ABK You and Muslim Friends Are Not Going to Change the History Of Israel
Reader comment on item: New York Sun Columnist Weighs in on Creation of State of Israel
in response to reader comment: Poland or Palestine?

Submitted by Infidel (Canada), Jul 21, 2006 at 23:26

The term "Palestinian" is a masterful twisting of history. To portray themselves as indigenous, Arab settlers adopted the name of an ancient Mediterranean tribe, the Philistines ("invaders" in Hebrew), that disappeared almost 3,000 years ago. The connection between this tribe and modern day Arabs is nil. Romans, in order to conceal their shame and anger with rebellious regions, changed the references to Judea and Samaria by naming the area Palestine.

Israel became a nation in the 14th century BCE. Two thousand years before the rise of Islam. Since 1272 BCE, the Jews have had dominion over the land for up to 1,000 years, with a continuous Jewish presence in the land for the past 3,300 years. The only Arab dominion since the Arab invasion and conquest in 635 CE lasted no more than 22 years.

In 1867, Mark Twain took a tour of Palestine. This is how he described that land: "A desolate country whose soil is rich enough but is given over wholly to weeds. A silent, mournful expanse. We never saw a human." In 1882, official Ottoman Turk census figures showed that, in the entire Land of Israel, there were only 141,000 Muslims, both Arab and non-Arab. A travel guide to Palestine and Syria was published in 1906 by Karl Baedeker; the book estimated the total population of Jerusalem at 60,000, of whom 7,000 were Muslims, 13,000 were Christians and 40,000 were Jews.

There is overwhelming historical and archeological evidence that Jews were living in the Land of Israel for thousands of years. Despite two exiles, one diaspora and persecution by colonial powers, there was constant presence of Jews in Israel. Over many centuries, Jews maintained a single language, religion and culture and never rescinded their claims to nationhood. In words of Abba Eban,

"Nobody does Israel any service by proclaiming its 'right to exist'. Israel's right to exist, like that of the United States, Saudi Arabia and 152 other states, is axiomatic and unreserved. Israel's legitimacy is not suspended in midair awaiting acknowledgment".

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