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WHAT ARE THE
ACTUAL FACTS CONCERNING THE CONFLICT?
1) Did Palestian Authority live in this area before the Jews arrived?
The facts actually prove that the opposite is true. This area in the heart of
the Mediterranean is a strategic meeting point for three different parts of
the world. Through the years, armies have conquered this area. The Arabian
army came on the scene in the year 630 AD. Jerusalem
fell in 638 AD, Damaskus in 635 AD for the armies of Mohammed.
In spite of the attempt by the
Romans to extinguish the Jewish race in 70 AD, Jews were the largest group of
people here when the Arabians came in 630 AD. A Jewish army in Galilee of
20.000 men had at this time conquered land from the Byzantines so that many
parts of the land was ruled by Jews. It is interesting to note that the
Arabian army called the area for the
"Land of the Jews" since, of course, Jews dwelled there. The Arabs
had control over the land for 435 years until the Turks overcame them in
1.072 AD.
2) How about the name
Palestine, is it connected to the Arabs?
No, it is not. The word Palestine came from Philistine, a people who lived on
the coast in Old Testament times. They were immigrants from the Aegean Sea
Islands.
We know that the Romans had
control over the Jewish people during the time of Jesus. On several occasions
they tried to free themselves from them, but the Romans then retaliated in a
more powerful manner. Jews were driven from the land in 70 AD. We are less
familiar with the
fact that the Jewish people were restored in 132-135 AD under the leadership
of Bar Kokba (Son of the Star). During this restoration they gained control
over all of Judea, including Jerusalem.
The Roman Emperor, Hadrian,
was enraged; Jews were to be
annihilated! They were not only to lose the land, but also the name of the
country was to be eradicated. The name Palestine was chosen (Aelia Capitolina
for Jerusalem) without a special reason.
This name was brought up again
in 1917 during the peace process after World War I, and has since been used
by the Arabs quite cynically in order to obtain the right to the land.
(PS It is estimated that
Abraham left Ur in Chaldea and came to Canaan around 1900 BC. Joshua's
invasion in the land after their exodus from Egypt happened around 1400 BC.)
3. Has there been the presence
of Jews in this area since the time of Jesus?
Ever since the time of Jesus, Jewish communities, great and small, have
existed in this country. Hostile armies have seriously reduced the
population, for example, the Crusaders, who forced
the Jews into synagogues and set fire to them. Nevertheless, immigration of
Jews has continued regularly to this land. That the first printing shop here
in the Middle East was set up by Jews in Zafed/Galilee in 1563, proves the
presence of Jews here during the Middle Ages. A consensus
taken in 1880 shows that the great majority of the population in Jerusalem
was Jewish.
4. Who owns the land: The Jews
of the Arabs?
As pointed out earlier, Jews were present in the land 2,000 years before the
Arabs(1400 BC-638 AD). All the different rulers who occupied this land have
forced their faith and their language upon the ethnic population. In spite of
this, the Jewish people have survived and kept their identity, even though
they have been exposed to eradication time and time again. They alone stand
out as a distinct people here.
The sovereignty of Jews in
this area was approved during the peace process after World War I in Paris in
1919. The Turkish occupants in Israel experienced defeat at the same time as
the Germans, and the Turkish Empire was divided. France was expected to keep
peace and order in Libanon/Syria until they became independet(The French
Mandate). Egypt and the other Arab nations were promised independence. The
area, which is now Jordan and Israel, was to be
the homeland for Jews. Britain gave it the old name, Palestine (from 135 AD).
The declaration concerning this land area as a national home for Jews, was
called the Balfour Declaration.
Representatives for the Arabs in the Middle East and for the Jewish people
were invited to a Peace Conference in Paris. During this conference, Emir
Faisal agreed that Palestine should be
reserved as a separate unity for the Jewish people to govern over themselves.
Faisal accepted this Balfour agreement and signed it with the Sionist World
Organization, where he confirmed steps would be taken to secure/assure the
realization of this Balfour agreement.
This is how Emir Faisal
expressed his point of view: "Our delagation here in Paris are
acquainted with the proposals the Sionist organization has submitted at the
peace conference and we consider them reasonable and correct. As far as we
are concerned, we will do our best for the accomplishment of these proposals.
We wish the Jewish people a heartily homecoming." (March 3,1919). This
followed after the signing of the agreement between Emir Faisal and Dr.
Weisman (Jan. 3,1919).
5. Reaction over the Balfour Delclaration
Even though the Arab leaders were willing to accept a Jewish state (the Arabs
also were given quite a bit of land), the average muslim in the area did not
accept it. Arab animosity against several kibbutz in Galilee began in 1920.
During Easter of 1920 in Jerusalem, a new epoch of
strife began between the Arabs and the Jews. Suddenly the Arabs were out of
control and forced their way into the Jewish Quarter with clubs and knives,
knocked down and killed Jewish men, elders and children. They raped the women
and plundered the stores. From that time
forward, Jewish colonies have been attacked by muslim bands that killed Jews,
burned crops and vegetation or pulled trees up by the roots.
