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By Jamal Kanj
The phrase “fairytale” belongs to the founding father of political Zionism, Theodore Herzl, when he used it to induce his fellow Zionists in 1897 to pursue their “desires” in Palestine, stating “In the event you really need it, then it’s no fairytale. “
It may be argued that a lot of what political Zionism professes about “Jewish” historical past and tradition in Palestine is a “fairytale”?
The phrase “fairytale” belongs to the founding father of political Zionism, Theodore Herzl, when he used it to induce his fellow Zionists in 1897 to pursue their “desires” in Palestine, stating “In the event you really need it, then it’s no fairytale. ”
Undeniably, Judaism has robust religious ties to the Holy Land, however that doesn’t exculpate Herzl’s malicious “fairytale” desires. Equally, recognizing the Christian divine connection to the land of start and the crucifixion of Christ doesn’t excuse the crusades’ invasions. Likewise, the Islamic attachment to the land the place the Prophet ascended to the heavens, doesn’t make Palestine solely Muslim.
All through historical past, the land of Palestine skilled untold numbers of invaders, spiritual conversions, rise and fall of emperors and empires. To call however just a few, not in any order: Akkadians, Egyptians, Hebrews, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Muslims, European Crusades, Ottomans, British and many others. Withal, the indefatigable Palestinians have endured as steadfast witnesses to battles, carnages, victories, defeats, and retreats.
Throughout the context of nationwide historical past, transient conquerors morphed like seasonal yellow leaves, whereas the unique individuals of Palestine have remained the one historic fixed deeply rooted subsequent to their olive timber. Via all of it, the indigenous Palestinians may have taken a brand new faith or transformed to a different, adopted new customs, or realized a brand new language, a few of the invaders may’ve assumed native traditions or assimilated of their new house. Ultimately, creating a novel collective nationwide id whereas staying true to their confirmed Philistines, Canaanites, and Jebusites genetic ancestors.
In 1948, a political motion predominantly comprised of descendants from East European Khazar Jewish converts claimed lineage to the traditional Hebrew Kingdom―which was one amongst greater than a dozen historic invaders of Palestine. The European political Zionist motion sought an alliance with the British colonists to displace the unique inhabitants, for the primary time of their lengthy historical past, by transplanting a racialist group of persecuted European refugees. The West absolved its sin in opposition to European Jews by inflicting the crime of uprooting the non-European Palestinians of their properties.
Historians maintain differing opinions concerning the period of the Hebrew Kingdom’s reign within the land of Canaan. Nevertheless, there’s some consensus that the United Hebrew Kingdom lasted roughly 80 years earlier than splitting into two separate entities. Nonetheless, there isn’t any disagreement that the unique Hebrews have been not indigenous to the land. Within the ebook of Genesis 17:8 God addressed Abraham concerning the land of Canaan “the place you now dwell a as a foreigner . . .”
Presumably, and in keeping with the ebook of Genesis, God promised the “foreigner” the possession of the land of Canaan. Whereas I choose to steer away from discussing summary or entertaining metaphysical powers, there’s a convincing speculation instructed by Jewish, Christian, and Muslim spiritual authorities alike, that God’s promise was fulfilled within the united Hebrew Kingdom and ended by disobeying God when it break up into two hostile “God’s chosen” individuals.
Till the late nineteenth century, when political Zionism emerged in response to Western Jewish hate, religious Zionists held to their beliefs that the “Jewish Kingdom” can be re-established by the Messiah. Christians and Muslims share with Judaism various nuanced variations concerning the indicators of the apocalypse.
Setting apart the theological facets, there isn’t any genetic relation between the unique Hebrews who immigrated to Palestine from Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq roughly 4000 years in the past, and the kids of the East European Khazar converts. To allege lineage to a land foundation faith, is just like an Indonesian Muslim claiming a proper to Saudi Arabia as a result of it’s the birthplace of their faith. Nationality is decided not by a religious affinity to a spot, however by individuals who possess a definite cultural id and have a steady historic presence in an outlined area.
Sadly, at any time when “God” ostensibly communicates with Homo sapiens, it usually results in dying and destruction. Examples comparable to Jim Jones and David Koresh come to thoughts in our lifetime. On a bigger scale, many would possibly bear in mind when the forty third US president, George W. Bush, instructed televangelist James Robison he had a “premonition” that led him to hunt the presidency as a result of God wished him “to do it.” No matter or whoever influenced Bush “to do it,” was neither all-powerful nor omniscient, because the false “premonition” resulted within the deaths of tons of of hundreds of harmless Iraqis and greater than 4,000 People. Such is the continued struggling of Palestinians.
Lastly, even when right now’s Jewish European converts have been certainly the descendants of the traditional Hebrews from 3000 years in the past, underneath accepted worldwide legislation, they might don’t have any admissible declare to an earlier illegal occupation. Inasmuch as Arabs right now don’t have any proper to inherit the previous occupation of Spain, which lasted for 700 years, greater than 3 times the general Hebrew reign in Palestine.
Along with the supernatural connection, political Zionism presents a seemingly benign assertion by arguing that there’s solely “one” Jewish state on this planet, making an attempt to indicate that it’s akin to different nations. This, nevertheless, is akin to defending apartheid South Africa as a result of it was the one white nation in Africa, or advocating for less than “one” Aryan state in Europe. Moreover, there isn’t any “one” Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Baháʼí, Zoroastrianism, Rastafari, Yazidi, and many others., state both. Even in nations with an absolute spiritual majority, affinity to a religion doesn’t transcend the nationwide id of residents, the place nationhood is not a religious trait, however shared cultural values inside demarcated nationwide boundaries.
If something, the Eighth-century East European converts might need a stronger authorized case, based mostly on their confirmed genetics, to reclaim the Khazar Jewish empire that lasted for 500 years, considerably longer than the “fairytale” connection to the non-indigenous Hebrew Kingdom within the land of Canaan.
That is the second of a sequence of articles that can discover Zionist myths, synthetic historical past, and made-up tradition. For the primary article, click on right here.
– Jamal Kanj is the creator of “Youngsters of Disaster,” Journey from a Palestinian Refugee Camp to America, and different books. He writes regularly on Arab world points for varied nationwide and worldwide commentaries. He contributed this text to The Palestine Chronicle
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