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If Isreal took over all the Palestinian land wouldn't the one state solution become a reality. And if so then couldn't it be possible for all the peoples and religions living there in having equal rights as citizens of Isreal.

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Thanks again for writing with integrity

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If you know your history, Matthew, the Arabs welcomed the Jews initially it was when they set up agencies and institutions that did not include Arabs and that’s when the resentment against the influx of Jews began I’ve spoken to many people who have family in Palestine, and who is grandfathers had land in Yaffa as orange growers

Whose business partners were Jews there was never a problem just sent me was never a problem with jews and Arabs, intil the advent of zionism, which pushed out the Arabs, usually threw fear and force, usually through fear in force

I can recommend a book to you if you want to know more the title is “city of oranges”

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Problems also started happening when Muslim leaders in Palestine started collaborating with the Nazis and making plans.

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Matthew I really like you I don’t know why but something about you is very endearing. Maybe it’s the naïveté in which you present your argument.

So what I’m gonna say is may good fortune be your constant companion to you and your family and I mean that

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Thanks, take care!

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Again, Matthew there were no Jews in any great number that lived in Arab countries that were exterminated as you say yes they were kicked out and I’ll say it again I think that was bad and unjust move the Arab countries should make some reparation because of that but Jews are now free to go to those countries as visitors or whatever, but that it’s not the same for the Palestinians, where they can’t roam free in their own land you know I was an avid reader, Ayn Rand, and one of the things she said was: “if somebody tells you they have a right to do something you should ask them at who’s expense “

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Matthew you’re not reading what I’m sending you. There were no exposures of Jews until the advent of Zionism and Zionism cause for the replacement of indigenous Arabs wit Jews from all over the place. Like I said it was wrong to do that, but that was the impetus

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Why do you think Zionism took hold in the first place? All the Jews that left in the 1880s-1910 from Europe were fleeing racism and oppression and pogroms - real pogroms.

Why do you think they chose Israel? Because the Palestinians were weak and conquerable?

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What should’ve happened was for Jews and Arabs live on the same land as equals nothing more nothing less

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Yes, and guess which country affords the best opportunity for equality for everybody?

Israel does, even with the problems. You act as if Palestinians would be treated better by Assad, or Sisi, or that Israeli Arabs would be better off in a country with a per capita GDP of 1/6 of what Israel’s is.

Lots of problems everywhere, let’s look at the bigger picture.

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Jews were never equals in Arab societies, and it’s a joke that the Arab countries were upset at the Palestinians being treated as second class citizens in the Jewish state - why is that so hard to swallow and not accepted as fair play by their own standards?

Because their standards are that Jews are second class citizens and they don’t even want equality. So you can believe that or not, but Palestine will never exist in the Land of Israel. They had their chance and they gambled and blew it.

It’s a shame, but the whole thing is literally because the Arab/Muslim world saw the Jews as second class citizens. Period. And they don’t like the fact that the Jews are not only not second class, they are the most successful country militarily and economically in the region, and it makes them crazy with jealousy and their fragile egos can’t take it.

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Come on Matthew I’m not giving equivalence to the mass extermination of Jews by the Nazis and with Zionist tormenting and brutalizing Palestinians I’m just saying that the tormenting and brutalizing and killing that was done to them. They are doing to the Palestinians of course not 6 million however, the germane aspect of the matter is that they are being treated like garbage

In the same way that the Nazis treated them the only thing that’s missing are the ovens

And it’s not antisemitic to draw comparisons between Nazism and Zionism. There are a lot of parallels. This is just stating facts and if you want me to, I will enumerate them for you

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It is 100% anti-Semitic to draw comparisons between Nazis and Zionists. How can you even say that and expect to be taken seriously?

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If you want to learn more about what a Zionist influx did to the Palestinian people there is a good Israeli film app called Tantura. I saw it and clarifies a lot of things for me and I’m sure it will for you too

I think it’s most importance to know our own history as well as the history of our perceived enemies. I think this will help in coming to terms with oneself, as well as paving the way for a true peaceful solution.

