Herald journalist John Roughan (john.roughan@nzherald.co.nz) joins the Israel-bashers
condemning the United States move of its embassy to Israel’s capital, but with
no insight into the Israeli or Palestinian world-views.
"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." PLO leader Zuheir Mohsen
Given that Jews have had
1400 years to learn of Islam’s determination to treat them (and Christians) as
second-class citizens, and eventually rid the world of them, Roughan’s
commentary seems morally shallow, historically naive, and culturally perverse
and insensitive.
Following the Balfour
declaration, Palestinians had the physically, culturally, religiously and
linguistically contiguous states of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria to accommodate
them. But these states denied Palestinians residence and described those who
fled across their borders (under Arab instruction, it should be noted, not
Israeli force) as ‘refugees’. Permanently. Palestinian claims are perhaps the
most egregious manifestation of moral hypocrisy, ideological manipulation,
historical perversion and eleemosynary corruption in centuries. If exceeded, it
is only by other Arab nations’ treatment of Palestinians. But it is undoubtedly
successful in fooling large numbers of Westerners like Roughan.
Israel is the only
MENA state with universal values of human rights, one which will
uncompromisingly defend its own citizens, and the only state world-wide under
explicit threat of extermination. Should Israel appease Arabs, the state will
be destroyed. Christians in the Middle East do not defend themselves and are
being exterminated. This is why the West
should support Israel and keep diplomatic representation in its capital and its
one sacred place, Jerusalem. Christians
are safer there than anywhere else in MENA states.
The only way
Palestinians can gain from the present situation is to admit they have lost the
war, and respect the Koran’s surah 5 verses 20-22, recognising Israel as a
Jewish state. Only then can they build a civilised country. Israel
unquestionably will help them do this.
Meanwhile, if Roughan
wants a more objective view of Palestinian history, he could start with these: https://www.meforum.org/articles/2011/how-anti-semitism-prevents-peace
Roughan’s
opinion-piece A little more Israeli
respect for Islam might go a long way can be found here:
