With Friends Like These, Gingrich, Israel and the Palestinians

The US Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich has declared that the Palestinians are an "invented" people, stating that they are no more than "terrorists" with "an enormous desire to destroy Israel"

During an interview with The Jewish Channel, a cable TV station, the former US House speaker and current Republican candidate for the US Presidency elections in 2012, said the following UNBELIEVABLY STUPID statements:

"Remember, there was no Palestine as a state. It was part of the Ottoman Empire...I think that we've had an invented Palestinian people who are in fact Arabs and who were historically part of the Arab community. And they had a chance to go many places, and for a variety of political reasons we have sustained this war against Israel now since the 1940s, and it's tragic".

Then, comparing between the SO-CALLED State of Israel and the Palestinian people, Newt said, with a clear ass-kissing bias to the former:

“Right, but if I’m evenhanded between a civilian democracy that obeys the rule of law and a group of terrorists that are firing missiles everyday, that’s not even handed, that’s favoring the terrorists.”

Below is one of many articles written (by Uri Avnery) in reply to the words of STUPID STUPID NEWT!

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With Friends Like These, Gingrich, Israel and the Palestinians

by URI AVNERY, Counterpunch, Weekend Edition, Dec. 16-18, 2011

What a bizarre lot these Republican aspirants for the US presidency are!

What a sorry bunch of ignoramuses and downright crazies. Or, at best, what a bunch of cheats and cynics! (With the possible exception of the good doctor Ron Paul)”.

Is this the best a great and proud nation can produce? How frightening the thought that one of them may actually become the most powerful person in the world, with a finger on the biggest nuclear button!

BUT LET’S concentrate on the present front-runner. (Republicans seem to change front-runners like a fastidious beau changes socks.)

It’s Newt Gingrich. Remember him? The Speaker of the House who had an extra-marital affair with an intern while at the same time leading the campaign to impeach President Bill Clinton for having an affair with an intern.

But that’s not the point. The point is that this intellectual giant – named after Isaac Newton, perhaps the greatest scientist ever – has discovered a great historical truth.

The original Newton discovered the Law of Gravity. Newton Leroy Gingrich has discovered something no less earth-shaking: there is an “invented” people around, referring to the Palestinians.

To which a humble Israeli like me might answer, in the best Hebrew slang: “Good morning, Eliyahu!”  Thus we honor people who have made a great discovery which, unfortunately, has been discovered by others long before.

* * *

FROM ITS very beginning, the Zionist movement has denied the existence of the Palestinian people. It’s an article of faith.

The reason is obvious: if there exists a Palestinian people, then the country the Zionists were about to take over was not empty. Zionism would entail an injustice of historic proportions. Being very idealistic persons, the original Zionists found a way out of this moral dilemma: they simply denied its existence. The winning slogan was “A land without a people for a people without a land.”

So who were these curious human beings they met when they came to the country? Oh, ah, well, they were just people who happened to be there, but not “a” people. Passers-by, so to speak. Later, the story goes, after we had made the desert bloom and turned an arid and neglected land into a paradise, Arabs from all over the region flocked to the country, and now they have the temerity – indeed the chutzpah – to claim that they constitute a Palestinian nation!

For many years after the founding of the State of Israel, this was the official line. Golda Meir famously exclaimed: “There is no such thing as a Palestinian people!”

(To which I replied in the Knesset: “Mrs. Prime Minister, perhaps you are right. Perhaps there really is no Palestinian people. But if millions of people mistakenly believe that they are a people, and behave like a people, then they are a people.”)

A huge propaganda machine – both in Israel and abroad – was employed to “prove” that there was no Palestinian people. A lady called Joan Peters wrote a book (“From Time Immemorial”) proving that the riffraff calling themselves “Palestinians” had nothing to do with Palestine. They are nothing but interlopers and impostors. The book was immensely successful – until some experts took it apart and proved that the whole edifice of conclusive proofs was utter rubbish.

I myself have spent many hundreds of hours trying to convince Israeli and foreign audiences that there is a Palestinian people and that we have to make peace with them. Until one day the State of Israel recognized the PLO as the sole representative of the “Palestinian people”, and the argument was laid to rest.

Until Newt came along and, like a later-day Jesus, raised it from the dead.

