WhatIsPalestine?

ByDavidSolway

FrontPageMagazine.com|1/2/2009
TheBellmanlookeduffish,andwrinkledhisbrow.
Ifonlyyoudspokenbefore!
Itsexcessivelyawkwardtomentionitnow,
WiththeSnark,sotospeak,atthedoor!
LewisCarroll,TheHuntingoftheSnark
ThetalentedPalestinianpoetMouridBarghoutiwritesinhismemoirISawRamallahthatitisnotenoughtoregisterthefaultofotherswe
toohaveourfaultsourshareofshortsightednessButthistruthdoesnotabsolvetheenemyofhisoriginalcrime.Typically,Barghouti
neverstopstolookintothenatureofthatoriginalcrimelesthediscoverthathisownpeopleandtheiradvocatesareatitsverysourceand
aretherealreasonwhyhefoundhimselfarefugeeafterthe1967war,forwhichhehasneverforgiventheIsraelis.Alyricalstyleanda
sensitiveminddonotinvariablyleadtoclarity,insight,knowledgeandmoralhonesty.
Barghoutisystematicallyomitstheunderlyingcausesforthevariouslossesanddisastershecontinuallybemoans.Hisexplicationsstop
abruptlyatacertainpointthepointatwhichitwouldbenecessaryforhimtobecandidandtogobacktosources.Butintruncatingthe
historicalsequenceanddroppingcriticallinksfromthechainofevents,heleavestheimpressionthattheIsraeliswererankinvaders,
responsibleforhissufferingsandthoseofhispeople,ratherthanprovidingthecontextwhichwouldenableustoseethatitwastheArabs,
timeandagain,whoweretheinvadersandIsraelwhichactedinselfdefence.
ThedeclaredArabintentiontoobliteratethestateofIsrael,theclosingofinternationalwaterwaystoIsraelishippingandthemassingof
armiesonitssouthern,northernandeasternborderswhichtriggeredtheSixDayWar,are,wearemeanttobelieve,issuesofmarginal
importanceanddonotcountinthebalanceofBarghoutispersonalresentment.Note,too,thatthePalestinianfaultisonly
shortsightedness.
Mostobservershavebeencompletelytakenin,notonlybyBritishlegerdemainduringtheMandateperiodandUnitedNationsjugglery,but
bychauvinisticArabpropagandalikeBarghoutis.ThePalestiniannarrativehasalsobeenpromotedbytheignoranceorduplicityofWestern
intellectuals,whichhelpedfertilizethePalestinianidentityinordertocounterthehistoricalthrustofZionism,accomplishingitspurposebya
cynicalrewritingofhistory.
Totakeadistinguishedexample.IvyleagueintellectualandcurrentleaderoftheLiberalPartyofCanada,MichaelIgnatieff,issimply
mistakenwhenhewritesinTheLesserEvilthatthePalestinianshaveanequalhistoryofcontinuousoccupation[and]thesamerightover
thesameland.[T]hereisnothingaboutthePalestinianortheIsraeliclaimthatgivesoneamoralprivilegeovertheother.This,aswewill
see,isabjectnonsense,aninstanceoftheusualbinningtechniqueofequivalentmerits,foundedininexcusableignoranceorwillfulinattention.
NoonedeniesthatindigenousArabshavelongdweltintheregion.Butthefactthattheancestorsofasignificantnumberofthosenow
claimingtherightofreturnarrivedfromthesurroundingArabcountriesduringtheBritishdispensationisrarelyadmitted.Inlinewiththe
Britishpolicyofthetime,the1931censusclassifiedtheseArabnewcomerstoPalestine,notablyWesternPalestine,aspartofthenatural
population,whichtheymanifestlywerenot.NordoesIgnatieffseemcognizantofthedocumentaryledger,forexample,AlbertM.
HyamsonscomprehensiveandindispensableeditionofTheBritishConsulateinJerusaleminRelationtotheJewsinPalestine,1838
1914,housedinmanyuniversitylibraries.
