NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/talk/politics/mideast/24405

Text File | 1992-12-30 | 4.4 KB | 102 lines

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From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Solutions to the problem? (was Re: Sgt
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Date: 30 Dec 92 17:23:32 CST
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In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Brendan McKay) writes:
> In article [e-mail], [e-mail] () writes:
>>In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Brendan McKay) writes:
>>> In article [e-mail], [e-mail] (Eric S. Perlman) writes:
>
>>>>Not exactly.  This is what the PLO charter says, but the fact is that it
>>>>also says that Jews who returned to their homeland and now live in
>>>>Israel must leave.  And during the Israeli war of Independence, in 1948,
>>>>Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the Palestinian leader, had similarly draconian
>>>>ideas:  he had worked actively with the Nazis during World War II, and
>>>>shared many of their ideas concerning Jews.
>
>>> Presumably you mean the Palestine National Covenant (1968).  A Palestinian
>>> is defined recursively to be an Arab who lived in Palestine in 1947, or a
>>> Jew who lived there in 1917, or anyone with a Palestinian father.  That
>>> would rule out the majority of Jews who lived in Palestine in 1947.
>>> However, Zeyd did not mention the PLO.  He is correct about Arab
>>> proposals from earlier times, but the position hardened gradually
>>> from 1948-9 to 1968.  As to al-Husseini, if you have any knowledge
>>> of what "draconian ideas" he had in 1948, you are yet to prove it.
>
>>    Brendan, you must be aware of al Hussainy's ideas during
>>    the early 40's.  What do you think made him soften his
>>    attitudes after the war?
>
> Yes, I am well informed of his war-time activities as a propagandist
> and (slightly successful) collaborator with the Nazis.  However, I
> believe Eric is referring to the claim that what he really wanted
> was to physically exterminate the Jews of Palestine.  I think a
> claim of that magnitude ought to be supported by some sort of direct
> evidence rather than vague innuendo based on his associations, but
> that is the only evidence I have seen from any time period.
> It is clear that he saw the Nazis as the best hope for nipping
> the Jewish-state-to-be in the bud.  His ruthlessness and naivety
> both show themselves clearly from that, but a genocidal wish does
> not.  Not everyone who sought to be on the Nazi's good side in
> the event of an Axis victory was party to all the Nazi's actions,
> as the ex-PM of Israel could tell you.


    I found the following a couple of weeks ago in the Documents
    on German Foreign Policy 1918-1945 (you are probably aware
    of them).

    The first, from Aug, 1940 contains a draft declaration by
    the Arab Committee (headed by the Mufti), which states
    that "Germany and Italy recognize the right of the Arab
    countries to solve the question of the Jewish elements in
    Palestine and the other Arab countries [!!! - NT] in a
    manner that conforms to the national and ethnic interests
    of the Arabs, and to the solution of the Jewish question
    in the countries of GErmany and Italy" (Series D, Vol. 10,
    Doc.403).

    The second, from Sept, 1940 describes a later version of
    the proposal. Among other things it calls for recognition
    of the Axis Powers in the "right of the Arab countries to
    solve the Jewish question in the national and racial
    interest on the German-Italian model" (Series D, Vol. 11,
    Doc. 35).

    That these do not include genocidal wishes is hard for me
    to accept.



>
> As for the 1948 time period, Husseini's part in it has been rather
> overblown.  The fact is, most of the Arabs of Palestine ignored
> his call to arms (except in the direct defence of their own
> villages).  Most of the "irregular" Arab forces in Palestine
> during the 1947-8 war were volunteers from other countries.
> I will also mention the large number of local peace agreements
> signed between neighbouring Arab and Jewish villages.


    That he was ignored by some (large or small) parts of
    the Arabs of PAlestine does not reduce a bit from what
    his "draconian ideas".


>
>>Noam
>
> Brendan.
>

Noam