Origins of Palestinian Arab Culture
Dr. A.J. Caschetta
In March 2023, Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said: “There is no such thing as a Palestinian nation. There is no Palestinian history. There is no Palestinian language. Is there a Palestinian history or culture? There is none.”
Cultures take centuries or millennia to form organically, but Palestinian Arab culture, or “Palestinianism,” sprang into being quickly and artificially.
The designation “Palestinian” only became applicable to the inhabitants of the region because the British named it the Palestinian Mandate after acquiring it following World War I.
The origin of the Palestinian Arab identity began in 1920 when the British created the Palestine Mandate which all Muslims in the Middle East universally rejected because they perceived it as “a victory for Zionism.” So instead, they decided to form their own independent state, a project taken up by Amin al-Husseini, Mufti of Jerusalem. (The Brits illegally ceded 78% of the Mandate to the Arabs, as “Transjordan”.)
In 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded and declared the existence of a “Palestinian” people. In 1967 Arafat took over the PLO and used it to shape Palestinian Arab identity and culture into what they are today.
In a candid moment in 1977, Zuheir Mohsen, leader of the Ba’athist As-Saiqa faction of the PLO acknowledged, “The Palestinian people do not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel. The existence of a separate Palestinian identity exists only for tactical reasons.”
It is often observed that the people of Jordan (a nation that did not exist prior to 1921) are ethnically and genetically indistinguishable from “Palestinian” Arabs. The same could be said of the people of Syria. (Most of them are Arabs!)
This is not to say that many Syrians and Jordanians would not celebrate the destruction of Israel.
Food for Thought: by Steven Shamrak
Israel must stop the politics of ambiguity and appeasement of fake friends. It has never really worked for Jews! Any independent country has the right to say where other states are allowed to open their embassies or consulates. The US speculation about opening a consulate for the enemies of Israel in Jerusalem is designed to undermine the sovereignty and legitimacy of the Jewish state! Stand proud and learn to say “NO” to international Jew-Haters!
Zionism is the Jewish
National Independence Movement.
Jewish Prayer Permitted on Temple Mount
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir confirmed that Jewish men were permitted to bring prayer books onto the Temple Mount. Under the longstanding status quo, Jews and Christians are permitted to visit the Temple Mount but are generally prohibited from praying there, while Muslims are permitted to worship. In January, Israel Police began relaxing some restrictions on Jewish prayer at the site.
New Pro-Israel Christian Arab Party
Prominent Israeli Arab advocacy activist and IDF veteran Yoseph Haddad is behind a newly submitted application to register a party called “Brave Israel”. One of the party’s registered objectives calls for a “permanent, proactive, offensive and unapologetic national public diplomacy apparatus” capable of making Israel’s case internationally and challenging hostile narratives abroad.
Families of Fallen Demand Defeat of Hamas
Forum HaGevura (“The Heroism Forum”) urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately return to the offensive against Hamas. The group, composed of more than 300 families whose children were slain during the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. It demanded that the government fulfil its commitment to defeat the terrorist organization. Forum HaGevura said that after the heavy price Israel has paid, its members could not accept any arrangement short of complete victory over Hamas. “The blood that has been spilled obliges all of us to learn the lessons and make sure that the threat is removed from the root.”
UNRWA Kicked out from East Jerusalem
UNRWA alleges Israeli takeover of agency buildings in East Jerusalem. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees claims that Israel is taking over buildings that belong to the agency. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees claims that Israel is taking over buildings that belong to the agency ‘These are not UNRWA properties, but privately owned properties for which the municipality has signed a usage agreement,’ Jerusalem Municipality said. In late 2024, Israel passed legislation banning UNRWA from operating in Israeli territory, including East Jerusalem, alleging that the UN agency was riddled with Hamas terrorists and fomenting anti-Israel sentiment in its schools.
Israel is increasingly concerned that a new defense pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan is directed not only at Iran but also against Israel. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told the state-run Anadolu news agency that the agreement is effectively modelled on NATO’s Article 5, under which an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. The pact is likely to lead to joint military exercises and training, as well as increased intelligence and technological cooperation. “Israel poses a threat to all of us,” said Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. “Islamic countries must adopt a coordinated approach to confront this threat.” (Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Egypt could join the alliance.)
Samaria Town of Ganim Resettled
Thirty Israeli families moved into the re-established northern Samaria community of Ganim, after 21 years Israel evacuated and demolished the settlement as part of the 2005 disengagement. This is major step in the government’s effort to reverse the withdrawal from four Samaria communities. Israel also removed all 21 of its towns from the Gaza Strip and withdrew its permanent military presence from the enclave under the plan.
A UNICEF-backed survey found data showing sharply lower child malnutrition in Gaza undermines wartime accusations that Israel deliberately starved Gazans. The survey revealed that malnutrition rates in Gaza are less severe than many neighbouring Middle Eastern countries and are comparable to several European countries. Even the Biden administration disputed a report from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS Net) alleging the emergence of a famine in northern Gaza in December 2024.
Quotes of the Week:
“The Security Council must understand a simple truth: We are not going anywhere. Jewish communities will stay in Judea and Samaria. Jewish communities are not temporary outposts, nor obstacles to peace. “They are permanent homes, thriving neighbourhoods where families live. Judea and Samaria is where our people’s eternal connection to the Land of Israel began.” – Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon – He also accused the Security Council of applying a double standard by focusing on Israeli “settler violence” while, he argued, failing to give similar attention to hundreds of Palestinian terrorist attacks. The only standard the Ugly Nazi has is Jew-hatred.
by Dr. Moshe Dann
Resolving the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Arabs is not possible because the dispute is not over tangibles – territory, economic benefits, etc – but intangibles: identity, nationalism, and religion. That is why all attempts to end the conflict by making compromises failed.
Following WWI and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations authorized British and French Mandates to replace the defunct Ottoman rulers. Their plan was to create states based on the major populations in the area.
Their plan resulted in the creation of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia; Egypt was already well-defined. The British recognized Eretz Yisrael (Palestine) as the “National Homeland of the Jewish People,” but it also wanted to give something equivalent to its Arab residents. In 1922, therefore, Britain carved out a state for them, which was called Transjordan, later changed to Jordan. (It is 77% of the land allocated by the League of Nation to the Jewish state. And it is still not enough for Arabs and British Jew-haters!)
A ‘two-state-solution,’ the creation of a Palestinian state in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza (the “West Bank”) is not an option since it would be controlled by terrorist organizations and Iran and will empower them. (Israel does not need another enemy state on the Jewish land!)
Arab Palestinians who live in Judea, Samaria, eastern Jerusalem, and Gaza can integrate and become part of Israeli society while retaining a separate identity. (They are determined to destroy Israel. This is not an option!)
Ironically, the best alternative to a destructive Palestinian state is a constructive Israeli state with full sovereignty in all areas of Eretz Yisrael. (Without enemy population.)
(This article presents some good facts of history, but is not complete. Unfortunately, as often academics do, conclusions are for from reality – ‘Politically correct’ and improbable.)