TherewecanreadthereportfiledbyBritishConsulJamesFinnwhichestablishedthattheMuslimcensusofJerusalemin1858barely
exceeded25%ofthecivicpopulation.TheJewishpopulationofthecitywasapproximatelydoublethat.An1839dispatchbytheBritish
ConsulateinJerusalemindicatedthatSephardicJewswerenumerousontheground.OthermemorandaaffirmthatHebrewwasaliving
languageamongthepeopleandthat,despitewholesaleslaughtersandexpulsionsoverthegenerations,Jewshadmaintainedapermanent
presenceintheHolyLandapresencewhich,beitsaid,antedatesthatoftheArabsbyseveralthousandyears.(ThenameIsraelisfirst
mentionedontheMerneptahsteleof1207B.C.E.,nowintheCairomuseum,whichsuggeststhatIsraelmusthaveexistedasfarbackasthe
EgyptianNewKingdomandevenearlier.)Likesomanyofthescholarlytribe,Ignatieffdidnotdohishomework.
Moreover,inafactfindingvisittotheMiddleEast,Ignatieff,likenumberlessothers,fellforthePalestinianlinethattheCampDavid
negotiationswouldhaveledtoaBantustantypeterritory.Thisisnowknowntobeanapocryphalclaim,whichshouldhavebeenevidentto
anyonewhotookthetroubletofollowtheproceedings.ThesamefabricationwasretailedinNoamChomskys2003publicationMiddleEast
Illusions,whichclaimedthatEhudBaraksCampDavidproposalentailedthecantonizationofthedisputedterritories.ButPAministerFaisal
Husseinihimselfacknowledged,intheLebaneseAlSafirnewspaperforMarch21,2001,thatBarakhadagreedtoawholesalewithdrawal
fromallofGazaand97%oftheTerritoriesintoto.
Indeed,asMitchellBardpointsoutinareviewofJimmyCartersdisreputablePalestinePeaceNotApartheid,followingtheIsraelipullout
fromGazaanditsrelinquishingofmostoftheWestBanktothePalestinianAuthority,thetruthistheentireterritorialdisputewiththe
Palestinians,assumingtheywereevertoaccepttheexistenceofIsrael,boilsdowntoabout6%oftheWestBank,inproximitytotheGreen
Line(italicsmine).ItisalsointerestingtoremarkthattheIsraeliproposaltoretainthissliverofterritoryfordefensivepurposesinexchange
foranequivalentpercentageofIsraelilandhasbeenrejectedbythePalestinianAuthority.

Butthequestioncontinuestobebegged.WeknowthereisaPalestinianAuthoritybutitisfarfromclearwhetherthereisanythinglikean
authoritativePalestine.Certainly,therewasnothingamongthefellahinandtheabsenteelandlords,thedistanteffendi,resemblingasenseof
nationalcohesionandentitlement.Therewasneitheramysticalnorpoliticalfeelingofnationhood,ofbelongingtoanexistentialtotalitycalled
Palestine.SomeacademicshavesuggestedthattheremayexisttracesamongthefellahinofanonIslamic,thatis,aNeolithicor
Canaanite/Philistineancestry,butsuchethnologicaldistinctionsremainevanescent.MiddleEasternscholarshiphasdeterminedthatthe
PhilistineswereanIndoEuropean,notaSemiticpeople.Inanyevent,thePalestiniansenseofbelongingtoalargersocialclassificationwould
scarcelyhavetranscendedthefamily,clanorphratry.
Palestinianideologuesareconstantlyassertingclaimsofpriority,butifweaccepttheprincipleofhistoricalantecedence,theearliestextant
peoplewhosettledonthelandaretheIsraelites.TheSevenNationsmentionedinDeuteronomy7:1theHittites,Girgashites,Amorites,
Canaanites,Perizzites,HivitesandJebusiteshaveallvanishedfromthestageofhistory.TheonlyArabclaimandonewhichhasnotbeen
madethatmighthaveevenashredofhistoricalvalidityinvolvesatemporalcapillarytothetribeofNabateanArabswhosettledinthehills
aroundPetraduringthefirstcenturyC.E.andproducedagovernorofDamascusduringthetimeofSt.Paul.
Butonthebiblicaltimescalethiswasacommunityoflatearrivals,survivingmainlyonbrigandage,whowereeitherabsorbed,dispersedor
Romanized,andquietlyfadedfromtheannalsoftheHolyLand.ManywereeventuallyconvertedtoChristianity.Therewasnonational
feelingstirringamongthesegroups,strungalongthecaravanrouteshalfamillenniumbeforetheArabinvasionoftheseventhcentury,that
couldbelaterusedtojustifynationalentitlement.
