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Sunday 22 May 2011

A return to 1967 borders

Barack Obama has decided that Israel should return to the 1967 borders as if that would satisfy the Palestinians and surrounding Arab countries (and Iran). There is so much I want to say at this point but I must be careful to keep my anger in check.

Let's begin with the words of the then Fatah leader, Yasser Arafat;  on the same day Yasser Arafat signed the Declaration of Principles on the White House lawn in 1993, he explained his actions on Jordan TV thus "Since we cannot defeat Israel in war, we do this in stages. We take any and every territory that we can of Palestine, and establish a sovereignty there, and we use it as a springboard to take more. When the time comes, we can get the Arab nations to join us for the final blow against Israel."
A return to 1967 borders for Israel is not the aim of Hamas, Fatah and the rest, it is a staging post on the way to the destruction of Israel.

The surrounding Arab countries attacked the new born state of Israel in 1948 declaring that they would drive all Jews into the sea. They failed and for that any sane person would give thanks but why did they attack were they demanding a return to 1967 borders? In 1967 the same neighbours of Israel mustered forces ready to attack and destroy Israel again, once again they failed and in defeating the aggressors, Israel captured various territory. Why did the Arab countries attack Israel, were they demanding a return to the borders of 1967? Land captured in a defensive war is normally kept not surrendered back to the aggressors but in Israel's case this seems not be the case.


In 1973, on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, the Arab countries attacked again and were defeated again, Israel captured more land from Egypt and Syria in another defensive war. Were the Arab countries in 1973 calling for a return to 1967 borders?

So despite the evidence of three wars started to destroy Israel we are expected to believe that now the Palestinians just want peace a Israel to return to its 1967 borders. We are meant to ignore the words of Yasser Arafat in the past as quoted above, of current Hamas leaders like Nizar Rayan, Hamas religious and military leader, who said on 1 Jan 2009
"Regarding the Jews, our business with them is only through bombs and guns... the prophet [Muhammad] promised that we will fight you, with Allah's help, until the tree and stone say: "Oh Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him."
, of Fatah's 1968 Charter:
'– In the Palestinian state only Jews who lived in Palestine before 1917 will be recognized as citizens [Article 6]:
– Only the Palestinian Arabs possess the right of self-determination, and the entire country belongs to them [Articles 3 and 21].
– Any solution that does not involve total liberation of the country is rejected. This aim cannot be achieved politically; it can only be accomplished militarily [Articles 9 & 21].
– Warfare against Israel is legal, whereas Israel's self-defence is illegal [Article 18].'
That 1968 Charter does not call for Israel to return to 1967 borders it calls for 'the entire country' to return to Palestinian control.

Barack Obama should know this history but his upbringing as an innocent child in Indonesia and then as a knowing adult in the church of Jeremiah Wright may have affected him. In case he or you need reminding here are some facts about the state of Israel and Palestine. As I blogged last year:

'The other uncomfortable truth about Jordan is that it is the Palestinian State. It was set-up in 1929 on part of the land promised by the 1917 Balfour declaration for the 'establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people'. Here's a map of the Palestinian Mandate, can you see how it divides between what is now Israel and what is now Jordan?



Do remember that back on March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview with Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

Read that again: "The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva
."
The enemies of Israel make no secret of what they want and how they intend to achieve it but we are expected to pretend that they want peace and a return to 1967 borders?


Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu met with Barack Obama after Barack Obama made that pre-emptive speech. The Israeli Prime Minister gave the US President a little history lesson and explained why a return to 1967 borders was not possible; I wonder if Barack Obama paid any attention. Watch from 7 minutes if you want to miss the Barack Obama blather...


If you still believe that Hamas and Fatah just want Israel to return to 1967 borders then here is a question for you: if this is the case then why do Fatah and Hamas incessantly show maps (in schools, on TV, on logos, in government literature) that contain no mention of Israel just Palestine occupying the whole area of Israel and the Palestinian territories? If Fatah and Hamas want a return to 1967 orders then why do they not recognise those borders in their own literature and propaganda?

Here are a few examples


For many more examples and context for the above please take a look at this PALWatch article entitled 'PA depicts a world without Israel - "Palestine" replaces Israel

maybe you'd like instead to read the lyrics of the song played regularly on PA TV that runs:
"Jaffa, Acre, Haifa, and Nazareth are ours.
[I] Muhammad sing about the Galilee and the Golan (Heights).
Jaffa, Acre, Haifa and Nazareth are ours.
[I] Kabha sing about the Galilee and the Golan (Heights).
From Bethlehem to Jenin is Palestinian,
Ramle, Lod and Sakhnin are Palestinian.
Nowhere is more beautiful than Jerusalem;
no matter how much we travel
From Safed to Al-Badhan (near Nablus) is Palestinian;
Tiberias and Ashkelon are Palestinian."
You can see the song being sung here. Not much interest in a return to 1967 borders there is there?


Over and over again Hamas, Fatah, Arab and other Islamic countries have stated that they want Israel destroyed, Jews killed and one Palestinian state in its place. Yet still we are expected to believe that a return to 1967 borders is all that is wanted. Even when we are told by Fatah that this is merely a staging post we are expected to ignore that and believe because the 'hope and change' President says so - I'm sorry but I don't believe Barack Obama or the Palestinians words and after reviewing the evidence I don't see how you could too.

8 comments:

andrew said...

An excellent article. This is a key point that is allowed to stay hidden in order to maintain the narrative. There is much throwaway talk about a return to the 1967 borders, the consequences of which are not understood by the average person who get their news from mainstream outlets which have reporting with the depth of that of a car park puddle.

If people asked why were there any 1967 borders, the truth would start to come out. They only exist because they are a point that the Israelis had to push their enemies back to when attacked by external forces wo didn't want them to have any borders.

Davieboy said...

Thanks NaS - one to cut out, keep and use as evidence.

Free Online Tutoring said...

Obama’s plan for a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders was welcomed by key global players Friday including the European Union, the United Nations, Russia, the Palestinians and parts of the Arab world.

Free Online Astrology said...

I think the General problem is that the Media in America is self censured when it comes to reporting some realities of the situation in Israel. The rest of the world is overwhelmingly in support of the Palestinians and their right. In the last few years Israel reputation has drastically fallen from facing passports using their allies’ technology to steal identities to all sorts of damaging acts. The media in the US will never report these things. The expulsion of Israeli diplomats from England etc. Their abuse of Palestinians is far more reported in the rest of the world than in the US. So things are only getting tougher and Israel is getting isolated.

Employment Experts said...

It's a shame that a politician who I look up to would ignore the obvious human rights violations by Israel. It's really a shame that apartheid still exists in this world and I sincerely hope that U.S. policies to diplomacy in the Middle East developing into something more peaceful.

It is true that Hamas is terrible. But in my mind, Obama needs to bring the situation between these two states into perspective and see the tracks of trot committed.

Free Online Tutoring said...

Jews are the wealthiest group of minorities in the United States waving money and power adjustable out of proportion to their relative size of the population.Pres. Obama did not need a penny of donations from American Jews to get re-elected. Jews represent only 1.7% of the population of the United States, half of whom are too young to vote.thanks for sharing this information.

Grant said...

Mr. Goat,
Funny, there are 4 posters here who seem to be saying the same thing. I wonder if they are related !

Not a sheep said...

Odd I agree!