Hamas has decided that it is in a state of war with Israel and will not rest until Israel is gone.
I’ll be here all week, folks.
By the way, the Hamas and other exiled leadership is now moving into Gaza. I know, I know, somebody is going to comment about how bad the disengagement is. But not so, it’s actually much simpler to contain them this way. Or mark them as targets if they involve themselves in terrorism.
Latest posts by themiddle (see all)
Thank you for every other informative blog.
Muffti:
The reason it is important is that the Palestinians and their supporters make claims to the concept of the Arab-Muslim country of Palestine being an ancient one. This is a false claim, and unfortunately it carries a lot of currency. In all the history of Arab and/or Muslim rule over the territory of “Palestine”, Jerusalem was never made a political capital of any sort, for example. This refutes their claim to Jerusalem being their ancient capital. The point is that there might have been previous forms of Arab/Muslim national aspiration, but that was regarding larger geographical entities, which just happened to include the territory of “Palestine”. So the question as to whether they ever had sovereignty is necessary but not sufficient. What compliments this in order to complete the refutation is the further facts that there were never any distinct Arab/Muslim polity, religion, nationality, language, culture, or tradition in the territory of “Palestine” in contrast to that of its immediate neighbors prior in history. All of these developed as a response to Jewish settlement and activity in their historic homeland.
Ah. Well, say we drop that. Isn’t there still an issue even if we agree that to be someone’s country it doens’t have to have been run by them as a sovreign entity? (Muffti thought that that was the whole point of post-WWI: to make sovreign countries where there are homogenous population, regardless of whether that land had been stolen or they could trace some line to when that people had full control over the land. Muffti isn’t taking sides in this: he’s just curious why the issue is whether or not the Pals lived there as a sovreign bunch rather than as a constantly-rule-by-others bunch in land that they homogenously occupied (Muffti isnt’ even sure if that is true, but if it is it seems more to the point).
Because Jews are accused of stealing the Palestinians’ country (as in a sovereign entity), which is a disingenuous accusation at best, as the Palestinians didn’t have a country. It’s a distortion and oversimplification of history whose purpose is to paint pre-Israeli Jews as much more sinister than they were.
why is the existence or non-existence of a sovereign entity relevant to the question at hand? We have a notion of ‘what lands belongs to who’ based on who lived there, even if they never managed to attain self rule in an area. Muffti isn’t saying this settles the debate at all; but he does think that whether or not a people in a region has at any point been autonomous is a bit of a red herring.
Of course I’m for real. It’s not my fault if you’re ignorant of history. There were sovereign Jewish governments in the region under the kings of Judah and Israel (references have been found in neighboring cultures of the time to Omri, king of Israel), under the Hasmoneans, under Herod (albeit as a Roman protectorate with limited autonomy) and for a short time under Bar Kokhba.
On the other hand, there has never been a Palestinian national entity. Even during the period of the awakening of Arab national consciousness, Palestine was considered part of greater Syria, not as its own national unit.
And that isn’t ideology. That’s fact. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone knew facts before they opened their mouths?
“Open up an encylcopedia and see if there’s ever been a country (i.e. sovereign entity) called Palestine…” Are you for real? They’d be hard pressed to find an “Israel” as a sovereign entity.
we should pray for Israel so G-d wont let it happen. Remenber that God didnt forget Israel at the 6 day war who won? Israel, so G-d will not forget our prayers. allah is dead hes not capable of helping!
We cant occupy {not that we do} their country cause they dont have one…the word Palestine is an invention!!!people open your eyes…
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/miller.htm
Hey Borat, open up an encyclopedia and see if there’s ever been a country (i.e. a sovereign entity) called Palestine.
Maybe you shouldn’t occupy their country; then they wouldn’t get so mad at you! Hey, I know a kewl song…
Shit when that straw breaks that Camel’s back then Israel are fucked. It will take G-d to stop all these Muslims totally wiping out the Jews, man if Hitler had an army as ready to do it as Islam does a Jew would be a scare thing. Apparently on the Islamic Judgement Day, Mohammed and the Muslims and Isa(Jesus apparently) will smash all the synagogues and churches and slaughter all non-Muslims, even the rocks will cry out and say “Muslim there is a Jew behind me, come, kill him”. Also if you believe the Prophets then 2/3 of Israel will be wiped out, I think it’s quite obvious who’s going to do this. Shalom and G-d help Israel, they’re gonna need it.