Israel’s far-right nationalist rabbis have made a major political breakthrough in coming to recognize a Palestinian right of return. The only problem…where they want them to return to: Saudi Arabia. Rabbi Dov Lior, chief rabbi of the most extreme of the extremist settlers in Hebron, has come up with a tremendously creative notion to settle the Israeli-Arab conflict. It involves two simple words: go away. Go here, go there, go anywhere–just not Israel. Here’s what the good rabbi told a crowd of learned gentlemen at a recent conference:
I say we should create incentives–even financial ones, to encourage their return to the “lands of their origin.” Today, there are many areas of Saudi Arabia and Libya and other places where they could live. I’m not saying from a humanitarian point of view that we shouldn’t help [them]. Let’s help them [go] there. If we leave them here and they act against the interests of the [Jewish] people and State of Israel there’ll be no [other] solution. If this were a normal situation there would be a way to find a solution [short of expulsion]. But the reality is that this problem is so deeply rooted and so difficult that it has no solution [besides expulsion].
To show his true humanitarian credentials, Rabbi Lior even said the Bedouin should be treated far better than those who were expelled from Gush Katif, because the Bedouin should be aided financially to facilitate their transfer. The good rabbi seems to forget that hundreds of thousands of shekels have been expended both by the government and private charities (among them one supported by the sister of The Limited founder, Susan Wexner) to help these settlers find new homes.
Lior continued in this report by Arutz Sheva:
“There is a struggle against our return to our homeland. The Arab population opposes the creation of the State of Israel. They oppose the existence of the Jewish people. Which is why I don’t see any solution that can satisfy them. There is a solution that can satisfy them.” According to the Rabbi, return of territory and concessions will not solve the problem. “The subject of control of land is part of the broader struggle of the Arabs against the Jewish people, the State of Israel–and therefore in my humble opinion there isn’t a solution to the conflict [without expulsion]. They say ‘Israeli-Arab conflict.’ For us there is no conflict with them. They create the conflict with us.”
You have to admit that the saintly one has a point. If his devoted followers in Hebron disfigure Palestinians by pouring acid in their faces, rain feces down upon them, and provoke their 8 year olds to smash Palestinian grandmothers heads’ open–how can anyone believe Jews have any conflict with Palestinians? What a silly notion. You’d have to be churlish to think otherwise.
The above quotation gives you a measure of the depth of delusion of the settlers and their “spiritual leaders.” It gives you a sense of the amount of denial that contributes to their world view. Simply, unbelievable shocking.
Let’s keep in mind that this is the same learned fellow who suggested that Jews not use goyische sperm to conceive because the goyim are depraved and it would create depraved Jewish babies.
An Israeli Palestinian MK responded to the cash for transfer offer with one of his own to Rabbi Lior:
“We are happy to pay for a one-way ticket for him to leave Israel.”
The conference at which he spoke was organized by the far-right Komemiyut organization and addressed the growing ‘menace’ of Israeli Palestinians intermingling with Jews in mixed communities. The Israel Lands Administration, which is the battering ram destroying indigenous Bedouin communities through its confiscatory land policies, was an honored participant in the event. Shockingly, the organizers invited Arab and Druze speakers and they didn’t show up for some inexplicable reason (according to the sponsors).
Another participant in the conference, the saintly Shmuel Eliyahu, chief rabbi of Tzfat, had this to say about the Arab usurpers:
Would [you] trust the Arabs whose national identity is Palestinian, who identify completely with Hamas and Hezbollah?” The rabbi added that “they [Arabs] want the whole world to convert to Islam,” and warned that the violence breaking out in the Arab world should be a warning sign about “these cultural standards which we can’t allow to enter Israeli society.”
True to its liberal values, the Jerusalem Post has given this story the exposure it surely ‘deserves.’ Should we expect any less of the settlers’ English language mouthpiece?
More then half of the Egyptians favor ending the peace treaty with Israel is not a news that will make Tikun Olam (http://www.theblaze.com/stories/poll-more-than-half-of-all-egyptians-want-end-to-peace-with-israel/) , most Egyptians want their laws to be base on Quran is not worthy of the precious time of Mr Silverstein (http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Poll-Most-Egyptians-want-Quran-as-source-of-laws-1351730.php), hence you will not read about it on Tikun Olam, Palestinian Policeman kills a Jew after he prayed in Josef Grave, that’s not a news worthy Item either.
but what a waco Rabbi is saying, oh that’s news.
