Nadene Goldfoot
Maybe I should first ask if the Palestinians have ignored the Jewish human rights in Palestine. The Palestinian Arabs did things like attack communities such as Hebron in 1929 with full sized pogroms, killing 133 and injuring far more. Emir Faisal of the Hashemite family of Saudi Arabia was a willing sponsor of Jews coming into Palestine and settling down. He understood their need of their own state, as he also had the same desire for himself and his people. They only had to deal with the English who held the mandate over Palestine and the French, another mandate overseer from the League of Nations in achieving their states.
Hajj Amin el-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem was not one of the educated Arabs who went along with the Jews' return, however and did everything he could to attack and kill them. Unfortunately many of the English stationed in Palestine to carry out the mandate were quite anti-Semitic themselves, and made it easy for Husseini and his gangs.
This led to constant battles of Jews and Arabs, especially in 1947-1949 in the War of Independence where the Jews were able to legally pronounce their state was born through the newly created UN on May 14, 1948, only to be attacked viciously the next minute by all the surrounding Arabs. Even though the Arabs were offered 80% of what was to be the Jewish Homeland, their leaders turned the offer down to opt for more warring. There was no human rights to be shown the Jews. They were trying to drive them into the sea.
This antipathy for starting their own state of Palestine has been going on for the past 64 years. A people who just want to antagonize and hate are now complaining that the Jews are not giving them any human rights. There are even some Jews who have fallen for this vitriolic propaganda and are leading the parade of Jewish imperfections.
The Jews went through all the legal steps of achieving their state which took many years of red tape and many meetings. In their initial statehood plans the Jews had wonderful hopes to turn the land into a real Utopia for both Jews and Arabs. They were met with war. From 1948 to 1969 they were not even allowed into East Jerusalem, as it had been grabbed by Jordan, which is a surprise since the king was the son of Emir Faisel, who had shown far more understanding and desire for Jews to be there. Jews later found that Jewish cemeteries had been used as latrines by the Arabs, showing no respect at all. Headstones had been carted away to be used as paving stones.
Now we get to the Human Rights issue of the Palestinian Arabs. 1.4 million remained in the newly formed Israel to become citizens, but the rest had fled and were placed in camps. It was not Israel's doing to keep them there. They have been used as pawns in the propaganda fight against Israel, something that has been more effective than bullets. They have not been integrated into any country or community, and even had a major battle with Jordan, so that much of their population is made up of Palestinians today. In fact, the king of Jordan's son and present king is married to a Palestinian. However, the king still is the king of Jordan, not of Palestine. His grandfather had fought with his 4 sons in the war against the Ottoman Empire on the English side, and he felt he deserved his state of Jordan, too.
Judea and Samaria (West Bank of the Jordan River) is settled by Arabs and Jews. Since 1967's Six Day War, Israel had become the administrators of this and of East Jerusalem being they won the war over unbelievable odds. Of course the Arabs have not been happy with this and still plan someday to create their own state and have this piece of property pegged to be it along with Gaza. When and if they do, their state is to have no Jew living there. So much for human rights! Israel put the Palestine Authority in charge of it who take care of all problems, but Israel keeps the right to have a security force there as well, since they have had attacks from there in Israel like suicide bombers, for one. The status of the administered areas have not changed and are waiting a peace settlement in which the borders between Israel and its neighbors will be decided. The Arabs refuse to come to the peace table and talk. They want everything decided their way before sitting down. Israel has not annexed any part of the areas. East Jerusalem was united with West Jerusalem and are served by one mayor for the better. Israel's feeling are that it is to remain one and is Israel's capital as in ancient days.
There have been nothing but improvements since 1967 for the Arabs. Israel maintained an Open Bridges policy allowing movement of people and goods between the administered areas and the Arab countries. With Hamas being voted in power over Fatah, that had to ultimately change. The people of Gaza had voted for terrorists who have attacked and killed Israelis. Israel had even moved all of their own people out of Gaza for the Arabs in order to make peace but that just gave them more room to be used as a staging ground for shooting rockets, missiles and mortars into southern Israel, which they have been doing for the past 12 years. It just keeps getting worse.
This is why Israel has had to set down rules of conduct to keep them from getting even more arms to use against Israel. These rockets, mortars and missiles come to them through tunnels they have dug, and now they are getting supplies from Libya as well. Most all weapons come from Iran to Syria and onto Gaza. Ships coming in must also be searched for weapons. The truth is that Gaza is not being deprived of any goods. Israeli trucks bring in supplies every day. They probably have more items than many communities in the United States. There would be no need for Israel to monitor shipments if there were no shooting coming from Gaza. It's plain and simple.
