord. The victory of the six-day war finally ended a decade of terrorist activities of Jordan, Syria and Egypt when the Israelis occupied the areas the three nations had used to launch these attacks. These areas were: the Egyptian-controlled Gaza Strip, the Jordanian-controlled West Bank, and the Golan Heights region, from which Syria regularly shelled Israeli farms. When it was all over, Egypt had lost about 11,000 troops, Jordan had lost about 6,000, Syria had lost about 1,000, and Israel lost 700. Though decimated by the Israelis during the six-day war Egypt retreated but never signed an official peace accord. Although there was the Arab-Israeli War in 1973, the framework of the post six-day war accords was never abandoned.

In 1979, Israel and Egypt finally signed an accord that would solidify Israel’s possession of the land. Having signed peace accords with Jordan, Syria and now Egypt, the Nation of Israel was finally legitimized by its Arab neighbors. However, by this time the Arab Palestinians had already realized that their Arab ancestors would no longer fight for their cause. So they established the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) in 1972. The PLO was an attempt to build the first “Palestinian” governmental unit that could speak with one voice in their struggle. But the PLO has always been plagued with in-fighting and an ongoing inability to condemn terrorist activities of it’s members. It has been generally accepted as a terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel.

The present struggle in Israel is still focused on the regions Israel occupied after the six-day war. Many of these areas are targeted by the Arab Palestinians as a “Home Land” along with many of the Muslim “holy” sites in the region, which encompasses Jerusalem. Israel, in an attempt to maintain the peace, has given many of these lands up for self-rule to the Palestinians. But unfortunately the terrorist activities of the pre six-day war days seem to be repeating themselves where these areas are being used by the Palestinians to terrorize Israel.

Who has the “Best Claim” on Palestine?

So here we have it, the history of Palestine. Over the millennia there have been many “Palestinians”. The Canaanites, the Philistines and the Hebrews all were occupants of the land at the dawn of its written history. Israel established the first capital of Palestine (Jerusalem) in 1000 BC and by 950 BC all three of these people groups had united under the one nation, the nation of Israel. If one wanted to argue that the earliest claim is the most legitimate, then one of these groups would be the leading contender. Certainly the establishing of Jerusalem as the first capital of a governmental body would also make for a very powerful original claim to the land. The very fact that Israel, as a people group, has survived in the land for almost three thousand years with some form of self-rule for at least 1500 years of its history must also count for something.

The truth of the matter is that the Palestinians of today seem to have descended from people groups that were abandoned in the land by the various Arab nations of the Middle East as they retreated in defeat. They are Syrians, Egyptians, Iraqis and Jordanians. But over the centuries they have united and in a way have created their own unique race of people. This homogenization has worked against them in the eyes of their descendants who no longer see them has belonging. Thus the Arab nations find themselves supporting a “homeland” for the Palestinians, as long as it is in Israel. The bottom line is that, apart from Lebanon, Israel is the only nation in the region who has ever made an attempt to share their nation with the Arab Palestinians.

We must remember that the leaders of today are really only dealing with what has happened in the last 40 years. In some cases you can see the problems bubbling up as long ago as 70 years, but previous to that there was, by and large, peaceful co-existence of the people of the land, where the Palestinians (be them Hebrew or Arab) found that they had a common enemy “the invaders of the land”. After World War II they found themselves competing with each other for the same land. I think for the Palestinians it has been more of a need for recognition by the world rather than a rightful pursuit of a homeland. We have to also remember that the nation of Israel was “re-established” After WWII. The fact is that in 1948, there was no Palestinian nation to re-establish. There never had been one. The United Nations needed to invent one and they attempted to do that but the Arab Palestinians rejected the plan. Even then, Israel supported a Palestinian homeland. But the pains of the last 40 years have made her very selfish with her autonomy and her right to defend herself.

I think that Israel is in her rightful place in Palestine. I think she has shown herself to be willing to co-exist. But in Palestine, as in your community, if your neighbor is throwing bombs over your fence and wounding and killing your family, you begin to hope they would move. You might even be driven to defend yourself. Israel is not an innocent in this battle. But who is innocent in war? I am just saying that for the most part, Israel seems to be trying to be a citizen of the world as the less civilized forces around her are jealously bent on her destruction.