You have a an agenda Mr. Silverstein. of a despicable nature.
I’ve published this comment against my better nature. But I did so because it marks this jerk’s 5th or 6th comment violation. He is now banned.
Pakistan was founded upon the same principle. Hindu’s had to migrate to India. Muslims left India. There was an exchange of population. India was forced to accept it by the ruling British elite and the UN.
I see no reason, why an exchange of populations by consent cannot be arranged by Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Why does Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries recognise the colonial created state of Pakistan but not the colonial created state of Israel?
The false argument that there was an agreement to transfer populations is false. It was foisted upon India. If the world can accept it then, it can do so now.
Wow youre seriously supporting the forced expulsion of 1 million Palestinians in violation of international law.
international law, hell. it’s an offense against human decency and sanity.
fanatics, in the end, are more akin to the fanatics that they oppose than anyone else.
the fanatics claiming to speak for Israel or for Palestine speak for neither. they speak only for their shared loss of simple human decency and respect for everyone as human.
Jule, by your logic, do you see a reason why an exchange of populations by consent cannot be arranged by Palestine and the United States to transfer Jewish Israelis to the US? If the world could accept it then, it can do so now. It’s absurd!
And by the way, Israel was not founded upon the principle of population exchange.
Leonid,
If the USA and Israel agreed, and it was by choice, i see nothing wrong. I repeat, i see nothing wrong in agreed volunantry repatriations, with compensation.
If you think it’s wrong, do you think Pakistan should go to India then?
Richard,
I see nothing wrong in VOLUNTARY transfer of population. Where there is incentive and compensation. Do you? I’m against forced repatriation.
If Israel and Saudi Arabia agree on a deal, who are we to complain if the bedouins accept it? and who are we to complain if the USA and Israel did a transfer deal and American Jews voluntarily left the USA with compensation? Again if nobody is forced, and they do it by choice, i see nothing wrong.
Are you against this? either of you? and why?
Jule, I cannot imagine that ALL American Jews would be willing to go to Israel even if compensated, or all Israeli Jews would go to America or all Palestinians would go Saudi Arabia. So it’d be either partial transfer or forced transfer. Hence you question remains highly hypothetical and not based in any reality.
Besides, it’s not for Israel and Saudi Arabia to decide where the Palestinian people should go from their lands. Give them their right of return or compensation. Some will come back, some will take compensation and stay/go elsewhere.
Palestinians do not want to be expelled fr Israel so there is no such thing as “voluntary repatriation” in an Israeli context.
Why isn’t anyone calling pakistan everything they call Israel. India had the partition foisted upon her by the British. The same reason Irgun came into being. The British were chopping up the Middle East and leaving the Jews to die.
Let the hypocritical world return Pakistan to India then we can judge Israel.
Jule, as far as I understand, Pakistan and India are a 2-state solution for the Hindus and Moslims of the British India. By calling on the world to return Pakistan to India, you essentially advocate a one-state solution. May I then conclude that you’re in favor of a one Jewish-Palestinian state comprising Israel within 1967 borders, West Bank and Gaza? If so, I guess many Palestinians would agree with you.
jule, the two sets of states created by the withdrawal of the British at the same time share a common failure.
war and waste are the product of both. would that things had been different, but more of the same in the face of failure from it, betokens but greater failure in future.
learning to live together is not going to be easy, but the alternatives are worse.
I’m convinced that Jule found this India-Pakistan comparison on some Hasbara-list, and that he has no idea about what actually happened in British India at the time.
The comparison between people who lived on the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years, and who for various reasons decided to separate (and personnally, I think the Partition was a very tragic decision) and the Bedouin in the Negev living there for thousands of years before the Israeli newcomers arrived from Europe and elsewhere less than 100 years ago is simply immoral. By the way, in British India, millions were transferred both ways.
“Midnight’s Children” by Salman Rushdie is a litterary masterpiece on the topic
folks what goes around deriding other folks as working off a hasbara list aren’t all that much themselves.
keep it simple, Deir
Deir, don’t be so hypocritical.
Are you telling me, the POPULATIONS of india and pakistan agreed on the partition? they did not, hence the violence at the time.