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Hello Matthew, yes of course I just read your latest post and I am not making the singer. This is fact if you go back to the discussion that I had with the English, he will find the same information yes and I feel bad that your father was kicked out of Iraq. Totally unacceptable totally wrong totally wicked there are no excuses but you have to remember that the expulsion of Jewish from Arab countries. came about after the advent of Zionism and not all Arab countries kicked out the native Jews. Are you say there is no connection to Uganda and what about the Ugandans? Well yeah you are right, but it did happen to the Palestinians is that fair and as far as a connection to the land there have been scores of Palestinians generations

Who have lived in Palestine? What about them? and I have to say that Zionism cynically chose religion as their mechanism to claim Palestine as their own. They invoked the ancient real estate deal that the Jews claim they had with God, which gave them the land cause you know most Zionist are not religious is it fair to the Arabs that the Jews decided to come back after 2000+ years when is there a limitation on squatting? like I said in my other post, would you accept somebody to appropriate your land and home because they lived there couple thousand years ago? If so, then maybe you should give up your home and whatever you on as far as land back to the indigenous Native Americans, that is, I’m assuming that you live in America. Can you see how how ludicrous this justification is?

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You’re saying that Americans should not have to give reparations to the Natives, and therefore Jews don’t have a claim on Israel. But if conquering a land is OK, then what’s the problem with what you claim Jews are doing? Isn’t this a double standard?

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This is a fantastic article. Thank you, Jonathan! Here in Vancouver, Canada, the Zionist fifth column conspired to install a municipal government whose first act was to adopt the execrable IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. Most of those opposed were principled Jewish citizens, to their great credit. The Canadian ruling class campaign to take away our Bill of Rights guarantee of our right to free speech is under very serious attack. However, the struggle to keep our right to speak out is only going to deepen. Thank you again for this work.

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Curious - what is anti-Semitism to you? To me, it is promoting negative ideas about Jews as a whole, usually based on the actions of a few, or myths (like the Jewish "blood libel"), or alternatively, criticizing Israel in a way that treats it as a "Jewish state," as if it somehow reflects on all Jews, as opposed to simply the governing administration.

Anti-Semitism is basically just trying to make Jews as a whole out to be some unified group bent on doing harm. We are one of the most non-unified groups in the world, lol, but we do tend to band together when persecuted.

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Well, then Israel is antisemitic because they are the biggest promoters of negative ideas about Jews.

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Your comment is an anti-Semitic comment. Here is why:

“Blacks are racist because they commit the most crime against other Blacks.”

Do you see how the two comments are basically accusing the victim of being the cause of the racism against them?

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Matthew, I’m sorry you read it that way but just answer me when group Israel that purport to represent Jews commit heinous racist criminal acts against the Palestinians doesn’t that gives Jews a bad name doesn’t that put Jews in the crosshairs of people that are seeking justice

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It absolutely does. Just like when Hamas does their thing, or individual Israeli Arabs stab civilians or run them over with cars.

There is no argument you can make agains the Jews that isn’t worse in the Arab camp. Just look at the non-Jewish countries in the region and tell me where people have a better life.

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And just like the slavery south Israel even has its own, Jew klux klan

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The surrounding Arab countries are all scoundrel piece of crap did not democracies. What do you expect from them but your beloved Israel are supposed to be a democracy and why compare them to other Arab countries how about why don’t you compare the Palestinians are better off in the United States of Palestinians you’re better off in England of the Palestinians you’re better off in Spain that’s a true comparison or human being should be treated with respect not under oppression not under apartheid in that’s like saying the slaves in the south the ones were in the house as it was called the house. Slaves were better off than the field slaves , maybe I gave you too much credit. Have a nice day Finis

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No, that’s not true Matthew its Zionism that is the culprit not Judaism Israelis themselves and their powerful Hasbara propaganda machine has promoted the idea of conflating zionism with Judaism there in lies the problem

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Judaism says that Jews will return to Zion, the Land of Israel.

You calling Zionism evil is anti-Semitic. You don’t see it that way, but it is. It is literally saying that the Jewish hope to return to their own land and not be persecuted is racist.

