NileMedia to our readers: We have been getting some mail from our fans
in Israel. This is from Jacob. Since we do not have the resources or patience
of dealing with Israelis, one Zionist at a time, you will find
a response from NileMedia. We trust Jacob will rethink his ideological
version of history and come to grasp the fundamental crime that has been
committed by his people against the Palestinians.
Letter From Jacob:
Ahmed,
-I understand from your reply that you agree that Palestine is the birthplace
of the Jewish nation. That is good. Now for your information Christians
and Muslims are not a nation. They are religions and therefore have no
national aspirations to a particular place. Contrary to them, Jews are
a nation whose religion is Judaism. Very few Jews converted to Christianity
(by the See of Galilee or any place else.). Islam came 600 y later and
brought the Arab invasion. But there never was a Palestinian national identity
in this area. Jerusalem was the political and spiritual capital of only
one nation - the Jews. Even if the country was sparsely populated, no other
national identity ever emerged. The Jews, regardless of where they were,
from Europe to China, 'will pray: "Next year in Jerusalem". Or will pray
for rain in Eretz Israel (Palestine). They will leave a small part of a
new house unfinished - memory to the Temple destruction. All this shows
an enormous attachment to this land.
-Now to genetics. In 1997 scientists from the University of Arizona,
the Haifa Technion in Israel and the Genetics Laboratory of the University
College in London discovered the "kohanim" marker found on the Y chromosome
of Jewish males whose name is Cohen or derivatives thereof like Kahn, Cahan,
Kogen etc. As you know, Cohen was the name of the High Priest mentioned
in the Bible. 'While less than 3% of the random Jewish male population
have the marker, slightly more than 50% of all Ashkenazi kohanim and slightly
less than 50% of the non-Ashkenazi ones have it. Which means that those
with name Cohen, either in Yemen or in Germany have the same genetic marker
meaning that they have a common ancestor. One can calculate the average
rate that the ancestor's Y chromosome has mutated over time, and estimate
how long ago he lived. The scientists reached the number of '106 generations.
At 30 y per generation this brings us to 800 to 1200 BCE, which as you
know from history, is when the Jewish nation was living in Palestine.
-Another research published in 1999 by an international team of scientists,
lead by Michael Hammer of the University of Arizona and Batsheva Tamir
from the Tel Aviv University, showed that the Y chromosome of Jewish males
(while ignoring the Kohanim marker) has a high genetic correlation. For
instance male Jews from Yemen are closer to Jews from Rome than to Muslims
from Yemen.
-They also found that besides being closely related to each other, Jewish
male populations correlate highly with Palestinian Arabs, Syrians and Lebanese.
-So it should be clear, even to you, that the Jews originated in the
Land of Israel (Palestine) and therefore they have the historical rights
to be there.
-Zionism did not say that the land was empty. The Jews were living in
Hebron, Zefat, Jerusalem, Pekiin and other places for centuries in close
proximity to their Arab neighbors. Zionism organized the Jews in the world,
advocated the establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine. They bought
land, mostly swamps, like Hedera and Gedera and went to work. In short,
Zionism is the movement of national liberation of the Jewish people. Objectively,
Zionism is one of the most successful political movements in the 20th century.
In 50 years it was able to establish the Jewish State and in a decade or
so the majority of Jews will be living there. '''Now we can discuss how
to accommodate both peoples in the same land. That requires that you accept
the legitimacy of a Jewish independent entity in part of the land just
as I recognize the legitimacy of a Palestinian independent State. ''Yours
truly,
------Jacob Ahmed's Response to Jacob Jacob, I found your blind spot.
'It is one that is apparent in almost every Zionist narrative of history.
'You will have to explain to me who the Christians were that the Arabs
encountered when they occupied Palestine. 'Who exactly rebelled during
the Jewish revolt of 132 by Bar-Kockba. 'The period you are missing is
132 AD to 638 AD, when the Arabs conquered Palestine. It is truly astonishing
that you do not believe that many Jews converted to Christianity during
the first century. 'By the early parts of the 'Fourth century, Palestine
was almost totally converted to Christianity, as was Egypt, Syria and Lebanon.
