Auteur,
et al,
Yes, the Arabs have a claim.
If you want to use that logic, HB67, then Israel's have an even more tenuous claim to the land. "Israeli's" did not exist before 1949. And indeed, the residents of Israel today are a most cosmopolitan and polyglot group, with immigrants (many recent) from around the world. The only common thread is magical belief system, and in fact not all Israelis put much stock in that either. Palestinian Arab roots go back for generations, perhaps centuries, certainly pre-dating 1949. The Jewish claim on the land is based simply on the concensus that they would like to have it. You can dredge up some dubious documents, such as the Balfour Declaraton (modest help), or Rocco's favorite, the Sharif of Mecca (pretty much zero help), or some ancient history (you would be risking ridicule here), but that statement cuts to the heart of the matter.
(COMMENT)
The Palestinian may have some grievance; valid grievances. But they went about addressing the grievances through a very inappropriate process. The choices they made had consequences. They realized adverse consequences.
Whether we look at the
Balfour Declaration, the
Faisal-Wiezmann Agreement, the
San Remo Conference, the
Treaty of Sevres, the
Mandate of Palestine, or the
General Assembly 181(II), which has been recognized by the
Palestinians as internationally legitimate, the Hostile Arab/Palestinian choice of going to war was inappropriate and had consequences that lead them directly to the environment which they enjoy today; and an environment that they essentially demand through their continued hostile actions.
If the Palestinian wants to alter their environment, they have to alter their behaviors.
I don't care how many centuries the Palestinian claim to have been inhabitance of the region, on one second of that time were they sovereign unto themselves. Nothing has change except the opportunity for them to become sovereign, and they rejected it.
Yes, I've heard all the arguments that they didn't get their rightful percentage. Well, life isn't fair. And as long as they focus on their computational percentage, they will loose. It was never the intention of the power-that-be, to make the apportionment on that basis.
Fight if you must. Remain quarantined for as long as you want. But always know, your actions forced your opponent to put you in the time-out box. There is no inherent right for you to challenge the sovereign integrity of the State of Israel. Your occupation is based on the threat you pose to the security of the member state and the region. It is not because Israel wants the land or the people (especially not the people). No one wants the Palestinian; not Lebanon, not Syria, not Jordan, not Egypt and not Saudi Arabia. It is a non-productive, parasitic culture. If the people of the Gaza Strip and West Bank emulated Israel more, they would have been ever so much more better off as a nation and a prosperous people.
PS: I noticed your offhand comment about HRH Faisal (Emir of Mecca). I also noticed that HM Faisal I got his Hashemite Kingdom from the UK and the Palestinian didn't. Hmmm!
Most Respectfully,
R