* * *

OBVIOUSLY, HE is much too busy to read books. True, he was once a teacher of history, but for many years now he has been very busy speakering the Congress, making a fortune as an “adviser” of big corporations and now trying to become president.

Otherwise, he would probably have come across a brilliant historical book by Benedict Anderson, “Imagined Communities”, which asserts that all modern nations are invented.

Nationalism is a relatively recent historical phenomenon. When a community decides to become a nation, it has to reinvent itself. That means inventing a national past, reshuffling historical facts (and non-facts) in order to create a coherent picture of a nation existing since antiquity. Hermann the Cherusker, member of a Germanic tribe who betrayed his Roman employers, became a “national” hero. Religious refugees who landed in America and destroyed the native population became a “nation”. Members of an ethnic-religious Diaspora formed themselves into a “Jewish nation”. Many others did more or less the same.

Indeed, Newt would profit from reading a book by a Tel Aviv University professor, Shlomo Sand, a kosher Jew, whose Hebrew title speaks for itself: “When and How the Jewish People was Invented?”

Who are these Palestinians? About a hundred years ago, two young students in Istanbul, David Ben-Gurion and Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, the future Prime Minister and President (respectively) of Israel, wrote a treatise about the Palestinians. The population of this country, they said, has never changed. Only small elites were sometimes deported. The towns and villages never moved, as their names prove. Canaanites became Israelites, then Jews and Samaritans, then Christian Byzantines. With the Arab conquest, they slowly adopted the religion of Islam and the Arabic Culture. These are today’s Palestinians. I tend to agree with them.

* * *

PARROTING THE straight Zionist propaganda line – by now discarded by most Zionists – Gingrich argues that there can be no Palestinian people because there never was a Palestinian state. The people in this country were just “Arabs” under Ottoman rule.

So what? I used to hear from French colonial masters that there is no Algerian people, because there never was an Algerian state, there was never even a united country called Algeria. Any takers for this theory now?

The name “Palestine” was mentioned by a Greek historian some 2500 years ago. A “Duke of Palestine” is mentioned in the Talmud. When the Arabs conquered the country, they called it “Filastin”, as  they still do”. The Arab national movement came into being all over the Arab world, including Palestine – at the same time as the Zionist movement – and strove for independence from the Ottoman Sultan.

For centuries, Palestine was considered a part of Greater Syria (the region known in Arabic as ‘Sham’).  There was no formal distinction between Syrians, Lebanese, Palestinians and Jordanians. But when, after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the European powers divided the Arab world between them, a state called Palestine became a fact under the British Mandate, and the Arab Palestinian people established themselves as a separate nation with a national flag of their own. Many peoples in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America did the same, even without asking Gingrich for confirmation.

It would certainly be ironic if the members of the “invented” Palestinian nation were expected to ask for recognition from the members of the “invented” Jewish/Israeli nation, at the demand of a member of the “invented” American nation, a person who, by the way, is of mixed German, English, Scottish and Irish stock.

Years ago, there was short-lived controversy about Palestinian textbooks. It was argued that they were anti-Semitic and incited to murder. That was laid to rest when it became clear that all Palestinian schoolbooks were cleared by the Israeli occupation authorities, and most were inherited from the previous Jordanian regime. But Gingrich does not shrink from resurrecting this corpse, too.

All Palestinians – men, women and children – are terrorists, he asserts, and Palestinian pupils learn at school how to kill us poor and helpless Israelis. Ah, what would we do without such stout defenders as Newt? What a pity that this week a photo of him, shaking the hand of Yasser Arafat, was published.

And please don’t show him the textbooks used in some of our schools, especially the religious ones!

* * *

IS IT really a waste of time to write about such nonsense?

It may seem so, but one cannot ignore the fact that the dispenser of these inanities may be tomorrow’s President of the United States of America. Given the economic situation, that is not as unlikely as it sounds.

As for now, Gingrich is doing immense

 damage to the national interests of the US. At this historic juncture, the masses at all the Tahrir Squares across the Arab world are wondering about America’s attitude. Newt’s answer contributes to a new and more profound anti-Americanism.

Alas, he is not the only extreme rightist seeking to embrace Israel. Israel has lately become the Mecca of all the world’s racists. This week we were honored by the visit of the husband of Marine Le Pen, leader of the French National Front. A pilgrimage to the Jewish State is now a must for any aspiring fascist.

