A Preparation of Impromptu Remarks

“…How often in talks with Rogers, Kissinger, Sisco and others has Egypt heard the Americans say, in effect, ‘we’re not interested in raking over the past: lets look at the situation as it is today.’ But today’s situation is the creation of yesterday.“
-Mohamed Heikal, The Road to Ramadan

Were Arab-Muslim “Palestinians” emotionally tied to their own plot of land in Palestine, based on a consistent presence for thousands of years, as it is sometimes said? Ignorance and unawareness about ongoing events and conditions in ‘Palestine’ for the past 2,500-something-years up until present day have created a distorted view of the Middle East conflict. Those who say that what happened in the past is not relevant or of importance when it comes to what is happening NOW, are dead wrong. It doesn’t make any sense to not look at the past. I believe the quote by Mohamed Heikal states the matter quite simply. The past has everything to do with what’s happening today. You cannot solve a problem with a lack of understanding and an insensitivity about the problem’s very roots.

It is often said that the Palestinian refugee crisis was caused by the return of the Jews and the formation of an official nation, Israel, in 1948. Yes, the Jews came back to their Holy Land in mass numbers around the 40s and onward. And yes, there were/are residents, now referred to as “Palestinians,” in Palestine during this time. And YES, afterwards a refugee crisis developed. But some very important points that are almost ALWAYS glossed over must be brought to the surface. When the Jews began to return to their Holy Land, did they enter violently? No. They were bedraggled, malnourished and excited about the opportunity to live without the fear of being attacked and massacred every time a malady broke out. In fact, many of them made the journey before 1948 from surrounding Arab nations in which they had been severely oppressed. However, violence did erupt quite rapidly in the Holy Land, especially on May 15, 1948, because both parties felt threatened – specifically the Arab residents who obviously had a lot against the Jews forming a nation. After hearing of the United Nations plan to partition the territory of the British Mandate of Palestine into two states (Jewish and Arab), they were enraged. This would not do. 80% of the land offered to the Jews had desert and swamp-like terrain. The Arabs, however, were offered large tracts of fertile land in the West Bank and Northern Galilee. Still, they rejected the offer to have their own state and proceeded to wage war. If they had accepted the offer, there would be no “Palestinian” refugee crisis today. They denied this generous offer because if they accepted it, an independent Jewish nation would exist. So, in May of 1948, the armies of Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Iraq, and Lebanon (who were supported by other Arab nations) invaded the newly established nation, Israel, with the intent of destroying it. But before that topic is covered in more detail, it is necessary to review the “stats” of both of these groups: Jewish and Arab. Many compare the Palestinians to the Native Americans. They justify this comparison by saying that just as the Native Americans were trampled on/forced out of America by the early settlers, so the Palestinians were trampled on by the incoming Jews. That is an inaccurate comparison for many reasons, and I hope these reasons will reveal themselves by the end of this discussion.

There are a lot of misconceptions concerning the often mentioned, but not embellished on, “rich cultural background” of the Palestinians (let alone an actual group of Palestinians). It is necessary that one examines the Palestinian culture versus Jewish culture throughout time in the land now known as Israel. But before that, one must understand a very basic concept: the roots of the name “Palestine,” and why the area was even named that in the first place.

Why “Palestine”?

“It may seem inappropriate to have devoted so much time to ‘a situation which passed away two thousand years ago.’ But it is only politically that the defeat by Rome, and the scattering of the Jewish population, made a decisive change in the history of The Land. That which had been created by more than a thousand years of Jewish history remained…” – James Parkes

The name “Palestine” was conceived as a result of the Philistine’s brief residence in the maritime plain of southern ‘Palestine.’ The Philistines were late arrivals and only exercised control over the land for a few decades at the most. They were an Aegean people who had been driven out of Greece and the Aegean islands around 1300 BC. In 1200 they attempted to invade Egypt, but were turned back. Thus began their brief inhabitance of the area that would later be dubbed “Palestine” by the Romans. During their short time in the land, they formed a series of city-states, but never developed a cohesive/exclusive Philistine nation. Years later (after the Philistines, during the time of Roman dominance), around 135 AD, historical texts prove that the name “Judea” (what the land was called at the time) was abolished. This is around when the great Jewish revolt of Bar-Kokhba occurred. Near the time of the revolt, Romans began to call the area “Palestine” or “Syria Palestine,” in attempt to remove the historic Jewish identify of the land and suppress the Jews (who also had a very strong presence during the Roman era and sometimes rioted because of their lack of rights, etc.).