Further,astheReverendJamesParkeshaspointedoutinWhoseLand:AHistoryofthePeoplesofPalestine,fromtheArabconquestuntil
theBritishMandate,[Palestine]wasaportionofsomelargerunit,whetherArab,Mamluk,orTurkishanditspeoplewereneverconscious
ofthemselvesasanationalunit.Therewas,hereiterates,nosuchthinghistoricallyasaPalestinianArab,andtherewasnofeelingof
unityamongtheArabsofthisnewlydefinedareauntilmoderntimes.ThefactisthattheBalfourDeclarationforthefirsttimeestablished
aunitcalledPalestineonthepoliticalmapwhilerecognizingthatthereexistedalreadyahistoricJewishright.
ItisnotthePalestinianclaimtostatehoodthatistheonlyproblembutthePalestinianprojectionofaspurioushistoryonwhichthatclaimis
predicated,whoseultimatepurposeistodelegitimizeIsraelsrighttoexistenceonwhatremainsofitsspecific,mandatedterritory.Tomuddy
thewatersevenfurther,formanyPalestiniansthetwostatesolutionisonlyatemporarystopontheirownroadmaptoasinglestate
destinationincorporatingwhatisnowIsrael,justifiedbythelieofanimmemorial,Palestiniansettlementontheland.
ButwhateverformthePalestinianentitymaytakeindeed,theideaofasinglestateinanyshapeorformmaybenothingbutachimera
aswhatwecallPalestinehasalreadyfragmentedintotwoclashingstateletsintheGazaStripandtheWestBankitwouldbealargely
chaoticandnotionalpolity,astatethatderivesitsinternationallegitimacymorefromworthlesspaperratificationsandmapparchmentthan
fromjuridicalauthority,operationalviabilityorhistoricalauthenticity.
Whetheritisastraightuplieorapersistentmisconception, thecannonadeofdisinformationisunrelenting.SamirRihani,SeniorResearch
FellowattheLiverpoolUniversitySchoolofPolitics,writinginPalestine4online,takesitastheophanythatIsraelisPalestinian:One
wouldhavethoughtthatthecreationofaJewishstateonlandwhichhasbeenhometothePalestiniansforcenturieswouldhaveraisedafew
eyebrowsOnceagain,abogusassumptionhasbeentransmogrifiedintoanondeniableverityandpracticallynoonebatsaneyelid,never
mindraisinganeyebrow.
WehearthesametiredrefraininWesternintellectualandpoliticalcircles.ClaireRayner,presidentoftheBritishHumanistAssociation,
writingintheIndependentforApril21,2002,dismissestheideaofahomelandfortheJewishpeopleasaloadofcrap.BritishMPGeorge
Galloway,asupporteroftheantiIsraeliboycottmovement,inhisrelentlesspibrochagainsttheJewishstatecomparesthePalestinianstothe
300SpartansatThermopylae.TheapthistoricalanalogywouldratheridentifythemwiththePersianhordesattemptingtoswarmthepass.
Similarly,AmericanbasedPalestinianhumanrightsactivistSusanAbulhawa,inanarticlefortheParisjournalLibrationonMarch18,
2008,assertsthatIsraelwasestablishedontheancientlandofPalestine,eventhoughtherewasnosuchthingexceptinthefevered
imaginationoftheideologicalzealot.ThereisnotasingleallusiontoPalestineintheGospelsortheActsoftheApostles.Thatsheclaimsin
thesamearticlethatJesuswasPalestinianshouldgosomeway,inanysaneintellectualclimate,tomoderatingthereceptionofherthesis.
Whichdoesnotseemtobethecase.IntheirdebunkingstudyoftheteachingofMiddleEasternhistoryinAmericanschools,TheTrouble
withTextbooks,GaryTobinandDennisYbarrapointoutthatmanytextbookstendtoprojectthewordPalestinewellbackwardinto
historywhenitsuseisinaccurateandanachronistic.ThetermPalaestina,cognatewithPhilistinia,wasthenamegivenbytheRomansto
theareaafterquashingtheBarKokhbarevoltof135C.E.ThishasnotpreventedMcGrawHillsTraditionsandEncounters,aparticularly
egregioustext,fromhavingAbrahammigratetoPalestineabout1850B.C.E.,orHoltsWorldHistory:TheHumanJourneyfrommapping
thecoastalregioncirca1450B.C.E.asPalestine.TheintentionisplainlytodiscreditthehistoricalrootsofJewsinthelandofIsrael
whilepositingatimeshroudedandwhollymeretriciousconnectionbetweenmoderndayPalestiniansandtheHolyLand.