Because of this, the Jews
founded defense organization,Hagana, to defend their colonies against Arab
attack.
6. Trans-Jordan established
To please the Arabs, the British set aside the territory east of the Jordan
River as a new Arabian state (Trans-Jordan). This amounted to 4/5ths of the
Palestine territory, and is the biggest Palestinian state. The Jews then
hoped to have the remainder of the territory in peace. There
had been a great immigration of Jews since the 1850's, mostly from Russia and
Poland. The new pioneer colonies created a need for workers, causing Arabs to
come west. The British also sent
a great number of Syrian workers there, for example, when Haifa was being
built. These foreign workers never returned to Syria. (Therefore Haifa has a
relatively large Arabian population.)
1920 - 1947 Arab Terror
Even though Britain gave the Arabs an extra state: Trans-Jordan, the terror
continued toward the Jews in the land. It is comparable to the present
intifadaen which has been going on the
past few years. The Muslims will not tolerate a Jewish contolled state in this
area. During this time, Arab immigration increased greatly and unlimitedly.
The Jews had the right to immigrate but the British hindered them. We know of
Jews that had to be smuggled in at night by way
of the sea.
7. New Division of the Jewish
Homeland
The League of Nations hoped that the Arab terror would cease after the first
division of the land. But on Nov. 29, 1947, a new division occured. The
Arabians were again given an extra
state, but now in the heart of Jewish culture and history (Judea/Samaria).
Once again the world's politicians thought they could relax.
The true reason for opposition
against Jews began to surface. Wherever a Muslim state had existed, another
state must not be allowed to exist, especially not a Jewish state. The large
newborn Arab states backed by all the other Arabs in the area, proceeded to
incite one another to war against Jews throughout the winter of 1948.
Was this because the Arabs
there felt insecure? No, the Jews were not a threat to them in any way at
all. But a Jewish state had to be prevented and this is still the reason for
the conflict.
The Arabs did not need more
land. Their contention that they lived there for "thousands of
years" is false. Trans-Jordan annexation of Judea/Samaria during
Israel's war of Independence in
1948 and Egypt's possession of Gasa emphasized this. How could Arabians in
these areas tolerate being governed by Trans-Jordan and Egypt when they were
Palestinian Arabs? This is obviously not the point at all.
The definition
of Palestinians is the people, Jews and Arabs, that lived in the Palestinian
Mandate.
Palestinian-Arabs abiding there are a part of the greater Arabian nation. For
example, Yassir Arafat, the leader of the Palestinian-Arabians, asserts that
he was born in "East Jerusalem" in order to have a strong,
legitimate claim on the land. However, he was not born there, but in
Egypt, and was never outside the Egyptian border until he was 28 years old.
He attended a technical school in Cairo, but he failed the mathematics
several times, so it is uncertain whether
or not he receiveda diploma. The Palestian-Arabians do not mind that he is an
Egyptian, as long as he prevents Israel from keeping the land. Can you see
the fraud in this?
8. The "West Bank"
and "East Jerusalem"
The campaign to extinguish Israel resulted in an invasion of the land by 5
Arabian countries on Israel's Independence Day in 1948. Trans-Jordan took the
eastern part of Jerusalem, as well as
a great portion of the Judean and Samarian highlands. In spite of the League
of Nations having prohibited this, these areas were annexed. Then they
changed the name to Jordan, and called
Judea and Samaria for the "West Bank". The land was a "west
bank" for them. Should this legitimatize the name change from Judea and
Samaria? Nineteen years later Judea and Samaria
was in Israels hands. Should these 19 years legitimatize the name "West
Bank" after thousands of years of being known as Judea and Samaria? This
is a political trick: weakening the Jewish
peoples right to the land, for we know that Judea and Samaria belongs to the
Jews.
The term "East
Jerusalem" is also an artificial description with a political
denotation.
The PLO was established in
1964. Was it in order to free the "West Bank" and "East
Jerusalem"? No, because it belonged to Jordan. It was to destroy what
was left of Israel. The expression
"Palestinians" came into full play as a rhetorical means in the
political battle. In all of Jerusalem's 3000 years of history, the city has
never been divided until Trans-Jordan illegally went in and
occupied the eastern part in 1948. These 19 years when Jordan was in control
does not give anyone the right to divide the city again. Jerusalem has been
the central physical place in the
Jewish consciousness for over 3000 years. The city has never been the capitol
for any other nation that the Jewish nation.
9. Six-Day War in June 1967
In the spring of 1967, the Arabian states felt they were strong enough to
attack Israel.
Syria's H. Assad said: The
time has come for us to enter in the fight for freedom (May 29,1967).
Egypt's G. Nasser said: The
war will be total, and our main goal: The obliteration of Israel
(May 29, 1967).
Iraq's president Arif said:
Our goal is clear: to erase Israel from the face of the earth. (May 31,
1967).
Algerie's president
Boumedienne said: The Arabian combat must lead to the liquidation of Israel
(June 4, 1967).