The Consistent Jewish Presence

As it has been mentioned previously, Jews had a presence in “Palestine” under the Roman rule even though the name Judea was changed to “Palestine” in attempt to eradicate proof that the land was of Jewish historical background. During the era of Roman rule, Emperor Hadrian was determined to rid the land of Jewish nationalism. He ordered that Jewish traditions such as circumcision, the Sabbath, the reading of the law, etc. were to end. They were absolutely forbidden. Hadrian was also quite determined to convert Jerusalem into a Roman colony.

Here is a quick excerpt from From Time Immemorial by Joan Peters that puts the situation into an enlightening perspective:

“After the Jews’ Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the revolt of the Jewish leader Bar Kochba – who had ‘200,000 men at his command’ – recaptured Jerusalem and many ’strongholds and villages throughout the country.’ The ‘full-scale country-wide war …. raged with fierce bitterness for four years, the Romans having to bring legion after legion of reinforcements to suppress the insurgents. Although the Romans ultimately regained political reign, ’sacked the city [of Jerusalem] … and expelled the bulk of the Jewish survivors from the country,’ the cost of victory was shattering – ‘it is said that as many as 580,000 men were slain!’ – Romans as well as Jews. It was after the debacle that Hadrian changed the name of the city of Jerusalem to Aelia Capitolina, ordered the building of a temple of Jupiter on the Jewish temple site and ‘forbade any Jew, on pain of death, to appear within sight of the city.’ But in the same way that Judea did not disappear, neither did the Jews abandon their land. A number had obstinately remained, and many others quickly returned to rebuild their world. Some Jews, however, fled the Roman conquest for other points – including Arabia, where they formed some new settlements and in many instances joined Jewish Arabian communities established at the time of release from the captivity of Babylon or existing even before then. Thus evolved the flight of the first “Palestinian” refugees – the Judeans, or Jews.“

Side Note – The Jewish Refugees: Many Jews sought refuge in the Arabian Peninsula. Numerous historical and traveler accounts report the prosperity brought to certain areas in the land (Medina, for example) because of the Jewish… (OR, since the Judea was dubbed “Palestine” by the Romans, then they could also, technically speaking, be called “Palestinians”) refugees’ skills in craft and agriculture. Interestingly enough, the Prophet Mohammed was a member of the Quraysh tribe which was envious of the Jew’s bounty… this is where the bad relations between the Arabs and Muslims began. Historian Guillaume says, “They had irritated him [Muhammad] by their refusal to recognize him as a prophet, by ridicule and by argument; and of course their economic supremacy…. was a standing irritant.” He later announced, “Two religions may not dwell together on the Arabian Peninsula.” This is an edict that was carried out by Abu Bakr and Omar I, Muhammad’s successors. Under these leaders the entirety of the Jewish settlements throughout northern Arabia were systematically slaughtered. It was around this time that the Jewish dhimmi evolved. From then on Jews in Arab lands were treated as inferiors and forced to relinquish any prosperity. The extremity of these conditions varied according to the time, but never was life easy.

The details of Muhammad’s contact with the Jews and how their beliefs influenced him is a huge topic and will be covered more in depth some other time.

Continuation on the Jewish Presence: In 1937 the British Royal Commission reported – “Always… since the fall of the Jewish state some Jews have been living in Palestine… fresh immigrants arrived from time to time… [and] settled mainly in Galilee, in numerous villages spreading northwards to the Lebanon and in the towns of Safed and Tiberias.”