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Matthew hi hi as well all those those I know that support Palestinians want Jews to live there and Palestine and then peace along with their Palestinian brethren but as equal citizens, not as third class citizens not as occupied people they want to live just like that is really wanna live. Why does it is we’ll do that.? Fair and equal coexistence is the answer, because the true state solution has been dead for a long time, especially because of the disgusting land, grabs by the right wing separate elements who have all the support of the government and the IDF

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Very few Mizrahi Jews trust the Palestinians. They say the obvious: “We were second class citizens under the Muslims when they were the majority, I have zero faith that if they became populous enough that Jews would not be targeted for persecution.”

The Arabs are victims of racism, but I’m not at all convinced that the Jews would be treated as well if the situation were reversed. I mean, would there even be a democracy?

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Zionism has done more than just returning to a land look what they’re doing now apartheid ,beatings mass incarceration, punishment

Land theft,house demolitions

murdering unarmed protesters, nonviolent protesters, doctors, journalists, shutting down human rights groups I mean this is an evil I don’t know what is

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I think this is a gross exaggeration of what Israel is doing, and strikingly absent is what negative elements in the Palestinian camp are doing.

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Finally an honest, fearless and may I add courageous piece of real journalism

That is nowhere to be found in mainstream media again thank you for your important contribution- it teaches us all that there are only facts and no alternatives this kind of journalism will teach us all about the reality of the Palestine/Israel situation. Unless you’re looking for a chimerical version of reality

Then I suggest you can read the New York Times or Harry Potter

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This isn't journalism. For example: what the video that everybody saw of the IDF soldier beating a Jew didn't show was the entire situation, which was an elaborate scheme to bait a soldier into doing exactly what he did, and then editing the video. The instigator brought up Ben Gvir, not the soldier, and the instigator physically assaulted the soldier - physical contact and spitting.

The soldier acted poorly and I have no idea why he didn't follow protocol, and instead just beat the guy up. But reporting only what the video shows isn't journalism, it's being a willful fool and a tool of people spreading propaganda, or at the very least, misrepresenting a situation.

It's fine to criticize Israel's administrative policies towards the Palestinians, because there is a ton to criticize. But the fact is, 6 million Jews were murdered in Europe, many tried to flee to the US and were refused, and the only place they had to go was Israel. And then a few million more were kicked out of Arab countries in the 1950s, with nowhere to go but Israel. And then those same countries declared war on Israel after that.

Up until Israel was created, Jews were one of the most persecuted people on earth. That usually matters to people who care about human rights, but not in the case of Jews. You really expect a people that has gone through what the Jews have gone through to accept the world as their caretaker?

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As international law allows, it is perfectly were legitimate to resist the occupier in many ways including armed resistance if people really read what you said you’re basically saying that a fully armed soldier kills a civilian that you call an instigator. That’s amazing. Just think of what you say you’re making the occupied and the oppressed be the oppressor now that is very close to alchemy.

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Israel became an “occupier” after conquering what was widely considered Jordanian and Syrian annexed territories.

International law is pretty clear about territory won in a defensive war.

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A People, an entity that comes from a a far and settles on already on land already settled by then Arabs for millennia and fights against them cannot be considered to be defensive

Only if you take it in the sense that they were protecting their spoils as a pirate would protect their booty- then yes

And remember, the six day war was initiated by Israel. They pulled the Pearl Harbor on the Arabs and, of course, for what reason just to finish the job that Ben-Gurion did not do that is create eretz Israel.

If you see what’s going on today, you know that was the reason was more land expropriation

I mean, you have to be brain dead, blind, or just completely brainwashed to believe otherwise believe otherwise just look at the present situation. It gives proof that Israel is a colonial racist nation.

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Israel was well within their rights to attack Egypt given the situation. There was an active hostile situation since 1948, and it wasn’t because Israel attacked Egypt.

The fact is, the Arab countries chose sides and when they lost, they basically turned their backs on the Palestinians and instead decided to use their suffering as a tool against Israel.

Fast forward to today: there is new leadership in Saudi Arabia and many gulf states want normal economies. Why didn’t those countries demand that the Palestinians get something from the Abraham accords?