Egypt blocked Israel's vital
connection towards the south: Tiran Strait. The Egyptian army approached
Sinai and took combat positions. On the Golan heights clattered the swords of
the Syrians. In Egypt all the military aircrafts were ready to take off in
order to destroy Israel. But Israel was ahead of the game and destroyed the
most vulnerable parts of the aircrafts' motors. This beginning was important
for the outcome of the war and as a result of this, Israel
has been accused of starting this war. Who can dare say such a thing?
Since 1948, the Arabian states
have at regular intervals started war against Israel. First, Sinai's war in 1956,
when Israel succeeded in wiping out the Egyptian terror base in Sinai. This
base was put together in cooperation between Jordan and Sinai with military
equipment from the
Soviet. After the Six-Day War, Israel had gained the Golan Heights and Sinai,
which gave Israel a valuable bufferzone between themselves and the enemy and
they felt safer.
Nonetheless, on the holiet of
days for the Jewish people-Yom Kippur- in 1973, while they were standing in
the presence of their God and repenting for the sins of the land, Syria
attacked in the north and Egypt in the south. The news of the war came to one
synagogue after another.
When the Israeli army stood
outside of Cairo and Damaskus, the Security Council stepped in.
They also became involved when Israel had the upperhand in 1967. They were
aware of the United Nations resolution, 242 from 1967, and 338 from 1973,
laying a foundation for a peace agreement which Egypt alone made an effort to
comply with. The resolution stated that Israel
was to live within safe borders, which did not mean that Israel was to give
away the whole area which the Palestinian-Arabs were offered on Nov. 29,
1947. So once again, we see that the real problem is Israel's existence.
Three years prior to 1973, in
1970, a riot broke out in Jordan on the Israeli border. Aggressive
Palestinian-Arabs headed by the PLO, wanted operate with terror against
Israel from Jordan.
Jordan was afraid of it's own security and threw the terrorists out of the
country. (Black September). They went to South Libanon and began a
destructive terror center there. Shooting towards Galilee began. In 1982, the
Israeli army went into South Libanon and cleaned them out (Grapes of Wrath
attack). The PLO with Arafat had to move his headquarters to
Tunis. The PLO was responsible for many terror attacks around the world at
this time. Believe it or not, the opinion of the world was that it was best
for Arafat to come to Judea and Samaria, hoping this would bring peace in
this area. The PLO has never given Israel the right to exist in it's Charter.
There have been discussions
about whether or not Israel meets the International conventions for Human
Rights. The area Israel won over in defending themselves in 1967, is still
waiting for final status. In the meantime, Israel has control over these
areas in accordance with
commonly accepted legal principles. Israel has the right to defend it's
inhabitants and is obligated to eliminate terrorists. In comparison, we see
that the U.S.A. started a war in Afghanistan after September 11, 2001. However,
they are fortunate because terrorism is not within the U.S.A. The nations in
the west should realize their responsibility in not allowing Israel to
prevent terrorism within it's own borders. Arabian oil should not influence
fundamental ethical principles.
10. The Refugee problem in the Middle East Now and again there is a
demand that Palestinian refugees be allowed to return to Israel,
accusing Israel for the present refugee situation.
One of the main people with
this opinion is the previous prime minister of Syria (1948-49) Haled Al Azm.
He says in his diary, publicized in Beirut in 1973. "Since 1948, we have
demanded that the refugees return to their home. But we ourselves made them
leave the country. There was only a few months between our summons for them
to leave the war zone and our appeal to the United Nations for them to
return."
He admits that the Arabian
states surrounding Israel summoned Palestinian-Arabs to get out of the area
"so that they could return in victory with the Arabian armies (notes
taken from the radio in Beirut/Cairo).
That is not how it turned out.
They were moved to refugee camps by the Arabian neighbor states to induce
sympathy from the West.
At the same time Jewish
refugees who had lived in the Arabian countries for several hundred years
were thrown out and deprived of all their possessions. The number of Jewish
refugees was greater than the Palestinian-Arabs that moved out of Israel.
Israel integreted the Jews into
their community.
The well-known
Palestian-Arabian researcher, Sabri Jiryis in Beirut, said in his evaluation
in 1975: It is logical that Israel will present a claim for the return of
their property for the multitudes of Jewish refugees, just as it is claimed
for Palestian-Arabs. Without a doubt Israel will appeal in
the first serious discussion on the Palestinian problem in an international
forum.
Will the Western nations be
able to be neutral then?
It is not unusual that after a war, population exchanges occur. After World
War I, the League of Nations was able to bring 400,000 Turks, who lived on
Greek land, to Turkey and integregate them there. A million Greeks on Turkish
land were sent out and later assimilated in Greece.
There is no better place for
this to occur than among the Palestinian refugees. Jordan is a Palestinian
state. Israel, including Judea and Samaria, is the size of Rhode Island. It
has very little water resources, which is not enough for two states. Such a
solution should be unheard
of: two states in this area. However, that is not the point.
Adjunkt Grethe Tangen Olsen
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