Ethnic Make Up of ‘Palestinians

The Jews are a peculiar people: things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews.  Other nations drive out thousands, even millions of people and there is no refugee problem. Russia did it,  Poland and Czechoslovakia did it. Turkey threw out a million Greeks, and  Algeria a million Frenchman.

Indonesia threw out heaven knows how many Chinese and no one says a word about refugees. But in the case of  Israel , the displaced Arabs have become eternal refugees. Everyone insists that  Israel must take back every single one.

Arnold Toynbee calls the displacement of the Arabs an atrocity greater than any committed by the Nazis. Other nations when victorious on the battlefield dictate peace terms. But when  Israel is victorious, it must sue for peace.

 
Everyone expects the Jews to be the only real Christians in this world. Other nations, when they are defeated, survive and recover but should  Israel be defeated it would be destroyed. Had  Nasser triumphed last June [1967], he would have wiped Israel off the map, and no one would have lifted a finger to save the Jews.

No commitment to the Jews by any government, including our own, is worth the paper it is written on. There is a cry of outrage all over the world when people die in  Vietnam or when two Blacks are executed in  Rhodesia . But, when Hitler slaughtered Jews no one remonstrated with him.
 
The Swedes, who are ready to break off diplomatic relations with  America because of what we do in  Vietnam , did not let out a peep when Hitler was slaughtering Jews. They sent Hitler choice iron ore, and ball bearings, and serviced his troop trains to Norway.
The Jews are alone in the world. If  Israel survives, it will be solely because of Jewish efforts. And Jewish resources. Yet at this moment,  Israel is our only reliable and unconditional ally. We can rely more on  Israel than  Israel can rely on us. And one has only to imagine what would have happened last summer [1967] had the Arabs and their Russian backers won the war, to realize how vital the survival of  Israel is to  America and the West in general.

 
I have a premonition that will not leave me; as it goes with  Israel so will it go with all of us. Should  Israel perish, the Holocaust will be upon us all.

Eric Hoffer 1968

Several months ago you published a story saying that the Palestinians were descended from Christians and Jews that were forced to embrace Islam by the sword ! Which one of your stories is true, both or neither ?

Both of them are mutually exclusive and make different points.

Genetic if done in the middle east would find all middle easterners are of the same region, peoples, culture and religion is the only thing that separates them as far as I am concerned. Any really, why should this make a difference because one lives one way and the other another., no need to go to war because a people believe their imaginary friend is more powerful and righteous over the other. I am sure if these gods were alive today, they would agree and tell you all to give your heads a shake. You all live in the same neighbourhood, and have since historical time began

Barry,

You are right on. That as been the real issue and the thorn in the side of peace. No recognition of Israel as a Jewish State and therefore no willingness to live together. It really is so simple. But emotional and fanatical religious beliefs run deep in some Muslim quarters that choke on the possibility of recognizing Israel's existence. Any resistance to a two State solution by forces in Israel would evaporate at this recognition.

Sput,

No need for the nasty reply. Have some patience. This information just refers to the actual historical reality of the region and the Jewish presence. The other article referring to the possibility of Jewish "blood" flowing through the veins of some of the Arab population in the region in no way takes away from the article above.

If anything it only shows that in reality we are all so connected that the need to attack Jews/Israel for wanting to live in peace with its neighbors is a bit disappointing.

Nanute,

The very minority but vocal group in Israel that resists a solution only has a voice because there is NO willingness by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Hizbullah, Syria to accept a Jewish State in the region. This is the problem. You can not have a two state solution when the other side has no real interest in actually making peace. The Palestinian leadership really wants all of this region and that is the sticking point. Why should they make peace when the EU and others throw money at them and support their efforts at Israeli capitulation. My belief is that this is guilt money and blood money for all of their vested interests in the Arab countries.

"Settlements" only occupies about 3%(?) not entirely sure of the exact %, but close, of the entire land mass called the West Bank. This not not a sticking point. Most of the areas where these communities reside are in fact contiguous to the 67 borders. So this is a bit of a red herring. When Israel got out of Gaza she closed down many settlements and all of them were destroyed by the P.A or they asked Israel to do it because they did not want them. Go figure.

I find it hard that anyone could cry anti-Semitism over different viewpoints in Israeli policies. I usually think it appears when the rhetoric gets heated with inflammatory accusations of "genocide, apartheid", etc. But point well taken.

If a group of people stole land from my friends and family and called themselves a nation I wouldn't recognise them either.