AbulhawascanardconcerningtheidentityofJesusisalsoworkshoppedinthesemanuals.TobinandYbarraenumeratemanyinstances
whichadvancethethesisthatJesuswasPalestinian.Inparticular,TheWorld(Pearson/ScottForesman)includesatrueorfalsequestion
meanttobeansweredtrue:ChristianitywasstartedbyayoungPalestiniannamedJesus?Theseareonlyafewrepresentativesamplesof
growingmainstreamopinion:Ihavebarelyskimmedaroilingsurface.
ButtheargumentforPalestine,despiteitsearnestandsympatheticprosecution,isvitiatedbyaprofoundironythatnobodywantsto
acknowledge.ThereisastrongelementoffraudintheubiquitouspreoccupationwiththePalestiniancause.Despitetheoverwroughtrhetoric,
theArabs(andtheirWesternbackers)reallydonotcareaboutPalestineandneverdid.TheirrealgoalistheextirpationofIsrael.Thisshould

beglaringlyobviouswhenweconsiderboththeArabandWesternresponseabetterformulationmightbelackofresponsetotheIranian
menacetovisitnuclearannhilationuponIsrael.ForifIsraelshouldbedestroyedinanuclearattack,Gaza,theWestBankandoverone
millionIsraeliArabswouldalsobeannihilated.Physicaldestruction,radiationpoisoningandtotaleconomiccollapsewouldexpunge
PalestinianArabsaseffectivelyasitwouldIsraeliJews.
Strangelyenough,wedonothearawordaboutthis.Insocompactifiedaregion,theeffectofnuclearordnancelaunchedagainstIsraelwould
notbeconfinedtoitsJewishpopulation.NearlyfivemillionArabsthroughouttheterritorywouldshareanidenticaldoom.Poof!nomore
Palestine.ThealAqsaMosquewoulddisintegrateassurelyastheHolyTemple.HamasandFatahwouldbeunifiedindeath.TheHolyLand
wouldbeawastelandanditssurvivinginhabitants,whetherMuslimorJew,equallydispossessed.Yetthisinevitableconsequenceisnever
consideredandcertainlynevermentionedwheneverAyatollahRafsanjaniorPresidentAhmadinejadissuetheirchillingcallstonuclear
holocaustindisputableproofthattherealagendainplayisnottoliberatePalestinebuttoliquidateIsrael.
EventhePalestiniansthemselvesdonotseemtohavecaughton,eitherbecausewhatwearedealingwithisaveritablesuicideculturethat
cantolerateitsownextinctionor,toputitbluntly,withapeopletoostupefiedbyhatredandfanaticismtorealizethat,underthese
circumstances,theirveryexistenceisnolessatriskthanIsraels.ThefactremainsthattheyhavebeensoldoutbytheirArabbrothersand
WesternenablerswhoareperfectlyindifferenttothedevastationPalestinianswouldsuffershouldIranfollowthroughonitsthreattounleash
nuclearhavoconIsrael.
Theconclusionisinescapable.InfailingtorecognizeorcareaboutthefateofthePalestiniansundersuchapocalypticconditions,itbecomes
evidentthatthenoisyandrighteousconcernwithPalestinianwelfareinIsraelandPalestinianstatehoodinGazaand/ortheWestBankis
merelyacovertoperationtoensurethedisappearanceoftheJewishstate,whetherviolently,politicallyordemographically.Inthefinal
analysis,solongasIsraelcanberendereddesolate,thePalestinianscangohang.
What,then,isPalestine?Palestineisanationalfiction.Andwhatisitspurpose?Onewayoranother,thenationalfictionofPalestineis
intendedtoeliminatethenationalrealityofIsrael.Unless,ofcourse,IsraelcanbevaporizedbyanIranianbomb.Andthenwhogivesadamn
aboutPalestine.
DavidSolwayistheawardwinningauthorofovertwentyfivebooksofpoetry,criticism,educationaltheory,andtravel.Heisacontributor
tomagazinesasvariedastheAtlantic,theSewaneeReview,BooksinCanada,andthePartisanReview.HismostrecentbookisTheBig
Lie:OnTerror,Antisemitism,andIdentity.