Don’t be hyprocritical. why was there a need for partition anyway? The Hindus were the natives if you want to look at it that way.
@ Jule)
I told you, I am opposed to the partition of British India (though it’s none of my business, but from a ‘philosophical’ point of view) and I’ve actually studied this subject a little from an anthropological point of view during my undergraduate studies. Only superficially, but more than enough to say that your comparison has absolutely no validity though it’s often mentioned by Zionists to justify an eventual transfer of Palestinians.
And you’re wrong: The Hindus were not the ‘Natives’ as you state. I sometimes wonder how some people come to look upon history the way they do, but I’m maybe ‘biased’ by my studies. The Muslims of the Indian Subcontinent are ‘Natives’ who converted (just as the Palestinians are natives who were Arabised and mostly Islamized, combined with internal migrations within the sphere of Arab-Muslim influence) but that doesn’t make them less native, and if you really want to talk about ‘Natives’ of the Indian Subcontinent, it’s the Dravidian peoples of South India, recognizable by their black skin, such as the people of Tamil Nadu, who were pushed south as the Aryans (that’s where the word comes from) migrated from what’s actually Iran thousands of years ago.
And I’m NOT saying that the population wanted the partition. I in fact know some Pakistani Muhajireen whose families were transferred from the actual India to Karachi, and that was the greatest sorrow of their lifes, and they still regret the Partition.
What I’m saying is there was a MUTUAL transfer of people who were ALL natives to the region.
The Israelis such as out ‘drek’ Lior who wants to transfer the Bedouins to Saudia Arabia: how many generations have they lived in the area ? If my informations are correct, Lior was born in Galicia, and if he thinks there isn’t enough space around; HE could go back.
As Ahmad Tibi answered to Lieberman on HIS transfer proposal: “We don’t ask anyone to leave, but IF someone should leave, we suggest that the last one who arrived should be the first one to leave”. I totally do agree.
Deir Yassin
By your argument, Mecca and Medina shouldn’t be Muslim then. Why don’t you call for the native Jews to return there.
It’s all very well calling for Lior to go back to “galaci” or wherever you said, but you forget that Saudi Arabia doesn’t give nationality to Jews.
You’re hypocritical. The Europeans have no right to colonise and kill off the worlds population, whether it’s in Africa, Indian America, yet the world recognises the countries they ravaged. The world does not call for native Jews to return to Medina.
When I see Saudi Arabia and the Muslim world give Jews citizenship in Medina, then I will condemn Lior. Until then, at least he is calling for a transfer.
Deir Yassin, if Muslims can keep Mecca and Medina for Muslims only, don’t you ever use “anthropology” or other nonsense to tell Jews we cannot have Israel for Jews only.
Let the world call for equality in Mecca and Medina, and a return of all Europeans around the world to Europe, give the lands back to natives then i’ll consider criticising Israel bona fide.
Deir Yassin, do you support synagogues in Medina? Do you support the right of Jews to visit Mecaa and live there? Jews were native to Medina long before Islam existed.
Lior is only suggesting what Muslims already practice.
Yes, I will tell you. YOu can’t have Israel for Jews only. And if you want to support the execrable views of Dov Lior and want to advance racist views supporting expulsion of Israeli Palestinians your time here will be very short.
When you tell me the name of a single Jew who’d want to become a citizen of Saudi Arabia then I’ll go to bat for you to get citizenship for them. Israel claims it is a secular democratic country. If you wish it to become a halachic monarchy under the desendants of King David, that’s your prerogative. But that’s not what it is now nor what it will likely be unless settler extremists like you have their way.
European colonization is far off topic and a violation of the comment rules. Read them & do so carefully if you want to maintain yr comment privileges.
@ Jule)
I don’t understand. Your comment was on India and Pakistan and so was my answer. Is Mekka and Medina in India or Pakistan ?? Or did you just jump to the next entry on your Hasbara list ??
And you of course know very well that I didn’t ask Lior to go back to Galicia (why do you put quote marks around Galicia, it’s a region in Poland).
Another typical Hasbara-trick. In your next comment you’ll then move on to say that I call for the expulsion of all Jews. How come your guys are so predictable.
