The New York Times magazine section published an article by James Traub examining the concept of “homeland” and why it sometimes has negative connotations in the American context. It includes this paragraph:
What is it about “homeland” that feels more like a violation than an affirmation of American identity? In traditional usage, the word evokes the link between a people and the state that is theirs, or that they wish to be theirs. With the founding of Israel in 1948, Jews gained a homeland. Palestinians lost one. “Homeland” throbs with the primal forces of state formation. The word points to a world of solidarity forged through blood ties, through ancient ritual and legend.
Did Palestinians lose a homeland in 1948 as James Traub contends? If he wishes to argue that homeland and statehood are so intrinsically connected, then Palestinians never had a homeland to lose. Throughout history there has never been a sovereign Palestinian state. By Traub’s own definitions, it was the Jews who lost a homeland having been dispersed from their biblical kingdom by the Romans in 70 CE, only to regain it later.
In any case, while Jews gained a sovereign state with the founding of Israel, the Jewish homeland has existed going back over 3,000 years irrespective of who commanded sovereignty over the land at any given period of time.
So Traub’s Israel and Palestinian example falls down leaving us to wonder why he selected it in the first place. Granted, American identity is more of a civic rather than an ethnic or nationalist one. But there are undoubtedly plenty of Americans who see a Jewish homeland as a positive concept as opposed to the negative spin that Traub gives it.
You can contribute to the debate by writing to the New York Times letters page – letters@nytimes.com
17 Comments
The “Palestinians” comprise 20% of Israeli citizens, living in their homeland. All of the palestinians who live in the West Bank/Judea and Samaria/Occupied Territories are also living in their homeland. Only those who fled in the 1948 war and are living in Jordan, Gaza and Lebanon lost their homeland. Why? Because they believed the propaganda spouted by the Arab nations that terrified them into believing the Jews would massacre them if they stayed, and promised to kick the Jews into oblivion in that war, after which they would be free to return. Luckily for those who did not flee, they have been spared years and generations of degradation and humiliation by their Arab host countries. They have enjoyed freedoms unheard of in the neighbouring countries, and they have been free to pursue the lives they choose. And neither were they massacred. And let us not forget that many of the 1948 “Palestinians” had come to Israel from other places to find work the Jews provided. And if you wonder why I put Palestinians in quotation marks, this is because prior to Yasser Arafat coining the name, it did not exist. Palestine simply referred to this tract of land that was named by the Romans, and the name stuck. There is no nation of Palestinians other than the one that was invented with which to counter the Jews’ claim to nationhood and a homeland.
In 1948, the Arabs in the country did not see themselves as a “palestinian people” but rather as Arabs. They were politically pan-Arabist. That was until British & US psychological warfare experts and operatives convinced the palestinian Arab leadership that they would have a stronger appeal to world public opinion if they pretended to belong to a separate “palestinian people.” But the PLO charter still retains its pan-Arabist character. Consider Article 1 of the charter: The Palestinian Arab people is part of the Arab nation. . .. Palestine is an integral part of the Arab fatherland.
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Lets not confuse the idea of domicile versus sovereignty.
International treaty and the customary law of nations designates the area west of the Jordan River (at the very least) as “homeland” of the Jewish people but also confers sovereign title to that people — the only extant population to have exercised soveignty there. All others were “non-Jewish communities” with domicile rights but not sovereign rights. Those that left the area in 1948 are now subject to the immigration policy of the sovereign Israeli state.
When the Brits used the term “Palestinian” during the Mandate period, they meant the Jews. Arabs were…well…”Arabs.”
There are no historical references to a “Palestinian People” and no archaeological evidence of them. The trim on the robes of Palestinian women is, apparently, unique. That is insufficient support for a claim to national self-determination.
Wow. This is ludicrous. No educated reading of the history yields this kind of smug analysis. The foundation of our religion is on an ethical structure that does NOT presume ethnic identity before deciding what “fair” is. While many other forces have helped to create the current situation for Plaestinian refugees, the assertion of this piece is that we had NO role in its creation. Someone needs to set up an “Honest Reporting” for the heavily biased “Honest Reporting.”
Simon, you do nothing helpful here.
Mr. Ignoramus should have a private consultation with E. Kontorovich (Chicago)! He might confirm his utter ignorance and bias.
I don’t understand why people speak ONLY about the year 1948 when the State of Israel was Reborn. Because, whoever wants to really understand what happens in Israel must look “a bit” backwards and see when and why the Jewish People were banished from their country.
So, to put it very briefly: In the year 70 A.D. (1944 years ago!) the mighty Roman Empire defeated little Israel, and Titus – the conqueror of Jerusalem – destroyed the Capital.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/arts/design/menorah-on-arch-of-titus-in-roman-forum-was-rich-yellow.html?_r=0
If anyone wishes to examine this important point in the history of Israel, he need only write in Google two words: Titus Menorah.
After this information, all is very simple to understand.
Also, it goes without saying, that from the year 70 to 1948, there
were in this country very many foreign people and administrations which OCCUPIED the land of Israel.
After the declaration of the Jewish State (May 14, 1948) each of the two sides – Arab and Israeli- offered their historical version.
It’s not simple, but everyone who wants to look for events in history can feel the comfortable sentiment of ‘equilibrium’ and ‘objectivity’.
Righteous gentiles all agree that the Jews were promised the land of Israel by God.
Who promised it to the savage Palestinians?
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Absolutely correct article. The Palestinians could not lost a homeland they never had. In any case, it was legally Jewish owned land since 1922 and not 1948. Under International Law and the Mandate for Palestine, it was a homeland for the Jews. And as a recently unconvered group of 9000 pictures of Jerusalem showed, there were few Arabs in the surrounding area circa 1900.
Most important, these lies continue to be passed around because neither Israel itself or other worthy scholars have been able to get the message out that is the truth. Until that happens and we have a tipping point, we will be subject to these contortions again and again. I find it disappointing that Israel itself does not properly confront the lies in a manner than will find acceptance. There are scholars who could “make the case” for the world to see but they need the support of Israel and the Jewish mainstream population.
It is not true that the Palestinians lost their land when Israel became a nation. These people did not have their own country and the Arab nations gave up part of their land for the state of Israel.
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