Thirty-nine years ago today, on July 29th 1974, I left England, land of my birth, and came home to Israel, land of my people’s birth. Thirty-two years later, that is to say, seven years ago today, “The View from the Palace” was born, in the midst of war – the result of my determination to defend my country in the best way I knew how, through the power of the written word and the technology of the world-wide web. Have I succeeded? That is for you, my readers, to judge.
Have things changed since I began writing this blog? Very little. Israel is still being held to blame, by a hostile world, for all the ills of the human race – driven, it seems, by the virus of antisemitism. How else can one explain the way the EU has put the blame on Israel for the failure of peace talks between Israel and the so-called “Palestinians” to get under way until now, despite the fact that in 2009, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced a ten-month moratorium on building in the “Occupied Territories”? After all, according to the Europeans, the Americans and the “Palestinians” themselves, it was the “Settlements” which were the main obstacle to peace. The Palestinians continued to make excuse after excuse not to come to the negotiating table until the ten months were up.
As far as this latest round of “Peace Talks” is concerned, the “Palestinians” refused to come to the negotiating table unless Israel agreed to a list of pre-conditions, among them a total cessation of building in the “Occupied Territories” including what the EU mendaciously terms “Arab East Jerusalem”, and Israeli agreement that the talks start from the basic premise that Israel would withdraw to the pre-1967 borders, that Jerusalem would be divided once again, and that Israel would recognise the “Right of Return” of the “Palestinian” refugees even within the pre-1967 borders. In other words – Israel would agree, in advance, to commit suicide. By the way, I saw that one anti-Israel “talkbacker” on the Yahoo forums had the nerve to describe Israel’s refusal to agree to pre-conditions as being, in itself, a pre-condition! Thus the antisemitic, Loony Left twists the Middle East debate by the use of Orwellian Doublethink. Now, I may be naive but, as far as I understand it, “negotiations” are for – duh? That’s right! NEGOTIATING! Not for rubber-stamping diktats by one of the parties. Furthermore, if the talks were to kick off from a start-off point whereby Israel would agree to commit suicide in return for the “Palestinians” agreeing to sit down at the negotiating table – what is left to negotiate? The timetable for our suicide? The exact number of Israeli Jews who would be permitted to continue to live in Israel – or to live at all?
The “Palestinians” have now graciously agreed to be present at what will be termed “Peace Talks” in return for the release of 104 terrorist murderers (“Freedom Fighters” in “Newspeak”). For some unaccountable reason (for that, read “Obama-pressure”), Netanyahu has given into blackmail and agreed to this. The “Palestinians” claim there is a secret addendum to this agreement, to the effect that the prisoners to be released will include Israeli Arabs, who will not be expelled from Israel but will be released back into the community! Frankly, I think that agreeing to a temporary halt on building in Judaea and Samaria would have been less harmful. At least it would have been reversible. But if we release these murderous bastards, what recourse will we have if, two days into the ludicrously misnamed “Peace Talks”, the “Palestinians” – running true to form – make some other excuse for leaving the talks? Have we any terrorist murderers left with which to bribe them?
Why is it always Israel who is expected to make “goodwill gestures”? Why is it, that when the “Palestinians” impose outrageous pre-conditions just for agreeing to sit down at the negotiating table, it is Israel who is accused of refusing to negotiate?
And why is our Prime Minister giving in to demands to which he always declared he never would accede? What pressure have Obama and John Kerry put upon him? What other secret “understandings” has he agreed to? And is he going to betray the people who voted for him, in the same way as Arik Sharon betrayed his voters in 2005, when, in complete contradiction to his election platform, he unilaterally pulled out all Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, forcibly uprooted Israeli settlements and turned brother against brother in Israel, in pursuit of a mirage, a will o’ the wisp delusion of peace. I trust no-one has forgotten what we got in return for that “gesture” – a Hamas terrorist government in Gaza, hundreds of rockets raining down on Israeli towns and cities, and the promise of more war to come.
THE VIEW FROM THE PALACE 
What you say is true and heartbreaking both…
Indeed, Shimon. But – let’s hope – גם זה יעבור
I partially blame the actual American government for the latest developments as I find it much too biased in being muslim friendly. When you loose the leash…
Alas, Labelle, it’s not just the present American government.
Why do you refer to the “Palestinians”, always using quotation marks?