Richard
“Yes, I will tell you. YOu can’t have Israel for Jews only”
First, I don’t support forced expulsion. I made that clear. I also said, IF THE POPULACE WANT, therefore if the populace leaves a country willingly with compensation, i don’t oppose that. For any country. If the bedouin or anyone else stay as loyal citizens, that’s fine. It’s not about ethnic cleansing. It’s about security.
as for a single Jew wanting citizenship in Saudi Arabia, count me as one Jew. I have brought you one Jew. So what do you say now?
But that is not the point. It’s the principle that counts. Once the principle is in place, THEN we can talk about who wants to do it, but again, it’s up to the person don’t you think Richard? I wouldn’t assume to tell a person what to do. I hope you do not. The principle of compensation for displaced Palestinians should not depend on how many want it, it’s the right thing that’s why i support that too. Compensation.
as for my comment about European colonisation, I don’t mean to offend you or flout the rules here, I merely said it to make a point.
Dier_Yassin
It’s not a Hasbara Trick. I don’t know what you’re talking about when you say I will next say you’re calling for expulsion of Jews. I didn’t say that, nor do i read that you meant that.
In a nutshell, It’s about security. Just like Indian Muslims didn’t feel secure without a Muslim majority country, so its the same for Jews. We want a secure country, to be Jews in. This doesn’t mean forcible expulsion as Richard thinks i mean. I don’t support that at all. Read what i said carefully.
I note you didn’t answer my question. Do you support the right of Jews to live in Medina if they choose to. I’m sure there are descendents of Jews around whose ancestors lived in Medina.
Deir Yassin, you support my application of Medinian citizenship as my ancestors lived there? I would like to live there too? I would appreciate an answer.
@ Jule)
As part of my religion I’m supposed to go on a pilgrimage to Mekka if my physical and economical situation permits it. However, personally, I would NEVER set foot in Saudi Arabia with these thugs ruling there, being a disgrace not only to the Arabs, but to humanity as a whole.
If you dream about settling down in Saudi Arabia, I’m not going to prevent you neither do I have any influence on Saudi Arabian politics. I just say, you’re crazy, and we all know that you’re not serious. By the way, do you have any proofs that your ancestors came from Saudi Arabia ? Were your ancestors native to Saudi Arabia or to Eretz Israel. Can’t be both.
I can prove that my grand-parents and my mother were born in Akka, they fled in ’48 and were prevented from returning home. Can I come back ?
Let me guess: your next subject will be ‘Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Koran’ or maybe ‘the Mufti was a Nazi’ …
Stop with the narischkeit. You know as well as I that Israeli Palestinians will never “want” to be expelled or transferred from their native land, which is Israel. I doubt even if you offered each Israeli Palestinian $1-million per family that more than 5-10% would take the offer. And at any rate, Israel would never offer anywhere close to that so all this is a moot pt. No Israeli citizen whether Jew or Bedouin or Palestinian has to prove to you or anyone that they are a “loyal citizen.” If they do then you in fact have to prove that you are not a racist citizen. Both notions are ridiculous. They are citizens just like you & no one has any right to question their loyalty any more than they have the right to question yours.
As for wanting citizenship in Saudi Arabia, you’re a liar. You don’t want citizenship in Saudi Arabia & if you claim you do you’re a liar. Don’t play games here. I don’t have time for it. This isn’t a venue for hypothetical debates or political grandstanding. When I ask a question I expect an honest answer & not someone who is a political poseur.
Compensation alone won’t work. You’re going to have to get used to actual real expelled refugees returning to live among you. I know it’s tough to contemplate but I think somehow you’ll live.
This is a nonsensical off topic question. Stay on topic. If you don’t, you are violating the comment rules. The purpose of this blog is not to discuss hypothetical issues that advance the agenda of the Israeli nationalist far right. If you persist in this you will be moderated.
Richard I am not a “settler extremist”. I am concerned for long term safety of Israel. Population transfer can come about in a democracy.
Every democracy has immigration restrictions in place that suit their democracy and country, and where the locals will not suffer any long term consequences.
It will not come about in Israel. Not ever. Immigration procedures have nothing to do with expulsion or transfer of native populations.
@Jule,
I find your argumentation incoherent and hard to follow. Your jump from subject to subject in a manner that’s impossible to comprehend. I guess further discussion doesn’t make much sense.