In a 21st century world with the examples of so many democratic forms of government, one would hope that Israel would find some way to exist together with the Palestinian Arabs. But this has shown itself to be imposable. The truth of the matter is that the “Palestinians”, at least for now, don’t really want peaceful co–existence. They want Israel removed from the land, especially Jerusalem, and her people destroyed. As you might expect, with the Israelis establishing the city of Jerusalem 3000 years ago, it is very unlikely they will ever give her up again without being forced. They have understood the concerns of the Palestinians about Jerusalem and have maintained Tel Aviv as their capital up to now. But that may change with the events of late. The last year has slowly revealed that the official “Palestinian” governmental bodies seem to not have the support of their people and as always have been unable to remove the terrorist reputation that plagues them. It is naive for us to think or even expect Israel to just turn everything they have struggled for in the last 4000 years to a people group who were not even officially organized until 1972.

Are the Israelis at time brutal? Yes they are. Is there a race issue here? Yes there is. Can we judge it using American Standards? We are naive if we do. We can’t ignore history.

11-12-04, 07:18 AM	#3 (permalink)
MSR User Join Date: Sep 2004 Last Online: 10-27-06 04:03 PM Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 100 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Lean:	Re: Arafat Dead, Say Palestinian Sources Amid Confusion What Palestinian Nation? Part II Palestine in the 20th Century In 1918 the Arab peoples of Palestine allied with the Jewish population revolted against the Ottoman Turks and helped the British gain control of all of Palestine. The League of Nations gave Britain a mandate over Palestine that was to last from 1922-1948. Under this mandate, the Nation of Israel was to be re-instated to fulfill the Balfour Declaration of 1917. The Arab peoples claimed that promises were also made to them through Husein ibn Ali of Mecca in an 1915 correspondence from the British. This stated that after the war the Arabs would be given independence for their countries too. Britain tried various legislative solutions to allow the Jewish Palestinians and the Arab Palestinians to peacefully co-exist. But the Arabs rejected involvement in the legislatures. In 1936 the Arab Palestinians led a revolt, and in 1939 the British agreed to restrict further Jewish immigration and Jewish land purchases from Arab Palestinians. The end of World War II brought no clear solution to the problems in Palestine. Finally the British turned the problem over to the United Nations in April of 1947. The UN proposed partitioning of Palestine but, the “Mufti of Jerusalem” the proclaimed spokesmen for the Arab Palestinians, rejected the plan while the Israelis accepted it. The State of Israel was re-established on May 14, 1948. Five Arab countries immediately attacked. Out number 1,300,000 to 600,000, the Jewish state defeated their attackers and actually expanded her boarders. But Israel was not the only one who expanded her boarders. Jordan and Egypt also refused to leave UN designated “Palestinian lands”. In 1956 Israel defeated Egypt in what became known as the Suez-Sinai War. Ten years later Egypt organized a confederation of the Arab states that surrounded Israel and were on the verge of attacking them when, on June 5, 1967, Israel preemptively struck the confederation troops and defeated them in six days. This was an amazing accomplishment in light of the fact she was out numbered at every level by the nations who rose against her. Israel destroyed 309 of the 340 total combat aircraft belonging to Egypt during day one. Israel then destroyed two thirds of Syria’s air force on day two. At 10am on day three Jordan signed a peace accord with Israel. By the end of the fourth day, Syria, too, signed a peace accord. The victory of the six-day war finally ended a decade of terrorist activities of Jordan, Syria and Egypt when the Israelis occupied the areas the three nations had used to launch these attacks. These areas were: the Egyptian-controlled Gaza Strip, the Jordanian-controlled West Bank, and the Golan Heights region, from which Syria regularly shelled Israeli farms. When it was all over, Egypt had lost about 11,000 troops, Jordan had lost about 6,000, Syria had lost about 1,000, and Israel lost 700. Though decimated by the Israelis during the six-day war Egypt retreated but never signed an official peace accord. Although there was the Arab-Israeli War in 1973, the framework of the post six-day war accords was never abandoned. In 1979, Israel and Egypt finally signed an accord that would solidify Israel’s possession of the land. Having signed peace accords with Jordan, Syria and now Egypt, the Nation of Israel was finally legitimized by its Arab neighbors. However, by this time the Arab Palestinians had already realized that their Arab ancestors would no longer fight for their cause. So they established the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) in 1972. The PLO was an attempt to build the first “Palestinian” governmental unit that could speak with one voice in their struggle. But the PLO has always been plagued with in-fighting and an ongoing inability to condemn