Any problem, such as Arab homes that have been destroyed came about for very good reasons. They have housed ammunition to be used against Israel. The families were given numerous chances and warning before the ultimate punishment of house damage. It makes great headlines for newspapers who love to find fault with Jews, though, and that's what happened in the Corrie affair where a Washington state daughter was accidentally killed because she stood in the way of a tractor on purpose to protect a house whose driver couldn't see her. It was a tragedy that could have been avoided.
What Israel has hoped for is that the Palestinians would get into the groove and better themselves economically so that they could run their own state. They left nurseries that were supplying goods for Europe when they left Gaza, yet the Palestinians only destroyed them.
The general Arab population are given the education in their schools and homes of only hatred for Jews and for Israel. It's in their books, on their al-Jezeera TV, in their public assemblies coming from their own leaders. They're constantly told that it is the Jews who are depriving them of human rights, but never told to treat Israelis like humans. Even in their religion they're told that Jews are animals, pigs, whatever.
So I ask the world community who are all in favor of the BDS movement that is coming down taking away the human rights of Israelis, just what is being deprived of the Palestinians that is truly Israel's fault? If they are so sensitive of human rights, what could Israel have possibly done better? How would the United States have handled it and remember, we're comparing today's 7 million Israelis to the USA's almost 313 million. That's almost 45 times more chances of coming up with great answers. Of course, it's the Israelis whose lives are on the line, not the couch potatoes sitting at home refereeing the action in the Middle East.
No, the Jews of Israel have not ignored the human rights of their aggressors, the Arab Palestinians. They have done their utmost to remember they have human rights. Israel has tried to live by the Golden Rule, treat others like you want to be treated. But at the same time, they are bound and determined to stay alive doing so.
If you just look at Syria, you can see how a state treats their own kind when attacked. For 64 years and more, Israel has had to deal with just aggressiveness and only a few groups have come to bat for them. From the Evangelicals, we are uplifted and find encouragement. What about the rest of the world?
Maybe I should first ask if the Palestinians have ignored the Jewish human rights in Palestine. The Palestinian Arabs did things like attack communities such as Hebron in 1929 with full sized pogroms, killing 133 and injuring far more. Emir Faisal of the Hashemite family of Saudi Arabia was a willing sponsor of Jews coming into Palestine and settling down. He understood their need of their own state, as he also had the same desire for himself and his people. They only had to deal with the English who held the mandate over Palestine and the French, another mandate overseer from the League of Nations in achieving their states.
Hajj Amin el-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem was not one of the educated Arabs who went along with the Jews' return, however and did everything he could to attack and kill them. Unfortunately many of the English stationed in Palestine to carry out the mandate were quite anti-Semitic themselves, and made it easy for Husseini and his gangs.
This led to constant battles of Jews and Arabs, especially in 1947-1949 in the War of Independence where the Jews were able to legally pronounce their state was born through the newly created UN on May 14, 1948, only to be attacked viciously the next minute by all the surrounding Arabs. Even though the Arabs were offered 80% of what was to be the Jewish Homeland, their leaders turned the offer down to opt for more warring. There was no human rights to be shown the Jews. They were trying to drive them into the sea.
This antipathy for starting their own state of Palestine has been going on for the past 64 years. A people who just want to antagonize and hate are now complaining that the Jews are not giving them any human rights. There are even some Jews who have fallen for this vitriolic propaganda and are leading the parade of Jewish imperfections.
The Jews went through all the legal steps of achieving their state which took many years of red tape and many meetings. In their initial statehood plans the Jews had wonderful hopes to turn the land into a real Utopia for both Jews and Arabs. They were met with war. From 1948 to 1969 they were not even allowed into East Jerusalem, as it had been grabbed by Jordan, which is a surprise since the king was the son of Emir Faisel, who had shown far more understanding and desire for Jews to be there. Jews later found that Jewish cemeteries had been used as latrines by the Arabs, showing no respect at all. Headstones had been carted away to be used as paving stones.
Now we get to the Human Rights issue of the Palestinian Arabs. 1.4 million remained in the newly formed Israel to become citizens, but the rest had fled and were placed in camps. It was not Israel's doing to keep them there. They have been used as pawns in the propaganda fight against Israel, something that has been more effective than bullets. They have not been integrated into any country or community, and even had a major battle with Jordan, so that much of their population is made up of Palestinians today. In fact, the king of Jordan's son and present king is married to a Palestinian. However, the king still is the king of Jordan, not of Palestine. His grandfather had fought with his 4 sons in the war against the Ottoman Empire on the English side, and he felt he deserved his state of Jordan, too.
