Abbas: Israel Has Been Occupying Palestinian Land Since Its Creation

[shira]

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas indicated that he considered all of Israel to be occupied Palestinian territory while speaking before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva last week, Palestinian Media Watch reported on Monday.

In his statement, which is found in the video embedded below, Abbas asked the council, “Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, haven’t you wondered: For how long will this protracted Israeli occupation of our land last? After 67 years (i.e., Israel’s creation), how long? Do you think it can last, and that it benefits the Palestinian people?”

http://www.thetower.org/2515-abbas-israel-has-been-occupying-palestinian-land-since-its-creation/

Behold, the "moderate" Palestinian President Abbas.

[Scootaloo]

1. I see an editorial insert, not a direct quote

Israel absolutely has been occupying Palestinian territory since it's declaration of independence. I've covered this frequently and at length, regarding Israel's territorial claims on its declaration, and territory occupied beyond those claims on the same day.

[shira]

2. No one sane argues Israel has occupied Palestinian territory since its inception....

Not even that rat's nest called the UN makes such a claim.

[Scootaloo]

3. Israel itself said it, to the UN. Again, I've been over this frequently

In 1948, when Israel declared independence, Jewish militias (that would then be Israel's military) were active in and occupying territory beyond that claimed by Israel. This is a big part of why Palestine never followed up with its own declaration, due to the way such declarations work.

Also in 1948, Israel sought membership in the UN, and was asked what territories outside of its declared borders it was occupying. Israel responded thusly:

"In addition, the Provisional Government exercises control over the city of Jaffa; Northwestern Galilee, including Acre, Zib, Base, and the Jewish settlements up to the Lebanese frontier; a strip of territory alongside the road from Hilda to Jerusalem; almost all of new Jerusalem; and of the Jewish quarter within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. The above areas, outside the territory of the State of Israel, are under the control of the military authorities of the State of Israel, who are strictly adhering to international regulations in this regard. The Southern Negev is uninhabited desert over which no effective authority has ever existed."

Israel's been conducting an occupation since day one.

[Little Tich]

4. PMW. Bleh. n/t

[shira]

7. I don't see the point of denying reality. What do you fear with all this denial? n/t

[Little Tich]

12. I don't want to discuss mistranslated quotes that are most likely false.

Perhaps he said what PMW claims, or perhaps he didn't. Perhaps what he said about occupied Palestine was true, or perhaps it wasn't.

PMW. Bleh.

[leftynyc]

5. Not surprising at all

I'm sure those that find this kind of rhetoric inconvenient will twist themselves into pretzels trying to defend it. This is what the Israelis have had to deal with since they day they declared their independence.

[6chars]

6. Pretzels

The pretzel is this. First they argue that Abbas is right, all of Israel is occupied territory. There are posters here who share this sentiment. Ten they argue that Abbas' statement doesn't mean what it means. Abbas himself plays this game all the time, and his supporters (more accurately, the Israel haters) are only too happy not to call him on it. This is the peace partner.

[leftynyc]

8. Anyone who calls

all of Israel occupied - while celebrating about UN resolutions against Israel - is nothing but a sniveling hypocrite. The days of being able to say one thing in Arabic while saying something else to a different audience in English are over. Perhaps they don't really understand how the internet works. And I see we already have an apologist whining about a mistranslation at the source. How pathetically predictable.

[azurnoir]

9. Abbas-"But I want to see Safed. It's my right to see it, but not to live there."

Abbas told Channel 2 he accepted he had no right to live in Safed, the town of his birth, from which his family was forced to flee in 1948 when Abbas was 13.

"I visited Safed before once, he said. "But I want to see Safed. It's my right to see it, but not to live there."

Referring to the internationally-recognised pre-1967 border, he went on: "Palestine now for me is '67 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. This is now and forever ... This is Palestine for me. I am a refugee, but I am living in Ramallah. I believe that the West Bank and Gaza is Palestine and the other parts are Israel."

The comments sparked protests in Gaza, where people in refugee camps burned images of the Palestinian president. Abbas was denounced on Twitter by pro-Palestinian activists.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/04/mahmoud-abbas-palestinian-territories

[leftynyc]

10. Nothing stopping him from

seeing Safed. I don't think there's anything stopping him from living there either legally. If he chooses not to live in Israel or around so many religious Jews (very religious community in Safed), then that's his choice.

[King_David]

11. Pfft