Because there is no such thing as a “Palestinian” people, as I have often explained in the past. Before there was a State of Israel, the so-called “Palestinians” considered themselves part of the “South Syrian Arabs” and some of their leaders are on record as stating that the “Palestinian People” was only invented so as to give the Arabs something to throw in as a counterweight to the Jewish people in their plan to eradicate the State of Israel.
And who are these “leaders” who said this? We were only South Syrian Arabs in the sense that Palestine (including Jordan) was part of the Ottoman PROVINCE of Syria, in the pre-Mandatory period. We self-identified in accordance with the term that applied to their geographic position at the time when pan-Arab nationalism first appeared. We are STILL Arabs and Muslims. But we must be practical. So we are Palestinians as a matter of practicality. That does not make it illegitimate.
Does the fact that we haven’t had a Palestinian state mean that we are obliged to be the Bantu of Apartheid Israhell for evermore? Or that we must leave our own homes and make way for the Zionist conquerors? The State of Israel is a modern invention. It has nothing to do with the ancient Kingdoms of Israel and Judea, that descended into anarchy and savagery because of the fratricidal wars of their primitive inhabitants.
In a March 1977 interview with the Dutch newspaper TROUW, Zuheir Mohsen, one of the leaders of the PLO stated: “Between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese there are no differences. We are all part of ONE people, the Arab nation….. Just for political reasons we carefully underwrite our Palestinian identity. Because it is of national interest for the Arabs to advocate the existence of Palestinians to balance Zionism. Yes, the existence of a separate Palestinian identity exists only for tactical reasons. The establishment of a Palestinian state is a new tool to continue the fight against Israel and for Arab unity.
….. Once we have accomplished all of our rights in all of Palestine, we shouldn’t postpone the unification of Jordan and Palestine for one second.”
In 1974, Syria’s President Assad (the father of the current president) asserted, on Radio Damascus, that “Palestine is not only a part of our Arab homeland, but a basic part of southern Syria“.
The famous Arab historian, George Antonius, author of “The Arab Awakening” stated in that book that “Palestine” was nothing other than part of “the whole of the country of the name [Syria] which is now split up into mandated territories.”
You tell me, in what way is a “Palestinian” Arab different to a Syrian or a Jordanian Arab in any way that would justify the existence of a separate “Palestinian” state? Full civil rights, certainly – but why national rights. No-one said you had to leave your homes. If you had stayed put in 1948 and accepted the establishment of the State of Israel, you would still be living there and would have enjoyed full civil rights – as do the Arab citizens of Israel still living there, who serve in the Knesset, the Government, the Supreme Court and so on. You know damn well that Israel does not practice apartheid and that her Arab citizens have the same rights as her Jewish citizens – but fewer duties, as they are exempt from military service.
So, not content with stealing their land, you are now attempting to strip them of their very identity?
See my reply to Akram, above.
I have been a follower of your blog since its early days, although I’ve mostly been a lurker, and haven’t usually commented. But sometimes, one has to speak up and I just wanted to say, I agree with you a zillion percent about releasing those terrorist murderers.
Erika, hi! Yes, I remember you commented once, I think way back in my early blogging days. Feel free to speak up and comment as often as you like 🙂
I heard that one of these terrorist scum-bags hurled a bomb at a bus. Can you confirm this?
Personally (and it is just a personal hope – I don’t wish to imply that you condone my view in any way) but PERSONALLY I hope that the relatives of the victims track that bastard down and kill him.
So far, there has been no official publication of the list of who is to be released, so I can’t confirm anything just yet.
So it goes on.Murder is against Judaic Law.
Do not kill
One of the ten commandments.
Even murderers don’t serve whole life sentences in most civilised countries
I also, as always, agree with you one million percent!! Very well said!
Thank you. I hope Austin agrees too 😉
It’s hard to believe that you’ve been blogging all these years and I haven’t been aware of you…
Better late than never. 🙂
Shabbat Shalom!
So because Hafez Assad claims Palestine his self-servng position now becomes the PALESTINIAN position? Assad was never a Palestinian leader. Palestine may once have been part of the provinceof Syria, but it has been separate since 1919 and it belongs to its people who have the right to call themselves what they like – and who have chosen to call themselves Palestinians. Of course in the long-run we are also Arabs and Muslims. Now answer me this: Are you a Jew, an Israeli or human being?
