Really, REALLY stupid pro-Israel argument
Aaron Klein, in a recent Jewish Press article, claims to cite recent evidence of Arab construction on Jewish-owned land in East Jerusalem:
http://www.jewishpress.com/page.do/21172/Palestinians_Illegally_Building_On_Jewish-Owned_Land.html
Now, I have no doubt that the facts that Mr. Klein reports are correct in that the land was probably owned by Jews before the Israeli War of Independence in 1948. That land and the buildings on it were expropriated by Jordan during the 19 years it controlled that part of Eretz Yisrael. Indeed Jordan annexed that area, placing it under Jordanian law, just as Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1967; neither annexation receieved recognition from the international community. A similar situation exists with sections of Hebron that were once Jewish-owned.
But if Jews can rightfully reclaim such area, Arabs have the right to reclaim areas in Israel that were once Arab owned, including Jerusalem neighborhoods such as Old Katamon and Har Nof, along with large sections of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Tsfat, and other mostly-Jewish cities. WE DON'T WANT TO GO THERE! By arguing for the redress of land expropriations, Mr. Klein is essentially arguing for the expulsion of Jews from their homes in areas such as I have just mentioned because an expropriation is an expropriation, no matter who does it. And it gives additional ammunition to the enemies of Israel who correctly point out that the expropriations have been entirely Israeli over the past 39+ years.
With friends like this....
http://www.jewishpress.com/page.do/21172/Palestinians_Illegally_Building_On_Jewish-Owned_Land.html
Now, I have no doubt that the facts that Mr. Klein reports are correct in that the land was probably owned by Jews before the Israeli War of Independence in 1948. That land and the buildings on it were expropriated by Jordan during the 19 years it controlled that part of Eretz Yisrael. Indeed Jordan annexed that area, placing it under Jordanian law, just as Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1967; neither annexation receieved recognition from the international community. A similar situation exists with sections of Hebron that were once Jewish-owned.
But if Jews can rightfully reclaim such area, Arabs have the right to reclaim areas in Israel that were once Arab owned, including Jerusalem neighborhoods such as Old Katamon and Har Nof, along with large sections of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Tsfat, and other mostly-Jewish cities. WE DON'T WANT TO GO THERE! By arguing for the redress of land expropriations, Mr. Klein is essentially arguing for the expulsion of Jews from their homes in areas such as I have just mentioned because an expropriation is an expropriation, no matter who does it. And it gives additional ammunition to the enemies of Israel who correctly point out that the expropriations have been entirely Israeli over the past 39+ years.
With friends like this....
posted by Charlie Hall at 8:21 AM
7 Comments:
This comment has been removed by the author.
The is no moral equivalency claim here. The land and all of it, always belonged to the Jews, way before the Arabs were a nation or Islam was a religion.
"The land and all of it, always belonged to the Jews, "
I presume you therefore reject the validity of the state of Israel because it promised to allow religious freedom?
Besides, monotheists (and the overwhelming majority of halachic authorities say that Muslims are indeed monotheists) are permitted under the Torah to settle permanently in Eretz Yisarel. And we are forbidden to steal from them.
WSDDE
DQ
Bush Defends Iraq War; Republicans Blast Harry Reid for Saying Fight Is 'Lost'
i agree with you about the dangerous precedent that land expropriations can set, but:
1) i think that all of the recent controversial settlement projects (e.g., the building recently in hevron) are purchases, not expropriations.
2) i read (ok, skimmed) the article not mainly as a call for expropriations, but rather as a critique of the israeli government for having allowed arabs to build over the last 20 years on jewish-owned property. indeed, israel could do more to enforce wonership rights on lands legally owened by jews if we are talking about empty land. this is a far cry from evicting arabs and appropriating their land.
(food for thought: would you return the kotel plaza to the arabs who lived there prior to 1967?)
"having allowed arabs to build over the last 20 years on jewish-owned property"
The problem is that much of West Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Tzfat, and other parts of Israel is that Jews were permitted to take over Arab owned property after the War of Independence. In most cases, we know exactly who the Arab owners were before 1948. The Jewish owned property mentioned in the article is rightfully Jewish owned just as Old Katamon or Har Nof or half of Tzfat is rightfully Arab owned. I say drop things.
Amen! Thanks for saying this. I agree fully.
-Another Jew Who Believes in Arab Right to Land
Post a Comment
<< Home