(Editorial, Aug. 7)
The “charade” referred to in your editorial goes much deeper than you have recognized: there is no such entity as a “Palestinian people” and for that reason alone, no basis for a “Palestinian” state.
In 1920, Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini, recognizing the Zionist influx in the Palestine territory, as then known, announced that Arabs in that area would no longer be known as such but, henceforth, would be called “Palestinians” to cement their hold on the land. He attempted to create out of whole cloth a new class of people who were not an indigenous people to that area. And, for whatever reason, no one challenged that falsity then, but I’m challenging it now. It is time for the nonsense to end.
There is another, and equally strong if not stronger, basis upon which to reject a “Palestinian” state. The San Remo International Conference in 1920 ratified the prior grant of all land west of the Jordan River, given in the Balfour Declaration, as a home for the “Jewish people,” now the state of Israel. In essence, this represented only 22% of the original grant, which additional territory was used by Great Britain to create the state of Trans-Jordan, now Jordan. The San Remo determination was approved by the League of Nations in 1922. In accordance with Article 80 of the U.N. Charter, these prior determinations were cemented into international law.
Therefore, no foundation exists to create a so-called “Palestinian” state on Jewish land. And to do so now would constitute a direct violation of international law, no matter how much “noise” European countries and others offer. That noise must be rejected no matter how many Arabs these countries have allowed in their borders. As an old English proverb provides, based upon actions taken, even if misgiven, “on thou head be it.”
-Arthur Solomon Safir, Warwick
The writer is a former deputy attorney general of the state of New Jersey.
The facts and conclusion in the above essay are right on target. There is already a Palestinian State, it’s called Gaza. That’s the one which has periodically sent missiles and assassins to murder Israelis regardless of age, or sex.
If the French, British, Australians, or Canadians etc. are so determined to set up another one, only God knows why, set it up next to one of these Hamas loving States.