Friday, November 11, 2011

JUST FOR THE RECORD - "OCCUPIED PALESTINE"?

    The history of “Palestine” can be one of two tales depending on who tells the story. If you talk to Arabs living in the Middle east that were born in the early 60’s or later,” Palestine “ was an “Arab country and its capital was Jerusalem”.  Sadly, even prominent members of the PLO would not agree with this. In 1977, Zahir Muhsein, a PLO Executive Committee Member, was quoted as saying, “The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means of 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 interest demands that we posit the existence of a distinct 'Palestinian people' to oppose Zionism."
In fact, anyone trying to find a history book about the “country or nation of Palestine” will be on an endless search. There never has been a nation or country or people group or culture called “Palestine”. Until 1948, Palestine was under foreign governments and ruled from foreign lands. The people living in the territory of “Palestine” were Jewish and Arab and were designated “Palestinian Jew” or “Palestinian Arab”. According to Statistics kept by the British, under their mandate, more than 70% of the land that was to become Israel was not owned by Arabs. It belonged to the mandatory British government.
   Immediately after Israel was recognized in the United Nations, Arab leaders declared war against Israel and urged the Arabs living in the area to leave their homes until the armies destroyed the new nation. When the Jews were wiped out, they could return and have the homes of the dead Jews as well. 30,000 Arabs left with plans to return to their homes.  150,000 Arabs remained and became citizens of Israel. At the same time, Jewish families that had lived for generations in Iran, Iraq, Yemen and other Arab nations were threatened in their home countries and forced to leave with only what  they were able to carry.  820,000 Jews  fled from Arab countries. 586,000 resettled in Israel without any compensation from the homelands they left.
   The General Armistice of April 3, 1949 enabled King Abdullah of Trans Jordan to incorporate parts of what was “Palestine” into his kingdom enabling Arab Palestinians to live outside of the new nation of Israel.
   As for Jerusalem, it has NEVER been the capitol of any other nation besides Israel and the Jewish people.
   So, how do we explain Passports that are stamped “Jerusalem” instead of “Israel” when printing place of birth, and even more disgraceful, how do we justify stamping “Occupied Palestine” on passports????

France Says Ma'aleh Adumim is 'Occupied Palestine'
French citizen who lives in Ma'aleh Adumim surprised that his passport says he lives in "Occupied Palestine."
By Elad Banari
First Publish: 11/11/2011, 2:12 AM

A French citizen who lives in Ma’aleh Adumim and recently tried to renew his French passport, received a letter which said that his country of residence in the new passport would be listed as “occupied Palestine.”
The citizen turned to MK Lia Shemtov from the Yisrael Beiteinu party and asked her to take care of the issue with the French authorities.
“I was contacted by a young resident of Ma’aleh Adumim who was surprised to find that his French passport said that he lives in the occupied territory of Palestine,” Shemtov told Arutz Sheva on Thursday.
“It is inconceivable that Ma’aleh Adumim will be listed in the passport as occupied Palestinian territory,” she added. “I turned to the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the staff there were also amazed to see that the passport says that Ma’aleh Adumim is part of Palestine, a country which has never even existed.”
Shemtov said, “Foreign Ministry officials promised me they’d contact the French Embassy and the French government to ensure that future similar mistakes do not happen.”

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