One of our ancient sages coined the phrase: “Not for nothing does the starling go to the raven. It’s because they are of the same kind”.

Thanks. But sorry. They are not of my kind.

To quote another proverb: With friends like these, who needs enemies?

URI AVNERY is an Israeli writer and peace activist with Gush Shalom. He is a contributor to CounterPunch’s book The Politics of Anti-Semitism.

George Abdallah: The Oldest Prisoner Of "Opinion" In The French Land of Public Liberties (III)

George Abdallah: Not All Lebanese Citizen Are Equal

By: Nader Fawz - January 18^th, 2012, Al Akhbar Newspaper

What does a Lebanese citizen who is imprisoned in a foreign country do?

If he were a diamond merchant in Africa, MPs would send a high-ranking delegation from their ranks to the county in question in order to advocate for the detainee.

But if such a detainee is not politically connected, then little can be done. Taking this into consideration, what should a Lebanese political prisoner in a French prison do?

So far, the answer seems to be nothing. The Lebanese diplomatic corps has not followed up on the issue, the family of the prisoner has no political backing, and no concerned political forces have taken action on the matter recently.

Liberate George Abdallah:
28 Years Are Enough!

The only people concerned with the cause of George Abdallah, who has been imprisoned in France since October 1984, are his family, close friends, and a few young activists from the Union of Lebanese Democratic Youth (ULDY). They are also the only ones who are familiar with the details of his case.

They know that Abdallah completed his sentence 12 years ago and that the decision to keep him in prison is motivated by politics. They know that French prosecutors rejected, appealed, and suspended French court decisions to free Abdallah.

They know that he has filed for parole nine times but that all of his requests have been rejected by the French judicial and political authorities.

They know that the French authorities are keeping George Abdallah in prison because, when asked, he tells judges in French courtrooms that if he were to get out of prison, he would not stop his political struggle to liberate Palestine.

While his supporters have little political backing, advocates for Abdallah have established two different organizations to lobby for his release. The first is the International Campaign to Free George Abdallah (ICFGA). The other is a domestic organization – the Committee of the Comrades of George Abdallah (CCGA) – which is primarily made up of his family members, friends, ULDY, and various independent figures.

Twenty-eight years have passed since Abdallah’s arrest and yet many in Lebanon are ignorant concerning the specifics of his case. Some officials still ask who George Abdallah is, while others accept the French authorities’ opinion that he is “a terrorist and a subversive.”

This explains why a close aid of Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that the prime minister does not know yet if he is going to bring up Abdallah’s case with French officials during his upcoming visit to France in the first week of February.

This announcement was made despite a visit Wednesday by a delegation from the ICFGA, its second, to the prime minister’s office.

Lebanese officials have not taken action on Abdallah’s case since 1999 when Salim al-Hoss was prime minister. Similar negligence can be observed by other groups in relation to Abdallah’s case, even within some leftist circles to which he belongs.

For example, a few days ago, a conference of the Arab left was held in Beirut. Arab participants paid tribute at the conference to “all the prisoners and detainees in Arab and Western prisons, especially the Palestinian and Arab prisoners in Zionist prisons.”

But neither the summaries, nor the tributes, nor the conference itself remembered George Abdallah.

About one week ago, communication was established between the ICFGA and the Lebanese Consul in France, Ghadi el-Khoury.

El-Khoury told Abdallah’s “comrades” that he discussed the issue with French officials and sent a telegram informing the Lebanese Foreign Ministry about the inquiry and the details of the conversation between the consul and those advocating for Abdallah.

Abdallah’s comrades later found out from the French that “the Lebanese state is not demanding the release of Abdallah.” Abdallah’s supporters say that this should call into question the extent to which the Lebanese government is working for the release of Abdallah.

Two weeks ago, on 5 January 2012, a member of the Free Patriotic Movement’s (FPM) Change and Reform bloc, MP Simon Abi Ramia, sent a message to Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour inquiring about the position of the Lebanese state regarding Abdallah and its failure to demand his release.

The answer was delayed. A written answer concerning the state’s position on Mansour was expected to be delivered within a matter of hours. Instead, the question made the rounds for days between the office of the prime minister and other decision-making centers. This suggests that something is in the works regarding Abdallah’s case among certain parliamentary circles, specifically the Change and Reform bloc, the Amal Movement’s Resistance and Development bloc, and Hezbollah’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc.

