Elsie, If you look over my earlier piece, I was clear that I find the concept of indigenous people as a true measure of rights unhelpful (as I often point out we are all here in America and not indigenous). All you have to do is read David Reich Who we are and how we got here to understand that. Unfortunately, it is something that is co…
Elsie, If you look over my earlier piece, I was clear that I find the concept of indigenous people as a true measure of rights unhelpful (as I often point out we are all here in America and not indigenous). All you have to do is read David Reich Who we are and how we got here to understand that. Unfortunately, it is something that is constantly being used and is part of the false narrative of “settler colonial enterprise”. Namely, the Jews came and displaced the Arabs who had been there forever.
The data is clear that the Jews did not displace the Arabs. More Arab towns were created in the 19th century than Jewish ones and many more Arabs came in to Palestine as the Jews came in.
Arabs farmers (fellahin) were displaced by an onerous tax system put in place by the Ottomans and rapacious theft by their village chiefs, and the wealthy Arab class who literally took ownership of the land and sold it from underneath them. While it is said they were absentee landlords, just about all the members of the eventual Palestinian leadership sold land to the Jews. But before you pity the poor fellahin, the farming they engaged in was simply unsustainable and when offered new land or cash they always opted for cash.
It is true that 700,000 Arabs were displaced in the aftermath of the 1948 war. What is not true is that they were all or mostly expelled. If you go back and read the commentary at the time, particularly Arab commentary, before it was buried, massaged and replaced by today’s narrative. You will find that the notables (as they were called) class (74,000) left overnight and left with their funds. That send a powerful signal to many others who followed in their footsteps. Certainly, there were atrocities committed by both sides and had been for more than just the 1948 war and that was enough to set many in motion. As often happens in a war. European Jews found out in the aftermath of WWII that they could not return to their homes!
Also, when we talk about how the Arabs who came to Palestine came recently, which is true, the fact is that many simply returned to where they came from. From the 1918 British occupation until 1948 more than 100,000 came from neighboring countries they too are now considered refugees.
It is also true that the Arabs in Palestine were offered numerous chances at some form of statehood even prior to the partition plan. And I am quite sure if they were offered the partition plan today, they would grab it. All were always rejected. As for post 1967 I am in full agreement that Israel needs to vacate the lands but I also don’t see an Arab leadership ready to negotiate that departure. They are hoping Peter Beinart’s concept will take hold.
Elsie, If you look over my earlier piece, I was clear that I find the concept of indigenous people as a true measure of rights unhelpful (as I often point out we are all here in America and not indigenous). All you have to do is read David Reich Who we are and how we got here to understand that. Unfortunately, it is something that is constantly being used and is part of the false narrative of “settler colonial enterprise”. Namely, the Jews came and displaced the Arabs who had been there forever.
The data is clear that the Jews did not displace the Arabs. More Arab towns were created in the 19th century than Jewish ones and many more Arabs came in to Palestine as the Jews came in.
Arabs farmers (fellahin) were displaced by an onerous tax system put in place by the Ottomans and rapacious theft by their village chiefs, and the wealthy Arab class who literally took ownership of the land and sold it from underneath them. While it is said they were absentee landlords, just about all the members of the eventual Palestinian leadership sold land to the Jews. But before you pity the poor fellahin, the farming they engaged in was simply unsustainable and when offered new land or cash they always opted for cash.
It is true that 700,000 Arabs were displaced in the aftermath of the 1948 war. What is not true is that they were all or mostly expelled. If you go back and read the commentary at the time, particularly Arab commentary, before it was buried, massaged and replaced by today’s narrative. You will find that the notables (as they were called) class (74,000) left overnight and left with their funds. That send a powerful signal to many others who followed in their footsteps. Certainly, there were atrocities committed by both sides and had been for more than just the 1948 war and that was enough to set many in motion. As often happens in a war. European Jews found out in the aftermath of WWII that they could not return to their homes!
Also, when we talk about how the Arabs who came to Palestine came recently, which is true, the fact is that many simply returned to where they came from. From the 1918 British occupation until 1948 more than 100,000 came from neighboring countries they too are now considered refugees.
It is also true that the Arabs in Palestine were offered numerous chances at some form of statehood even prior to the partition plan. And I am quite sure if they were offered the partition plan today, they would grab it. All were always rejected. As for post 1967 I am in full agreement that Israel needs to vacate the lands but I also don’t see an Arab leadership ready to negotiate that departure. They are hoping Peter Beinart’s concept will take hold.
I turned off email alerts for this thread because it was stressing me out.
Anyway it sounds like we agree that the current mess can be blamed squarely on the British.