"Palestine" and "Palestinian" are European settler colonial terms for the land of the Jewish people. I think we should cease to use those terms or, at least, put them in quotes.Or perhaps go with Palestinian-Arab.
In truth, the greater Arab nation gave the world "Palestinians" - a word which used to mainly refer to Jews living under the British mandate - as a challenge to Jewish sovereignty on historically Jewish land.
The Jews are the indigenous people of the Land of Israel.
The Arabs are settlers and colonists on Jewish land.
I certainly do not mind that Arabs live there. Nor do I mind that Chinese people or Venezuelans or the Easter Islandish live there.
But none of those folk can claim sovereignty because none of them are indigenous.
Only the Jewish people have a claim to indigeneity to that land and we must insist on this basic concept.
Everything flows from that recognition.
From a purely objective historical standpoint, only the Jewish people can claim indigeneity to Israel.
I mean, if a lonely band of Jebusites comes wandering from somewhere out of the desert, then maybe a case can be made otherwise.
But the Arabs are not from Israel.
They are not from Judea.
They are from Arabia.
We need to bang this into people's skulls.
'palestinian' in lower case and quotes like any other made up nonsense.
ReplyDeleteI can live with that.
DeleteI tell ya something else, the very fact that the question comes up indicates to me that things are changing politically around the question of the long war... and not to the benefit of our enemies.
DeleteThey can call themselves the cast from Frozen it doesn’t make it a generally accepted political reality. Calling them a ‘people’ is like calling East LA a ‘country’
ReplyDelete"Frozen"?
DeleteI am must be falling behind in my pop cult repertoire!
But the problem is that most of the rest of the world has decided that "Palestinians" are something like Hobbits, except that they are real... and mighty pissed-off.
Decided?
DeleteAlthough, "decided" may not be the best word because it implies thoughtful reflection.
DeleteI have gone with Palestinian Arabs for a long time. I hate it when I see them referred to as Palestinians in our very own Israeli press.
ReplyDelete"West Bank" too began with quotes and/or lower case.
DeleteTerminology is key.
DeleteHe who controls the discussion controls the politics.
The "Palestinians" know this very well.
But we have history on our side.
The Jewish people have been a nation - like the Chinese - that fades into pre-history.
So? The 'world' thinks they're "real" is irrelevant. In California 'La Raza' thinks it's real too. Every half baked separatist movement believes its #1 challenge is convincing you of its legitimacy. Where my Hugenots at?
ReplyDeleteWhaa???
DeleteIt is not irrelevant, Trudy?
I wish that it were not, but it is.
Every people in the world have their problems but the Jews are "special" because so many tens of millions - perhaps hundreds of millions - of people seem so interested and have, in fact, decided against us.
As a former friendly acquaintance of mine once said, if I may paraphrase:
"So, to demand that Israel not treat Palestinians inhumanely is antisemitic?"
This is a pretty good example of the prevailing western-left view and it affects Jewish people all around the world.
It results in violence against us.
"So, to demand that Israel not treat Palestinians inhumanely is antisemitic?"
DeleteThe entire premise is wrong.
And the answer to that question is "yes."
Precisely. The very premise of the question begins with the notion of Jewish guilt.
DeleteIt's just become common knowledge in certain important circles that the Jews of the Middle East are "inhumane" to the "indigenous" Arabs.
Well put, Mike. I guess that's why you get paid the big bucks. :0)
DeleteThe name they give themselves is irrelevant. Their made up identity irrelevant. It’s simply a vehicle that transports antisemites from one forum to another. It’s no different than the sacred identity, a false one, that the Nazis gave themselves as a platform from which to murder Jews. Before them the Vatican gave themselves the same special superluminary identity to accuse us of blood libels. We will remember Chanukah soon...another instance where the self anointed master race told us their commonly recognized identity is a vital aspect of our oppression. The identity they give themselves is irrelevant
ReplyDelete"From Petra, the official Jordanian news agency:
ReplyDeletePalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, on Friday said that Jordanians and Palestinians are "one people living in two states", appreciating His Majesty King Abdullah II, who spared no occasion to defend the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem before the world.
If any Western leader would say this, there would be incredulous op-eds castigating him or her.
If Netanyahu would say this, the UN would call for a resolution condemning him.
When Abbas says something that puts into question whether there ever was a "Palestinian people" that was distinct from the rest of the Arab world - crickets.
(h/t This Ongoing War)"
http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2017/11/mahmoud-abbas-admits-that-palestinians.html
Arafat was famous for speaking out of both sides of his mouth, as well.
Delete