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The country called Palestine
Reader comment on item: Pretending There's a Country Called "Palestine"
in response to reader comment: Sesame Street Fundraising for 'Palestine'

Submitted by Ed S (Canada), Dec 30, 2005 at 07:15

Palestine as a "country" came to exist, first in the mind of Yasser Arafat, and by agitation he and his Hashemite Arab partners kept the name in the public eye for long enough that an entire generation has grown up hearing the name.

Dr. Goebbels, now remembered by just a few, told us that any lie, repeated often enough, becomes the truth. This is so with the name of the region called Palestine. I wonder what would have been the name of the "Palestinian People", if this group of Hashemite Arabs had been graciously allowed to settle in say Libya or any other place. False and incomplete histories have been taught in schools.

I have been quite shocked at the ignorance of Canadian students when it comes to their perceptions of what has happened in the Middle East. So this pop culture repetition of Palestine in reference to a country or nation, combined with ignorance of history, results in false beliefs. Most people that I know in Canada under the age of 25, actually believes that Palestine is a State, Nation or Country.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.

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Reader comments (43) on this item

Title By Date
Semantics [191 words]Peter HerzAug 6, 2009 12:47
Palestine is Paleostone, the land of dreams [93 words]Ismael Pio EliasMay 24, 2009 02:06
Where is Palestine???? Come on!!! [166 words]Adam the Scot.Jan 23, 2009 17:54
Middle earth?? [226 words]FatimaMay 16, 2009 00:49
Response to Fatima [353 words]adam the scotMay 17, 2009 06:58
YWCA refers to my wife [181 words]yuval Brandstetter MDJan 5, 2009 02:39
American Express Card cooperating with Islamists Palestinians again for lethargy? Possible? [310 words]YnnatchkahAug 14, 2008 02:50
Bank of Palestine.- a currency exchange agency and a broker with no pants (no own currency). [226 words]YnnatchkahApr 5, 2008 04:14
PNINA and the UN Pretending there is a country called palestine-Schocking. [72 words]YnnatchkahApr 5, 2008 03:36
maale adumim is not in Israel [78 words]Emmanuel ParelloMar 14, 2008 19:04
Hajj Amin al-Husayni-- Arafat's uncle? Base of Arafat's position?
[w/response] [281 words]
Jennie Blaine WatsonMar 14, 2008 11:57
Edward Said "conservatorium" in Palestine./Schocking [210 words]YnnatchkahMar 13, 2008 03:53
Conductor Barenboim: I have 6 questions to you. [216 words]YnnatchkahMar 12, 2008 23:49
the country that doesn't exist [141 words]Rebecca MouldsNov 22, 2007 23:15
deluded... [71 words]donvanNov 23, 2007 11:11
Not only Rice [8 words]YnnatchkahNov 24, 2007 02:43
Dr. Phil addressing a country called "palestine" in his program. [190 words]YnnatchkahNov 21, 2007 19:53
Jews own Israel not anyone else. [93 words]Phil GreendJun 3, 2007 22:06
Palestine never existed [103 words]SamuelMay 3, 2006 10:27
Are you kidding me? [245 words]PalestinaSep 23, 2006 00:23
To Palestina [91 words]JohnMar 29, 2007 12:50
What's in a name? [65 words]KatteyNov 16, 2007 13:54
bizarre way of thinking [286 words]GregDec 11, 2007 13:21
Israel as Rome [16 words]jennifer solisDec 11, 2007 17:57
Palestine, the country [176 words]Frank G AndersonMar 12, 2008 23:57
Proud and Oppressed People? [47 words]Linda HaslamMar 17, 2008 12:33
Frank G Anderson [12 words]adam the scotMay 24, 2009 08:26
People like you only go back so far. [153 words]LynnMay 25, 2009 09:08
What did he mean by that? [203 words]AlanJan 6, 2006 20:55
its a name [61 words]bosNov 13, 2007 16:47
Declaration Palestine. [167 words]Genivaldo d.c.n.Dec 31, 2005 06:37
Sesame Street Fundraising for 'Palestine'
[w/response] [176 words]
Genivaldo Da Costa NevesDec 29, 2005 20:03
⇒ The country called Palestine [183 words]Ed SDec 30, 2005 07:15
Canadian Ignorance [150 words]GenivaldoDec 31, 2005 06:59
it doesnt surprise me [58 words]danidaniDec 16, 2005 09:02
Pretending! [8 words]tariqDec 14, 2005 09:54
Identity Politics [122 words]AlexJan 6, 2006 18:42
to alex [16 words]tariqJun 5, 2006 06:18
To tariq, [68 words]JimMar 29, 2007 12:56
to jim [549 words]tariqApr 3, 2007 05:34
To Palestina [16 words]JasonNov 12, 2007 12:53
to tariq [218 words]bosNov 13, 2007 16:36
Another reason why there is no country called Palestine [321 words]PC ManiOct 1, 2009 03:01

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.

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