You should read up on early Church history and find how the Church in Near
East and Greece developed the doctrines that are now considered Orthodox
Christianity. 'So, get a grasp of history and you will find that native
people change their cultures and religions over time, even in Palestine.
'Even the ancient Hebrew culture changed to Helenic and then to
Talmudic traditions and you know that the Hassidic movement is a relatively
modern religion developed in the Pale and strictly European in origin and
tradition. 'I could go on, but I do recommend you come to grasp that the
ancient Hebraic natives of Palestine converted to Christianity and to Islam.
''That is why you can't tell a Muslim Palestinian from a Christian Palestinian.
As for your chromsome tests, they are dated. 'You should be aware of
the unbelievable progress in DNA testing over the last couple of years.
'It is time to do a more comprehensive study to clear up the air. 'It is
interesting that while you understand that the Palestinians share some
very common traits with Syrians and Lebanese, you do not grant them the
same rights to inherit the soil of 'their forbearers. 'Do you think the
Pheonicians who abandoned the worship of Bal for Christianity and Islam
should make room for some future Europeans who claim descent from those
who worship Bal. 'You seem to believe that your religion entitles you to
someone elses real-estate. 'Well, guess what? 'I don't believe in your
religion. 'So, you shouldn't try to stuff it down my throat. 'I will be
kind enough to return the favor. 'As for Zionism, you can not possibly
hope to come up with a coherent historical account that would cast the
Palestinians as some outside interlopers. 'That bit of Mythology was necessary
to market and legitimize the Zionist enterprise in Europe and America.
''At least the old Zionists were not demented enough to believe they could
sell that sordid account to the Palestinians. ''
This whole argument about the Palestinians not having a "national" consciousness
is 'one that might stand well in Zionist circles. 'But it really doesn't
matter whether the Palestinian villagers had any kind of politics at all.
'They were native to the land by birth and by inheritance. 'The argument
that the Zionists improved the land they confiscated can be used by any
common burglar to justify possession by stating they wiped the dust off
of the merchandise they stole. 'Greater utility does not endow any right
of confiscation.
You state that Jews lived in the Holy land throughout history. 'That
is true. 'They lived all over the Arab world. 'As did Christians. 'At the
start of the British mandate there was about 50,000 of them in the Holy
land among a population of 600,000. '
Why are we making these arguments you ask? 'Well, to let you and other
Zionists know that Palestinians will never accept the concept that "descendants
of ancient Hebrews" had a right to eradicate their ancestral Palestinian
towns and 'villages. 'Israelis are in Palestine by force of arms and by
deluded racist convictions that can not stand the test of the historic
record . You "returned to Palestine" 'with the intent to do harm to the
native people of the land. You came with the declared objective of making
it as Jewish as England is English. 'Your people did not come to share
Palestine and the Palestinians had no good reason to oblige Zionist ambitions,
now or then. 'You came 'to take a "people without a land to a land without
a people". 'You have continued to usurp the land and vilify the natives.
'Indeed, Israelis seem to do whatever they can get away with at the expense
of the native people. 'In electing Sharon, Israelis have proved themselves
to be true inheritors of the arrogance of their fathers.
Your song and dance might sell in the West. 'In the Middle East, we have
good historic memories. 'There will be peace. 'There will be two people
sharing the land. 'But one of them will be on native soil, the other will
be on confiscated soil. 'Have no worries about Palestinians recognizing
'your "Zionist accomplishments". 'Just worry about having to explain them
to your children. 'That is a burden I would not care to share with you.
'And the day will come when your child will 'have to look his Palestinian
neighbor in the eye and explain what you did to his parents and grand-parents.
'There is no escaping that. 'Use up all the Chutzpah on the planet and
Israelis will still find themselves sharing the land with the "first people
of Palestine", the Palestinians.
Ahmed
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