(May 10) Because too many in the latest generations of young adults are content to accept factless narratives fed to them by leftist teachers, it is necessary to provide another primer on the real history of Israel and the Palestinians.
Herein, as concisely and as relevant to the current war as possible, is that primer.
Start with the fact that never in the history of the world has there been a “Palestinian state.” Today’s inhabitants of Gaza cannot claim they are seeking a restoration of some historic birthright. On the other hand, it is indisputable that Jews have lived and often ruled in that territory for thousands of years, with vast archaeological and other definitive proof that most of the history (the facts, not necessarily the interpretations) of what Christians call the “Old Testament” is true.
For the past half-millennium, the area now under Israeli control was ruled either by Ottoman Turks or by Western powers operating under broad, international recognition of the land essentially as a conservatorship rather than as actual territory “owned” by those Western powers. Jews always lived there in significant numbers, though, with the numbers growing as Jews continually faced pogroms and other brutish treatment almost wherever else they settled, no matter how much philanthropy they practiced.
After the Germans attempted total genocide of Jews during the Holocaust, the United Nations provided for a two-state solution in the region, with one dominated by Jews and the other by Arabs. The Jews accepted the proposal. The Arabs didn’t. When the British conservatorship ended in accord with the U.N. resolution, Jews declared the state of Israel even as the five major Arab nations immediately declared war and attacked. In response, Jews forcibly evicted non-Jews from parts of the newly formed nation, although at least as many were welcome to keep their homes if they would accept the new democratic state of Israel with human rights guarantees. Instead, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs voluntarily abandoned the area rather than accept living in a Jewish state.
For those who stayed, though, Israel largely lived up to its original promises. Today, more than 20% of the population of Israel is Arab, with another 5% other forms of non-Jews (including Christians). Every one of them enjoys more freedom, more prosperity, and far more guaranteed human rights than the “Palestinian” inhabitants of Gaza and the West Bank. Arabs can be citizens in Israel, and they have elected members to the Knesset since 1949. Arab Christians for years have served as justices on Israel’s Supreme Court. Today, even an Arab Muslim sits on the court….
Remember, Jews govern a mere 8,000 square miles in the Middle East. Arab nations already control 5 million square miles. Israel’s population is less than 10 million, of which only 7.2 million are Jews. The Arab world consists of 475 million people. Somehow, those 475 million keep failing to conquer the 7 million, and somehow, most of those nations can’t bear the idea of Jews holding just a tiny sliver of land where Jews have lived for 3,300 years.
How, pray tell, is it the Israelis who are considered “oppressors”? What sort of moronicism allows malicious college students to chant that the Israelis should be eradicated “from the river to the sea”?
Meanwhile, as for the Palestinians: Despite the PLO’s decades of terrorism, which made its legions into pariahs even among Arab states, President Bill Clinton in the 1990s pushed Israel to negotiate with PLO leader Arafat. Israel repeatedly was told that if it gave up land, it would be afforded peace. Israel repeatedly gave up land, but it received no peace.
Clinton, though, convinced Israel again to accept a two-state solution, giving the Palestinians something they had never enjoyed in history. Ever. By Clinton’s own account, it was Arafat who then reneged on the deal…. [The full column is at this link.]
