(no subject)

[cellio]

The representative of the Arab Higher Committee to the United Nations submitted a statement to the General Assembly in May 1947 that said, "Palestine was part of the Province of Syria" and that, "politically, the Arabs of Palestine were not independent in the sense of forming a separate political entity." A few years later, Ahmed Shuqeiri, later the chairman of the PLO, told the United Nations Security Council, "It is common knowledge that Palestine is nothing but southern Syria."

[...]

In 1931, Lewis French conducted a survey of Arab "landlessness" and eventually offered new lands to any Arabs who had been "dispossessed." British officials received approximately 3,200 applications, of which more than 2,600 were ruled invalid by the government's legal adviser because they came from Arabs who were not landless. This left only about 600 landless Arabs, 100 of whom accepted the government land offer. The masses of dispossessed Arabs apparently did not exist or simply were not interested in reacquiring land.

Mideast conflict origins (part 1)

Comments

[cellio]

Finding an unbiased source is well-nigh impossible, but the book you found sounds interesting. Let me know how it is once you've read it, ok?

Both sides have done some very unwise things at various times. I'll certainly admit, though, that I have trouble taking seriously the claimed wish for justice from people who systematically teach a culture of hatred; that goes well beyond "unwise". Until that stops, there can be no hope for a long-term peace in that part of the world. The guilty parties are a small portion of the population, but they are poisoning their people and doing a huge amount of damage.

[amergina.livejournal.com]

It doesn't help that neither side trusts the other side's leader. Arafat is viewed as a terrorist thug. And Sharon is viewed as a war criminal.

You have two peoples who just want to be able to go about their lives without fear of being blown up or shot at.

I don't see an end to the cycle, honestly. There are plenty of people on both sides who would be happy to pack up the other side's population, and dump them in the ocean somewhere so they can have all of the land.

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I'll let you know how the book is.