I notice, Akram, that you have conveniently ignored the point that it was not merely Assad who claimed “Palestine” was part of Syria. I also quoted “Palestinian” historian George Antonius and one of the PLO (“Palestine Liberation Organization) leaders, Zuheir Mohsen, who, as late as 1977, admitted that “the Palestinian people” was a tactical invention, a weapon in the Arab war to eradicate the Jewish state.
Furthermore, you have failed to answer my question: What is the difference between an Arab from “Palestine”, an Arab from Jordan(which, historically, was 60% of “Palestine” until the British treacherously chopped it off and handed it over to their Hashemite allies) and an Arab from Syria?
So a couple of Palestinian leaders said it was a tactic.
Okay, let’s say we are NOT Palestinians. Then what do you way we are? Egyptians? (Tell that to an Arab resident of Hebron.) Jordanians? (Tell that to a Gaza resident.) Israelis? (Tell that to a refugee in Lebanon who fled from Lydda, Ramle, Haifa or Jaffa.)
“What is the difference between an Arab from “Palestine”, an Arab from Jordan(which, historically, was 60% of “Palestine” until the British treacherously chopped it off and handed it over to their Hashemite allies) and an Arab from Syria?”
What is the difference between an American Jew who gets off a plane from New York and declares himself to be an Israeli and who claims the right to live in a settlement on land stolen from Palestinians (yes we DO exist) and an American Jew who stays in New York and doesn’t make such preposterous claims?
BTW your entire question is based on the false (and racist) premise that nationality is the same as ethnicity. The difference between an Arab from Jordan and an Arab from Palestine is one of nationality. Jordan is a separate country. If it were the same as Palestine then Israelis would be Jordanians too!
The creation of Transjordan was permitted by the League of Nations in recognition of the circumstances at the time. It didn’t come into formal existence until 1946 when the UN was wound up and wasn’t admitted to the UN until Israel was, in 1948. There was nothing treacherous about it. The land needed SOME form of governance, and governance by the Hashemites was a practical solution. I am no admirer of the Hashemites, but you can hardly use the realpolitik of Britain and the League of Nations as a means of undermining the legitimacy of Palestinian national aspirations.
Finally, I repeat my original question: Are you a Jew, an Israeli or human being?
@Akram
“What are we to you?”
The answer depends on more details. If you are a “Palestinian” in Israel with Israeli citizenship, then you are an Israeli. If you are a “Palestinian” from the East Bank of the Jordan river, you are a Jordanian. If you are a “Palestinian” from the West Bank of the Jordan river (i.e. Judea or Samaria) you are also a Jordanian. If you are a “Palestinian” from Gaza, you are probably a stateless person, unless you are, say, only half or quarter “Palestinian” but still clinging on to the word because you think you can trade on it for sympathy – or UN aid! Of course, if the Egyptians had treated you better, they would have given you citizenship. But they didn’t, so you are no better off than a “Palestinian” in Lebanon or Syria – countries that were quick enough to declare war on and invade the nascent State of Israel in 1948, but not so quick to give you citizenship, when your parents or grandparents fled there to escape from the war which those countries started.
If you are a “Palestinian” with Jordanian citizenship, then you get to share Jordan with a population that is 60% ethnic Palestinian and 40% Bedouin. But this shouldn’t be a problem, because by your own admission you are a Muslim first! So whether you admire the Hashemites or not, try to live in peace with them because they are your own brethren! And just as you can be a Muslim Arab and a Jordanian (or “Palestinian”, if it pleases you to think so), I and my fellow Jews can be Jewish, British and human, without any internal or external conflict whatsoever.
@Akram: “What is the difference between an American Jew who gets off a plane from New York and declares himself to be an Israeli and who claims the right to live in a settlement on land stolen from Palestinians (yes we DO exist) and an American Jew who stays in New York and doesn’t make such preposterous claims?”
There is no difference, from the point of view of his Jewish peoplehood, between an American Jew who goes home to live in his people’s ancient homeland, an American Jew who decides to stay in New York, in the Diaspora, a Jew who managed to escape from Syria and get to Israel and an Israeli Jew whose family have lived in Jerusalem for generations (such as Yehoram Gaon). They are all members of the Jewish people. You are mixing up “citizenship” and “peoplehood”.
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