Historical accuracy intrudes on Palestinian propaganda

I wrote this a while ago, thinking there needed to be a bit more context in the narrative of Israel and the refugees.  It seems more appropriate today as anti-semitism is on the rise, and Jews across the world are once again suffering under the weight of false accusations and malicious lies.

The true history of the land of Palestine has been clouded by Arab propaganda and years of demonization, this is a small attempt to put in perspective the struggle between two disparate ideologies.


Opinion vs Fact in the Middle East

   Daniel Patrick Moynahan once said, "Everyones entitled to their own opinions, but no one is entitled to their own facts" and I believe that facts should always be acknowledged, even if they make one uncomfortable or challenge their long-held

beliefs.  Opinions should never get in the way of facts or the truth, especially in regards to Israel and the refugees.  A review of history is in order to bring the focus back on who the enemy of peace between Israel and the refugees really is.

  

   1948 saw the creation of the State of Israel and the beginning of 60 years of persecution and attacks against Israel and the  Jewish people.  UN resolution 181, which supposedly had the backing of Arab countries called into exsistence Israel and gave her the land which was part of the UN partition plan approved in 1947.Also in this

partition was land given to the Arabs, a land mass almost 10 times greater that Israel. 

   The British had negotiated with the Arabs in good faith to back this partition plan as it was the best way for all parties concerned to get what they deserve.  The Arab League, however refused the deal, and with their condemnation came a flurry of rejections,

with Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia claiming "We have pledged ourselves before God and history to fulfil the Charter in good faith, thereby respecting human rights and

repelling aggression....the Government of Saudi Arabia registers, on this historic occasion, the fact that it does not consider itself bound by the resolution adopted today by the General Assembly. Furthermore, it reserves to itself the full right to act freely in whatever way it deems fit." H. R. H. Amir Faisal al Saud, or this rejection from  Mr. Jarnali (Iraq) who stated "We did our best during the last few weeks to expound the spirit and the letter of the Charter and apply it to Palestine...therefore, in the name of my Government, I wish to put on record that Iraq does not recognise the validity of this decision, will reserve freedom of action towards its implementation, and holds those who were influential in passing it against the free conscience of mankind responsible for the consequences". 

   Syria had this view voiced by Amir Arslan, "My country will never recognise such a decision. It will never agree to be responsible for it. Let the consequences be on the heads of others, not on ours".  All the other Arab members of the UN had similar sentiments after UN resolution 181 was passed. 

   The final nail in Israels coffin as far as the Arabs were concerned came from the Arab League in their own lockstep reply to UN181 where they stated in no uncertain terms, "[These States also] declared the Arabs' rejection of [that solution] and that it would not be possible to carry it out by peaceful means, and that its forcible imposition would constitute a threat to peace and security in this area....The Governments of the Arab States emphasise, on this occasion, what they have already declared before the London Conference and the United Nations, that the only solution of the Palestine problem is the establishment of a unitary Palestinian State..."So in other words, Israel is the problem and when they're gone and Palestine is its own "unitary Palestinian state" then there will be peace in the Middle East.  So now we have the precedent for the animosity from Arabs towards Jews on the record at the UN. 

   Now that the Arab league has made its intentions clear the next problem comes in the form of the Arab Palestinians who now are between their Arab brothers and the "evil" Zionists.  With war fast approaching and the Arab countries assured of  being able to "push Israel into the sea" the local populace were told by their Arab masters to leave for just a few hours, maybe a few days, just until we kill the Jews and destroy Israel, then you can come back and we'll have all the land for ourselves. 

   The propaganda from Arabs has always been that the Jews caused the refugee problem by practicing what is unflatteringly called "ethnic cleansing" on the Palestinians.  Unfortunately this is also a case of having ones own facts.  It is known, although not politically correct to report, that more and more Palestinians are coming out with their stories on exactly what happened during the flight of the refugees.  Here are but a couple of statements from the Palestinians themselves. 

   May 13 in Al-Ayyam, an official Palestine Authority paper, Palestinian journalist Jawad al-Bashiti had this to say, ""Remind me of one real cause from all the factors that have caused the "Palestinian Catastrophe" and I will remind you that it still exists...During the....Palestinian Catastrophe the following happened: the first war between Arabs and Israel had started and the "Arab Salvation Army" came and told the Palestinians: 'We have come to you in order to liquidate the Zionists and their state. Leave your houses and villages, you will return to them in a few days safely. Leave them so we can fulfill our mission (destroy Israel) in the best way and so you won't be hurt.'

   Mahmaud Al-Habbash, Palestinian journalist in the official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida said this on Dec 13, 2006, ""...The leaders and the elites promised us at the beginning of the "Catastrophe" in 1948, that the duration of the exile will not be long, and that it will not last more than a few days or months, and afterwards the refugees will return to their homes, which most of them did not leave only until they put their trust in those "Arkuvian" promises made by the leaders and the political elites. Afterwards, days passed, months, years and decades, and the promises were lost with the strain of the succession of events..."

   During an Arab summit meeting in 2001, Fuad Abu Higla regular columnist for the Al Hayat Al Jadida wrote an article criticizing Arab leaders.  He quoted from a letter written by a prisoner in Acre prison to the summit attendees, "To the [Arab and Muslim] Kings and Presidents, poverty is killing us, the symptoms are exhausting us and the souls are leaving our body, yet you are still searching for the way to provide aid, like one who is looking for a needle in a haystack or like the armies of your predecessors in the year of 1948, who forced us to leave [Israel], on the pretext of clearing the battlefields of civilians...So what will your summit do now?"

   These eye-witness accounts of the horrors of the war against Israel reflect the real world of Islamic politics and Arab hatred towards Israel, starting in 1948 and continuing to this day.  There is no doubt that the refugee problem in Palestine is a terrible action, a nakba, perpetuated against those innocent people by the very people who claimed to be looking out for their interests.  If this was true and their welfare was being looked after then the Palestine people would have a homeland by now, and the Arabs and Islamists wouldn't be so hell-bent on pushing Israel into the sea. 

   Israel is the only democracy in the ME that practices those ethical and moral standards endemic to freedom, liberty and hope.  Yes, Israel is not perfect and yes, they have to answer for some of their behavior.  That does not mean that they become the scapegoat for any and all Arab "victimization" or give up the basic foundations of what they have created. 

   Palestinians must recognize Israel’s right to exsist.  Israel has given up more than it should have to in order to appease their enemies.  That has not worked, and it shouldn't be forced down Israels throat again and again. 

  Finally, I will go back to the original point that started this article: the real enemy of peace is the ideology which drives Arab countries.  The ideology of hatred against Jews.  The ideology of Islam.