Basically, a very similar story can be told of the Jews that resided in their Holy Land under the numerous conquests: They often had dhimmi status, lived in tight communities, rioted against the authority that messed with them, etc. They were always there. Even during “abolishment” a portion of Jews always stood firm in the land. Always. Not only do the Jews have the CONSISTENCY of a presence over the alleged and very non-consistent “Palestinians,” but their attachments to the land go back much, much FARTHER. Therefore, the Palestinians are, in fact not comparable to the Native Americans at all. To equate them as such makes no sense and that analogy has no relevance whatsoever.

In 1939, a British member of Parliament pointed out, “…a thousand years before the Prophet Mohammed was born, the Jew, already exiled, sitting by the waters of Babylon, was singing: ‘If I forget thee O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its cunning.’”

James Parkes also words the situation quite well:

“….Jewry has nowhere established another independent national centre; and, as is natural, the Land of Israel is intertwined far more intimately into the religious and historical memories of the people; for their connection with the country has been of much longer duration – in fact it has been continuous from the 2nd millennium B.C. up to modern times…. The Land therefore has provided an emotional centre which has endured through the whole of their period of ‘exile’, and has led to constant returns or attempted returns, culminating in our own day in the Zionist Movement.”

Israel was already a nation at about 1220 BC – that’s about 2,000 years before the Arab invasion. But we all know what happened… Muhammad!

The Qu’ran, The Clans, surah XXXIII: “Some [Jews] you slew and others you took captive. He [Allah] made you masters of their land, their houses and their goods, and yet of another land on which you never set foot before. Truly, Allah has power over all things.” (Remember, the Arab conquest was in 635 AD. Before that there had been other conquests, but upon the arrival of the Arabs, the Jews still had a very dominant presence. Also, as will be discussed shortly, the Arab reign and presence in the land was a brief one.)

Palestine Royal Commision, 1937: “A number of…. Jews clung throughout the centuries…. to what had once been their national soil.”

What is Palestine and who are the Palestinians?

Arabs in Judah-cum-Palestine were either regarded as members of a “pan-Arab nation,” a “Muslim community,” or, in what many believe to be a tactical ploy, the “Southern Syrians.” Here is a brief overview of some of the Arab views regarding “Arab land” and the territory of “Palestine”:

• The beginning article of a 1919 Arab Covenant which was proposed by the Arab Congress in Jerusalem stated, “The Arab lands are a complete and indivisible whole, and the divisions of whatever nature to which they have been subjected are not approved or recognized by the Arab nation.”

• The General Syrian Congress (1919) had an opposing view to the aforementioned: “We ask that there should be no separation of the southern part of Syria, known as Palestine…”

• In 1939, Arab historian George Antonius delineated Palestine as part of “the whole country of that name [Syria] which is now split up into mandated territories.”

• In 1951 The Constitution of the Arab Ba’ath Party stated, “The Arabs form one nation. This nation has the natural right to live in a single state and be free to direct its own destiny… to gather all Arabs in a single, independent Arab state.”

• In 1956 a Saudi Arabian United Nations delegate asserted that “it is common knowledge that Palestine is nothing but Southern Syria.”|

• Syria’s President Assad amazingly incorporated BOTH views in his 1974 statement: “Palestine is not only a part of our Arab homeland, but a basic part of southern Syria.”

Amongst all of the views, the one identity never considered was that of an “Arab Palestinian” homeland. That is, Palestine being a distinct nation with a distinct people. It was either grouped into overall Arab territory or dubbed as part of southern Syria. Never, never, never did an independent Palestine exist. That is why if one tries to look up “Palestinian economy” or “causalities in the Palestinian army,” they will find nothing of true value. What they WILL find is information on ARAB economic systems and ARAB causalities (in the wars fought against Israel). And by Arab this means: Egypt, Transjordan/Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, etc. Isn’t it peculiar that the surrounding Arab nations were so enraged when Israel declared its independence? Isn’t it peculiar that these Arab nations proceeded to invade Israel? Where was Palestine’s response when all this happened? Hello. There was no Palestinian nation. It was all “Arab territory,” apparently. That’s why it’s so funny that the Arab’s are now uptight about letting what they once referred to as their own people into their nations. Why? Because they’re pissed off and have an agenda. Also, there would be plenty of room for them to accept these “refugees” because after 1948 thousands of Jewish refugees fled from the Arab states:

