Originally posted by the Bear:
I think the US and Israel know a little fact... and a few
other people know this too... some know but refuse to admit to it..
that [b]Palestine as a country never existed...
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Way back on March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an
interview with Palestine Liberation Organization executive
committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said:
The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a
Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle
against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today
there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians
and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak
today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab
national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct
"Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.
For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with
defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a
Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and
Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of
Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and
Jordan.
---------------------------------
So what do you think of the PLO?
Remember.. these are the people whose protection of Hamas, the
Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade cause more damage to
their "own cause" then all the Israelis can ever do... remember
Barak and his offer which was thrown out of the window by
Arafat?
The Israelis are brutal... but there is this very true saying
there..
If the Arabs put down their arms, there will be peace in the Middle
East.
If the Israelis put down their arms, they will be extinct.
What would you do against everyone who is out to destroy you?
[/b]
Interesting article that you have posted, and would add that
this is nothing new, as Israel has posted more then what this PLO
Official has said - (try the sites below).
http://www.science.co.il/Israel-history.asp
http://www.cdn-friends-icej.ca/isreport/july01/history_palestine.html
Right or wrong, irregardless of whether Palestine exist as a
country - which one can identify with distinctive political
boundaries - the fact remains that there are displaced people, as a
consequence of the 'artificial changes' made to the land by the
British and French Colonial Government of this region just after
WW2.
Israel as a state, or a country with defined political borders, no
longer existed when the Roman Empire swept across the various
communities that are found along the eastern rim of the
Mediteranean Sea.
With the Romans conquering this entire region, the Jews were
dispersed to the four corners of the world.
The land areas that formed the present day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan,
Iraq, and Israel were ruled in succession by peoples from outside
this region from 146 B.C. till 1948 A.D - with the British being
the last rulers of the land.
When the Jews were allowed to return to this land that is referred
conveniently as Palestine, they had to be settled somewhere in this
tight corridor of space - from the eastern shores of the
Mediteranean on one side, and the banks of the Dead Sea on the
other side.
With the Jews having left the place of their historical origin for
more then 1,000 years and with their sudden return by political
arrangements of Colonial Rulers, the local residents have to make
way for the returning Jews.
When more Jews returned - (as recorded during those early days of
modern Israeli history) - it resulted in more local residents being
moved out of THEIR TRADITIONAL LAND.
The return of the Jews have since continued from 1948 till the
present day; and with more new settlements being created from land
that is legislated or simply grabbed from the LOCAL Residents -
whom are conveniently referred to as Palestinians.
Even if there is no country named as "Palestine" in history - (and
by extension one would conclude that there is no such people called
"Palestinians" ) - it does not lessen the injustice done to these
displaced people, simply to readjust history to accomodate the
return of the Jews to a land that they have voluntarily fled, and
an anciet country that was wiped off the map of the world for more
then 1,000 years.
If every people, or race,.or community, or ethnicity, is allowed to
claim their historical rights to any piece of land, and evict those
who have been living on the same piece of land for generations
passed to the present day, such claims can only lead to chaos,
confusion to world order, and resulting in violent conflicts to
preserve and reclaim territories lost.
Although, much has been said of the use of violence and terrorism
by the PLO, and of their relations with extremist groups, one
should not forget that the creation of Israel was made possible
only by the similar use of terrorist tactics by the advanced
parties of Jews that were allowed to arrive by the British Colonial
Government.
The Jews that returned to this land in 1948, formed underground
cells to terrorise the families of the British Colonial Government,
attacking the British Military Facilities, to steal their weapons
and equipment, and cause havoc and civil disorder with sabotage of
civil facilities; and the ultimate terrorist weapon of
assassination was also used by the Jewish Underground.
What difference does it make if the PLO is using the same strategy
to ensure their own existence and their own rights to the land of
their birth which they did not leave since even before the arrival
of the Romans; and even before the time of Abraham - the Father of
the Jews.
