Israel Matzav

How much the Arab world really cares about the 'Palestinians'

Several months ago, I explained to all of you that there is really no such nation as 'Palestinians' and that the entire 'Palestinian' national identity is a fiction:

Arabs only came to the Land of Israel in large numbers after the Jews returned in the 20th century and started to rebuild the nation, thereby creating economic and employment opportunities for Arab immigrants.

Prior to 1870, when Jews started to return to the Holy Land in large numbers, there were fewer than 100,000 Arabs living in what is today the State of Israel - including Yesha (the Hebrew acronym for Judea, Samaria and the Gaza District).

This small number of nomadic, tribal Arabs who lived in the Holy Land before the modern Jewish return never considered themselves to be a separate people or nation.

The Arabs who lived in the Land of Israel were not "Palestinians" but Arabs - part of a huge Arab people with 22 very large independent nations that control one-ninth of the land mass on the planet Earth.

In an interview given by Zuhair Mohsen to the Dutch newspaper Trouw in March 1977, Mr. Mohsen explains the origin of the 'Palestinians':

The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan.

When push comes to shove, the Arabs could not care less about the 'Palestinians.' They are just a tool. Today, there is more proof of that.

The MEMRI blog is reporting - based on a report in the Iraqi newspaper al-Zaman - that 'moderate' 'Palestinian President' Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen has appealed to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and to the Iraqi government to protect some 700 'Palestinians' in Iraq from being murdered and/or abducted by the [Shi'ite] militias. According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the 'Palestinians' escaped religious persecution in Iraq (most 'Palestinians' are Sunni) and are now stuck in a no-man's land between Iraq and Syria.

The Syrians have refused to admit the 'Palestinians' into Syria, claiming that 'other Arab countries' are responsible for their well being.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:40 PM