• Morocco – 260,000
• Algeria – 14,000
• Tunisia – 56,000
• Libya – 35,000
• Egypt – 89,525
• Syria – 4,500
• Iraq – 129,290
• Yemen & Aden – 50,552

The Arab states could have easily rehabilitated the refugees by integrating them in after those thousands of Jewish refugees fled. But they didn’t. It makes sense and would be a good solution… why not? So the Arabs in general not only denied their opportunity to have an independent Palestine, attacked Israel after they became a nation, persecuted the Jews residing in their lands, but they also refused to do the one thing they could seriously do to help solve the refugee problem they complain about so often. On top of that, before Israel’s national status, the Arabs never agreed on Palestine being a distinct area/ a nation of Palestinian peoples. [[To those who say it's all about politics, that religion and past enmities have nothing to do with it: You're a moron. If you find it too archaic to include the past as valid evidence for what's going on now and how situations should be approached, there is some serious fluid floating around in your brain diluting all thought processes. I say this in love, of course.]] They couldn’t settle for just part of the land even though the Jews had even more of a valid claim to it then they do/did. Yep. That’s right. Some people still use the “archaic” thought process and think that what happened in the past shouldn’t be overlooked because things “work differently now.” The origins of this conflict cannot be changed and the conflict still largely centers around religion. Religious beliefs have always been a key factor amongst the various political agendas. Arab animosity toward Jews has been especially hot since Muhammad came around. And of course the Jewish animosity is returned. What would you expect? Just look at history. They caused the refugee crisis when they refused to accept the two state offer. The Jews didn’t object – it was the Arabs. This rejection forced many of the residents into the awkward refugee situation. It only grew afterwards because the Arab nations continued to deny them a right to return into any of the distinct Arab nations. Even though many of these “Palestinians” are descendants/of the same origins of said Arabs.

According to the British Palestine Royal Commission Report:

“In the twelve centuries or more that have passed since the Arab conquest Palestine has virtually dropped out of history…. In economics as in politics Palestine lay outside the main stream of the world’s life. In the realm of thought, in science or in letters, it made no contribution to modern civilization. Its last state was worse than its first.”

Until recently (as in before Israel became an independent nation), the Arab world frequently negated the validity of any claim of an “age-old Palestinian Arab” identity. Why is that? Jealousy. Past animosities. Honestly – just look at history. It is possible to get a pretty clear picture of the situation even though there is so much propaganda floating around. Heck, the propaganda itself reveals some interesting truths about the situation.

A recognized authority of Middle Eastern history, professor Bernard Lewis, says, “From the end of the Jewish state in antiquity to the beginning of the British rule, the area now designated by the name Palestine was not a country and had no frontiers, only administrative boundaries; it was a group of provincial subdivisions, by no means always the same, within a larger entity.” In fact, it is quite ironic that there is absolutely no legitimate evidence for a distinct Palestinian culture or organized nation called Palestine before 1948. After all, the Arab domination of the land was not a long lasting one. And even when they ruled, there was still a decent sized population of Jews whose ancestors had been residing in the land, and their ancestors before them, etc. In the February 1919 Paris Peace Conference, the Muslim chairmen of Syria said, “The only Arab domination since the conquest in 635 A.D. hardly lasted, as such, 22 years.” And later, in 1937, the British Palestine Royal Commission reported, “…it is time, surely, that Palestinian ‘citizenship’ …. should be recognized as what it is, as nothing but a legal formula devoid of moral meaning.”

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The Palestinian refugee crisis had many intricate events leading up to it. It didn’t just happen overnight when the Jews arrived. There were many occurrences that influenced how the Arabs responded to this matter, some of which I touched on, but many which I did not. There are tons of different factors that play into the Middle East crisis and it is truly unique in a myriad of ways. If I wasn’t so exhausted I’d probably rant about that for another hour, but it’s time to stop. I’ve failed to mention about 90% of important matters regarding this situation and will be posting more on it continuously, mixed in with other sporadic entries of course. This probably has a lot of typos. I’ll edit as I find.