The truth surrounding Gaza

Sir,

In response to an article published in the Comments and Analysis section of this publication on January 30, 2024, I wish to submit the following, particularly with regard to what the writer mentioned under the column 1948 Nakba or cleansing of Palestine.

In the second paragraph the writer states; “The Zionist movement captured 78 per cent of historic Palestine. The remaining 22 per cent was divided into what are now the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip. An estimated 750 000 Palestinians were forced out of their homes then, and now millions are displaced,” end of quote. This paragraph contains a number of points, the majority of which contain very little truth.

So, let‘s break this down, taking note of the words in italics:

1. 78/22 per cent

2. Occupied West Bank

3. Besieged Gaza Strip

4. 750 000 Palestinians forced out of their homes.

The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was a proposal by the United Nations (UN), which recommended a partition of Mandatory Palestine at the end of the British Mandate. In October 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted the plan as Resolution 181 (2). The Arab State was to have a territory of 11 100 square kilometres or 42 per cent, the Jewish State a territory of 14 100 square kilometres or 56 per cent, while the remaining two per cent comprising the cities of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the adjoining area, would become an International Zone.

A glance at the map of that day regarding the division of land was that 56 per cent was to be given to Israel. However, 60 per cent consisted of the Negev Desert - an area where only 13 per cent of Israel’s populace currently live. Added to this, the proposed plan was that an almost equal number of Arabs and Jews would live as citizens in the State of Israel, with almost no Jews in the Arabs’ portion. What is of significance here is that the Arabs rejected the proposal, while Israel accepted. And, had the Arabs accepted, there would have been peace. In other words, the Arabs wanted ALL of Israel, with nothing for the Jews. So, all their talk about a State of their own is a lie; devised to gain a better position to attack Israel as they’ve just done in Gaza; a State which was incidentally returned to the Arabs in its entirety.

Now, concerning the popular media term ‘occupied territory,’ how can the Jews be occupiers of’ the land to which they hold the title deed, grated to them approximately 3 500 years ago? The truth of the matter is that a large part of the Middle East does not belong to men, but to God. In a number of places God refers to the land He greed Abraham as His land (Joel 3:2; Ezekiel 38: 16; 36: 5; Jeremiah 16: 18; 2:7 etc), and that Abraham and his offspring were to be the caretakers of His land, and not anyone else. And as such they would remain until He would return to govern the earth from His city Jerusalem.

Added to the above, the so-called West Bank and Gaza, which are now referred to as ‘Occupied Territory’, was part of Jordan and Egypt until the Arabs lost it in the 1967 ‘Six-day War’. The question is why was there no cry of ‘occupied territory’ at that time? Moreover, the ‘Palestinians’ had what they now claim as the basis of their struggle, and so their claim that their struggle is to regain the ‘occupied territories’ they possessed before the ‘Six-day War’ is another blatant lie.

Next, the idea of Gaza being besieged: How come the media never says anything about Gaza‘s southern border with Egypt, and the wall she’s built to keep the ‘Palestinians’ from entering Egypt? The Egyptians are a people with the same language, religion and culture, yet it’s only Israel that’s the besieged. As well, Israel would never have built walls between herself and theArabs had theArabs chosen to live in peace with her. Consider this: If the leaders in Gaza and the West Bank had only invested the aid received from the West in building a State for their people, she could have been the new Singapore of the Middle East. Instead, they’ve built a military arsenal and underground tunnels worth billions of dollars! And then they cry about the oppression and poverty of their people!

Then the matter of 750 000 ‘Palestinians’being forced out of their homes: First, they were not Palestinians; that name was adopted by the Arabs after the 1967 ‘Six-day War’; a name that was adopted to brainwash the West that these Arabs were a separate nation and people. The fact is they were part of the same tribe as the Jordanians, to which both Arafat and King Hussein openly admitted. Secondly, the 750 000Arabs that the writer says were expelled, is not true. Those Arabs were not expelled. Rather, they chose to leave Israel on the advice of the Jordanians and Iraqis who told them to vacate, so that they could better drive the Jews into the sea; after which they could then return to possess what the Jews had lost. On the other hand, those Arabs who chose to disregard their leaders’ advice and remain in Israel enjoy full citizen rights as any Israeli Jew; even to the point of having their people appointed to Israel’s High Court, together with the right to vote. Now, where’s the apartheid in that?

Lastly, why don’t we hear of the 900 000 Jews that were expelled from the surrounding Arab lands without compensation – and then absorbed into tiny Israel, while the surroundingArab lands with 640 times more land than the Jews chose not to do? Added to this, none of these lands where the Jews were expelled have Jews living in them today, while Israel has approximately 1.5 millionArab citizens.And then the media talks of ethnic cleansing!

Friends, the Bible says God’s people are destroyed/or lack of knowledge. Really, we need to take seriously what God says, for He means what He says. Consider these words that have far-reaching consequences for every individual and nation: “I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you,” Genesis 12: 2, 3.

Eric Ries