After Abi Ramia’s action, informed sources indicated that two MPs, Nawwar al-Sahili (Hezbollah) and Ali Bazzi (Amal), were assigned the task of following up on the issue. They have been working behind the scenes trying to get to know the details of the case.

Joseph Abdallah, George Abdallah’s brother, who is active in the CCGA and the ICFGA says: “In light of the work done by the campaign and certain developments that have taken place, there is talk suggesting that the issue of George Abdallah will be raised again.”

Jospeh points to what the former Director of French Intelligence Yves Bonnet told the newspaper La Dépêche on 7 January 2012, when he attacked his government, characterizing the continued detention of George a “scandal” arguing that the issue has become one of “state vengeance.”

Joseph says there are developments that must be taken seriously without “deluding ourselves with anything.” That is, without misleading George’s comrades and friends concerning what the Lebanese state is capable of doing for Abdallah.

On the other hand, the committee leader in the ULDY, Hassan Sabra, says that the group has worked on this issue since 2006 and will continue to do so until Abdallah is released. Sabra adds that they have established direct communication with the “freedom fighter” because “he trusts us and our activism and he is in line with our views.”

This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition

© Al Akhbar Newspaper

George Abdallah: The Oldest Prisoner Of "Opinion" In The French Land of Public Liberties (II)

To Whom It May Concern: Georges Abdallah Is Still In Prison


By Ibrahim Al Amine - January 18^th, 2012, Al Akhbar Newspaper

Simply put, Georges Abdallah is a hostage of the terrorist French authorities.

Of course, the esteemed justice system of the Fifth Republic – the birthplace of human rights – would never be described in such terms. But how should we describe it? Successive governments there have actively violated Georges Abdallah’s right to freedom. Their premise is that he refuses to stop his struggle and that he might once again return to his militant ways.

Liberate Georges Abdallah

What French authorities really seem to be saying is that they are imprisoning Georges Abdallah simply because they can. They are showing that they have the power to hold a believer in a struggle who raised his voice and fought for the oppressed.

What they are saying is that they do not care about legal procedures, humanitarian appeals, or diplomatic letters and that they have decided unilaterally to hold Abdallah as long as they like.

The relative silence of the educated elite, the press, human rights organizations, and the public in France means that they too are complicit in this ongoing crime.

The actions of the French authorities tell us what the lawyers and activists have been saying all along about Georges' case (much like the case of Ilich Ramirez Sanchez a.k.a. Carlos). They tell us that we who support Georges Abdallah and our compatriots imprisoned abroad in Europe and the United States must view what is taking place as nothing short of a terrorist act regardless of whether it is being carried out by an individual, a group, or a state.

In this case, France resembles Israel. They tell us, go ahead and do whatever you can to try to free your prisoners from our jails.

Since it appears that legal avenues are blocked, there is no longer any way to free Georges except to resort to the same methods used against Israel, methods where Georges’ comrades don’t beg the Lebanese state for permission to fulfill its obligations towards its own citizen.

After all, didn’t we once say that we never leave our captured in prison?

This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition

© Al Akhbar Newspaper

George Abdallah: The Oldest Prisoner Of "Opinion" In The French Land of Public Liberties (I)

George Abdallah: Exposing the Farce of French Justice

By Othman Tazghart - January 18^th, 2012 - Al Akhbar Newspaper

It is an open secret that radical rebel George Abdallah, largely ignored by western media, was illegally sentenced to life in prison close to three decades ago. But French authorities continue to insist on keeping him behind bars, even after he has completed his prison term.

Immediate Liberation
For George Abdallah

Paris – French authorities are insisting on keeping an ex-fighter in the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions (LARF) in prison, despite the fact that 28 years have passed since he was first detained. 

This is a major breach of French legal procedures and the European Convention on Human Rights, which states that prisoners serving a life sentence must be released after serving a maximum of 18 years.

Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, who began his struggle as a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), before joining the LARF, was arrested in Lyon on October 1984. 

At the time, the LARF was accused of a number of high profile commando operations, the most prominent of which were the assassination of the American military attache in Paris, Charles Robert Ray (18 January 1982) and the Israeli diplomat, Ya’acov Bar-Simantov (3 April 1982).

This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition

© Al Akhbar Newspaper