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| Illinois representative and Nakba supporter, Marie Newman |
If you are a Palestinian or one of their devout sympathizers, you might see the establishment of Israel that way too. That is in fact the way many Palestinians celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut – Israel’s independence day. They see it as their own Holocaust claiming that their ancestors - the indigenous Arabs of 1948 Palestine were chased out of their homes or massacred by a marauding Jewish militia who wished to cleanse their new state of Arabs. The Arabic word for catastrophe is Nakba. That is what they call Yom Ha’atzmaut. It is a day of mourning for them.
I understand how they feel – as I noted recently. From their perspective – I get it. The problem with their perspective is their ignorance of the full truth of that time. A 'truth' skewed by virtue of decades of indoctrination by their elders and teachers. An indoctrination based half truths and outright lies – presented as gospel!
It is quite clear that Palestinians were not expelled from Israel upon its founding. It's true that a lot of them ran out as a result of fear mongering by Arab leaders who urged them to run for their lives. Those poor Arabs were convinced that they would be massacred by violent Jewish militias if they stayed.
There may have been some isolated cases where Jewish brigades did in fact do some harm along those lines (depends whose version of history one believes). But at most they were rogue operations. Not the policy of the Israel's pioneering leaders who urged the indigenous Arab population to stay and live free in the new nations state of Israel. Unfortunately many listened instead to the fear mongers. Bolstered by rumors of atrocities - they ran. Eventually becoming what we now call Palestinian refugees living on the West Bank and in Gaza .
But there were sizable number of Arabs that did not run. They stayed. The promise that they would live free and prosper has been fulfilled. They are called Israeli Arabs. Although they too consider themselves to be Palestinian, a recent survey showed that the vast majority of them would not move into a Palestinian state should one ever be declared. They would stay put.
It is also a fact that Israeli Arabs have a sizable representation in Israel’s legislative body – the Kenesset. And they are currently in the governing coalition. I think Israeli Arabs would be hard pressed to seriously call Israel’s Independence Day a tragedy. I think any objective fair minded person anywhere in the world would agree.
Unfortunately there are some people in congress that are willfully ignorant of these facts. They insist that Israel is an oppressive occupier that still wants Israel - including the all of West Bank - to be free of Arabs.
There is a new resolution being presented in the House of Representatives to establish Nakba day – a national day of mourning the establishment of Israel. From JNS:
The resolution’s supporters were the normal cadre of Israel-haters and anti-Semites—Reps. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Marie Newman (D-Ill.), Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.). Most, if not all, of these co-sponsors have consistently sided against Israel, endorsed the BDS movement, labeled Israel an apartheid state and worked to dissolve the strong alliance between Israel and the United States.
How can anyone with the slightest bit of knowledge of the truth say that the establishment of Israel is a tragedy? Quite the opposite is true. In spite of their very real dangers they face every day they have contributed so much to the world in a variety of fields. From medicine, to science, to technology - to just name some of those fields.
The fact that so many Israeli Arabs have prospered in Israel gives lie to the canard that Israel's Independence Day is a tragedy for Palestinians. Had they stayed, they would have prospered too. How can these members of congress not recognize that reality? And at least look at some of other - perhaps more significant reasons for the sorry state of Palestinian refugees? Not the least of which are their corrupt leaders. How can they ignore so many attacks by Palestinian terrorists that killed so many innocent Jews in Israel? How can they not recognize that Israel has no alternative in how they protect their citizens?
Apparently their liberal bias is so strong that they are blinded to it all. Focusing only on the suffering of their downtrodden – placing all the blame on Israel
That resolution will be voted down by the vast majority of congress - including Democrats. I just wish the Democratic leadership responds to that resolution with the contempt it so richly deserves. Will Speaker Pelosi and Majority leader Schumer rise to the occasion? We shall see.
On the flip side - way over and across the pond, I am glad to see such strong support of the Jewish state by conservatives in the UK. Like what was uttered by British Home Secretary, Priti Patel:
Priti Patel has declared her “unflinching and unequivocal” support for Israel, describing her relationship to the country as “deeply personal” to her.
Speaking at a Conservative Friends of Israel reception on Monday, the Home Secretary also said that she is “quite unapologetic” about the proscription of the Hamas terror group last year, saying that it was “not just the right thing to do, [it was] a moral imperative”.
Patel praised the Israeli Ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, also in attendance, thanking her for “who you are and what you do” and for the “wider support” that Israel gives to the UK.
Speaking to an audience of 140 CFI supporters, including 50 parliamentarians, Patel spoke of the “shared values” between the UK and Israel, adding that “everything we have seen around the BDS movement is racist”.
She said that the UK and Israel have an “unwavering belief in freedom, democracy and security”, saying that they are “united in speaking out and standing up against racism and antisemitism”.
What a difference! It gladdens my heart when I see words like this. She knows the truth and will not allow herself to be convinced by the lies of people like former UK liberal leader, Jeremy Corbin who makes Tlaib and Omar look like heroes of the down trodden.
It’s too bad that leftist bias has blinded some of our own representatives to the truth. And it’s too bad that the media pays so much attention to them – usually in positive ways, Because that will surely get them re-elected.