Judea and Samaria (West Bank of the Jordan River) is settled by Arabs and Jews. Since 1967's Six Day War, Israel had become the administrators of this and of East Jerusalem being they won the war over unbelievable odds. Of course the Arabs have not been happy with this and still plan someday to create their own state and have this piece of property pegged to be it along with Gaza. When and if they do, their state is to have no Jew living there. So much for human rights! Israel put the Palestine Authority in charge of it who take care of all problems, but Israel keeps the right to have a security force there as well, since they have had attacks from there in Israel like suicide bombers, for one. The status of the administered areas have not changed and are waiting a peace settlement in which the borders between Israel and its neighbors will be decided. The Arabs refuse to come to the peace table and talk. They want everything decided their way before sitting down. Israel has not annexed any part of the areas. East Jerusalem was united with West Jerusalem and are served by one mayor for the better. Israel's feeling are that it is to remain one and is Israel's capital as in ancient days.
There have been nothing but improvements since 1967 for the Arabs. Israel maintained an Open Bridges policy allowing movement of people and goods between the administered areas and the Arab countries. With Hamas being voted in power over Fatah, that had to ultimately change. The people of Gaza had voted for terrorists who have attacked and killed Israelis. Israel had even moved all of their own people out of Gaza for the Arabs in order to make peace but that just gave them more room to be used as a staging ground for shooting rockets, missiles and mortars into southern Israel, which they have been doing for the past 12 years. It just keeps getting worse.
This is why Israel has had to set down rules of conduct to keep them from getting even more arms to use against Israel. These rockets, mortars and missiles come to them through tunnels they have dug, and now they are getting supplies from Libya as well. Most all weapons come from Iran to Syria and onto Gaza. Ships coming in must also be searched for weapons. The truth is that Gaza is not being deprived of any goods. Israeli trucks bring in supplies every day. They probably have more items than many communities in the United States. There would be no need for Israel to monitor shipments if there were no shooting coming from Gaza. It's plain and simple.
Any problem, such as Arab homes that have been destroyed came about for very good reasons. They have housed ammunition to be used against Israel. The families were given numerous chances and warning before the ultimate punishment of house damage. It makes great headlines for newspapers who love to find fault with Jews, though, and that's what happened in the Corrie affair where a Washington state daughter was accidentally killed because she stood in the way of a tractor on purpose to protect a house whose driver couldn't see her. It was a tragedy that could have been avoided.
What Israel has hoped for is that the Palestinians would get into the groove and better themselves economically so that they could run their own state. They left nurseries that were supplying goods for Europe when they left Gaza, yet the Palestinians only destroyed them.
The general Arab population are given the education in their schools and homes of only hatred for Jews and for Israel. It's in their books, on their al-Jezeera TV, in their public assemblies coming from their own leaders. They're constantly told that it is the Jews who are depriving them of human rights, but never told to treat Israelis like humans. Even in their religion they're told that Jews are animals, pigs, whatever.
So I ask the world community who are all in favor of the BDS movement that is coming down taking away the human rights of Israelis, just what is being deprived of the Palestinians that is truly Israel's fault? If they are so sensitive of human rights, what could Israel have possibly done better? How would the United States have handled it and remember, we're comparing today's 7 million Israelis to the USA's almost 313 million. That's almost 45 times more chances of coming up with great answers. Of course, it's the Israelis whose lives are on the line, not the couch potatoes sitting at home refereeing the action in the Middle East.
No, the Jews of Israel have not ignored the human rights of their aggressors, the Arab Palestinians. They have done their utmost to remember they have human rights. Israel has tried to live by the Golden Rule, treat others like you want to be treated. But at the same time, they are bound and determined to stay alive doing so.
If you just look at Syria, you can see how a state treats their own kind when attacked. For 64 years and more, Israel has had to deal with just aggressiveness and only a few groups have come to bat for them. From the Evangelicals, we are uplifted and find encouragement. What about the rest of the world?
1 comment:
Has anyone bothered to consider improvements to the standard of living for the Palestinians under Israel's control? Visit any Israeli hospital and you will find many Palestinians enjoying Israeli medical care. General infrastructure for all Arab towns in Israel - Judea and Samaria included - has greatly improved under Israel's control. Roads, water and electric lines, even the majority of private homes in these areas have been built through Israel’s support. But so-called Human Rights services choose to focus on the negative and manipulate reality in order to draw the picture as if, of all places in the world, the Arabs under Israel's control are in need of the most attention.
Israel strives to continue to improve the standard of living for all of its citizens and residents. But Israel is not in a position to ignore ongoing threats to the security of its people. Security checkpoints are an inconvenience forced on the population - not by the government or army, but by the terrorists – some who travel in ambulances and pretend to be sick and then lash out in demented attacks once they get through. Check the news; this happened again just yesterday. Obviously, the key to raising the standard of living in Israel for all is an end to terrorism. That can be accomplished through protective measures by Israel's military when needed and civic leadership on all sides when possible.
David Ha'ivri is the director of the Shomron Liaison Office. He and his wife Mollie live in Kfar Tapuach, Israel
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