"Wherever you are, kill those Jews and those Americans who are like them." - Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya.
On Nov. 29, 1947, the United Nations voted in favor of creating two states in what was then a British protectorate of Palestine. One was to be a Jewish state and the other an Arab state. The Arab world unanimously rejected the creation of the two states, and called for a Jihad, a holy war, to expel the Jews from Palestine.
In planning for the destruction of the newly formed state of Israel, the Arab leadership headed by the great mufti of Jerusalem, Husseini, urged the Arab residents in the state of Israel to leave their homes in Israel in order to return later with the triumphant Arab armies. Husseini argued that if Arabs didn't partake in this migration, the Jews would slaughter all who stayed.
The Jewish state called on the Arabs to stay in place and become citizens of the state, but the calls were not heeded, and a massive Arab exodus occurred. When the Arabs attacked the Jewish state right after its declaration of independence in 1948, Israel, in its state of war, ejected some of the remaining Arabs.
When a truce was declared in 1949, the West Bank and East Jerusalem were under Jordanian rule. At this point, the Arab countries did not absorb the Arab refugees. They were placed in refugee camps in Egypt (Gaza), Jordan (the West Bank), and Lebanon. The Arab world maintained those territories until 1967, and during those years there was no call to form a Palestinian state, nor was there any nationalistic movement to form a state.
In the six-day war of 1967, Israel was attacked on all borders. Israel came out of that war taking the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan.
The territories that Arab Palestinians now want as Palestine were never autonomous. The concept of a Palestinian homeland is a new concept that the Arabs created when Israel annexed these territories.
One must remember that surrounding Israel there are 22 Arab countries that serve as homelands to Arabs. Israel, the only democratic state in the Middle East, takes up one tenth of one percent of that area, and is the single Jewish country.
Although the developing state of Israel cannot afford to lose parts of the small share of land it has, in the name of peace, Prime Minister Ehud Barak was willing to make a sacrifice. About a month ago Barak offered the head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Yasser Arafat, 92 percent of the West Bank and partial control over East Jerusalem. Arafat refused to accept this offer because he would not renounce the use of future force and any further attempts to gain territory in Israel. Arafat is not willing to give up his right to claim more land, and therefore is not willing to make peace.
A few weeks ago Ariel Sharon visited the temple mount. His visit was arranged and approved in advance, and was in no way violent. He was visiting a site holy to Jews and Muslims. His visit was used as an excuse for Arabs to begin violent attacks on Israel. They had a violent response to a non- aggressive act.
As soon as the violence erupted, the PA canceled schools, and encouraged children to fight in the streets. The PA's television network broadcasted film clips from the Intifada to rouse its people to wage war. The PA and the Arabs see it as an honor to fight and become martyrs.
Since the outbreak of this latest violence, the state of Israel has been acting in self-defense. The Israeli soldiers are under orders to only act in self-defense. In reality, Israel has shown great restraint against Palestinian attackers. When the Jewish holy site of Joseph's tomb was dest0royed, there was no Israeli retaliation. When an Arab mob in Ramallah brutally tortured and killed two Jewish men being held by the Palestinian Authority police, the Arab crowds cheered at the sight of Jewish blood. Israel responded by announcing to the Palestinian authorities that in three hours they would be sending helicopter gun ships to Ramallah and that they should evacuate. Israel wanted only to make a symbolic response and not to kill anyone.
A couple of weekends ago, even as Arafat prepared to attend peace talks in Egypt, the Palestinian Authority television broadcast a Friday sermon given by Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya (a member of the PA "fatwa council"), in the Zayed bin Sultan Aal Nahyan mosque in Gaza. In his sermon he said, "As Allah the almighty said, ' fight them: Allah will torture them at your hands, and will humiliate them and will help you to overcome them...' Have no mercy on the Jews, no matter where they are, in any country. Fight them, wherever you are. Wherever you meet them, kill them. Wherever you are, kill those Jews and those Americans who are like them." (Translation is provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute).
Last week's cease-fire agreement is being ignored by Palestinian gunmen who continue to shoot at Jewish homes in the city of Gilo in Jerusalem. Israel can no longer continue to allow attacks on its citizens.
Israelis and Jews everywhere desperately want to see an end to bloodshed. However, only when both sides realize the destructive power of hate will there be a chance for peace.
Tally Aliphas is a freshman who has not yet decided on a major. Aliphas is a member of Friends of Israel.