terrorist activities of it’s members. It has been generally accepted as a terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel. The present struggle in Israel is still focused on the regions Israel occupied after the six-day war. Many of these areas are targeted by the Arab Palestinians as a “Home Land” along with many of the Muslim “holy” sites in the region, which encompasses Jerusalem. Israel, in an attempt to maintain the peace, has given many of these lands up for self-rule to the Palestinians. But unfortunately the terrorist activities of the pre six-day war days seem to be repeating themselves where these areas are being used by the Palestinians to terrorize Israel. Who has the “Best Claim” on Palestine? So here we have it, the history of Palestine. Over the millennia there have been many “Palestinians”. The Canaanites, the Philistines and the Hebrews all were occupants of the land at the dawn of its written history. Israel established the first capital of Palestine (Jerusalem) in 1000 BC and by 950 BC all three of these people groups had united under the one nation, the nation of Israel. If one wanted to argue that the earliest claim is the most legitimate, then one of these groups would be the leading contender. Certainly the establishing of Jerusalem as the first capital of a governmental body would also make for a very powerful original claim to the land. The very fact that Israel, as a people group, has survived in the land for almost three thousand years with some form of self-rule for at least 1500 years of its history must also count for something. The truth of the matter is that the Palestinians of today seem to have descended from people groups that were abandoned in the land by the various Arab nations of the Middle East as they retreated in defeat. They are Syrians, Egyptians, Iraqis and Jordanians. But over the centuries they have united and in a way have created their own unique race of people. This homogenization has worked against them in the eyes of their descendants who no longer see them has belonging. Thus the Arab nations find themselves supporting a “homeland” for the Palestinians, as long as it is in Israel. The bottom line is that, apart from Lebanon, Israel is the only nation in the region who has ever made an attempt to share their nation with the Arab Palestinians. We must remember that the leaders of today are really only dealing with what has happened in the last 40 years. In some cases you can see the problems bubbling up as long ago as 70 years, but previous to that there was, by and large, peaceful co-existence of the people of the land, where the Palestinians (be them Hebrew or Arab) found that they had a common enemy “the invaders of the land”. After World War II they found themselves competing with each other for the same land. I think for the Palestinians it has been more of a need for recognition by the world rather than a rightful pursuit of a homeland. We have to also remember that the nation of Israel was “re-established” After WWII. The fact is that in 1948, there was no Palestinian nation to re-establish. There never had been one. The United Nations needed to invent one and they attempted to do that but the Arab Palestinians rejected the plan. Even then, Israel supported a Palestinian homeland. But the pains of the last 40 years have made her very selfish with her autonomy and her right to defend herself. I think that Israel is in her rightful place in Palestine. I think she has shown herself to be willing to co-exist. But in Palestine, as in your community, if your neighbor is throwing bombs over your fence and wounding and killing your family, you begin to hope they would move. You might even be driven to defend yourself. Israel is not an innocent in this battle. But who is innocent in war? I am just saying that for the most part, Israel seems to be trying to be a citizen of the world as the less civilized forces around her are jealously bent on her destruction. In a 21st century world with the examples of so many democratic forms of government, one would hope that Israel would find some way to exist together with the Palestinian Arabs. But this has shown itself to be imposable. The truth of the matter is that the “Palestinians”, at least for now, don’t really want peaceful co–existence. They want Israel removed from the land, especially Jerusalem, and her people destroyed. As you might expect, with the Israelis establishing the city of Jerusalem 3000 years ago, it is very unlikely they will ever give her up again without being forced. They have understood the concerns of the Palestinians about Jerusalem and have maintained Tel Aviv as their capital up to now. But that may change with the events of late. The last year has slowly revealed that the official “Palestinian” governmental bodies seem to not have the support of their people and as always have been unable to remove the terrorist reputation that plagues them. It is naive for us to think or even expect Israel to just turn everything they have struggled for in the last 4000 years to a people group who were not even officially organized until 1972. Are the Israelis at time brutal? Yes they are. Is there a race issue here? Yes there is. Can we judge it using American Standards? We are naive if we do. We can’t ignore history. __________________ MSR The foundation of logic makes equal arguments un-equally valid.