Perhaps because they are tired of dealing with their refusal to simply accept the fact that if they want to move forward as a people, they need to make some changes in the way they do things.

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No, Matthew they don’t need to they are now the fourth strongest nuclear armed military in the world what they should do is not repeat what was done to them and treat the Palestinians as equal human beings you should be a palled about the way Israel is comporting themselves in the name of Judaism. That is disgusting.

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Until the Jews systematically start marching the Palestinians into ovens and rounding them up to death camps, Israel is a very, very, very long way from “doing to the Palestinians what was done to them.”

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Maybe not in quantity but certainly in quality

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Sorry Matthew but again you do not know your history. It wasn’t the only place that they could go to. They were offered several other locations, including Uganda, and by the way another piece of history, the Palestinians had nothing to do with the holocaust.

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“Palestinians had nothing to do with the Holocaust.”

Look up “Grand Mufti Amin al Husseini.” He collaborated with the Nazis as a way to bring the Final Solution to Palestine.

He also told people not to sell land to Jews, and then sold land to Jews for very high prices.

You are so lacking in all the relevant facts that it is hard to have this conversation.

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Jews in Arab countries had nothing to do with the Holocaust, or the establishment of Israel. Yet they were kicked out anyway as Zionists - all of them at once. Let’s stop pretending that Jews are not the target.

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Once the Jewish state was established, Jews from Arab states couldn’t go to Uganda, for example.

They literally had nowhere to go.

But also . . . why shouldn’t they be allowed to go to Palestine/Israel? Why can’t Jews be free to have their own country?

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Uganda? What of the native Ugandans????

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So, I have a question, if I may. Was there an occupation of Judah and Samaria before 1967? For instance, did the Palestinians consider the Jordanians as occupiers in the same way that they view Israel? What about the British? What about the Ottoman’s?

Because if only Jews can be occupiers, then what we are really talking about is anti-Semitism.

I know, it sounds crazy that given the plight of the minority who are absolutely suffering, I’m claiming anti-Semitism.

But if we go back to 1948 and move forward, I’m not sure what the point of calling Jews occupiers is, if not anti-Semitism.

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Hello Matthew

You sound like a good reasonable man I bet that we have more in common than not

Maybe we can have a tete a tete one day and even break bread till then be well and thank you for your input

Together we can solve the Palestinian/Israel situation :). Why not ?

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Thanks, I appreciate it. You seem reasonable as well, and I agree that we have more in common than not.

The Palestinian issue can’t be solved without recognizing that Greater Israel is the best solution to the security issue, and that there is plenty of land in Jordan for Palestinians to move and have a country. It worked for Cyprus, even though people were moved, and the international community can provided reparations - Arab Jews got no reparations from Arab countries, so let the international community pay.

Jews were forcibly moved from Europe and Arab countries and made it work, Palestinians can do the same, especially if they get paid.

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How can one not defined Zionism that is Jews displacing indigenous population of Arabs

 As anything, but occupiers?

 There were a very small number of Jews, approximately 4% of the entire population of Palestine. And it has been that way for hundreds of years prior to the advent of Zionism.  Which of your argument relies on of a biblical real estate deal with God that occurred thousands of years ago that let me ask you, Matthew I don’t know where you live but let’s say New York oh, and you own a beautiful condo or a brownstone apartment would you consider  if the indigenous would lannapeIndians made claim to your beautiful condo or brownstone?  Let’s say they overpowered you because they were backed up by some big powerful nation and pushed you out of your beautiful condo or brownstone. Would you consider them occupiers and also if you fight back would you call yourself a terrorist?

And yes, the palestinians did consider the Ottomans and the British occupiers as for the Jordanians  Palestinians thought they had brethren in the struggle but what they truly had was a collaborator with Zionist Israel . Palestinians started building Palestinian institutions and agencies in the West Bank that was run by Jordan. And if you know your history, the Jordanians had an armed conflict with the Palestinians, because of that claim, Just like Israel, they resented being looked at as occupiers.

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Your perspective is strange - you seem to think that Jews in Israel arrived there to conquer some “nation” of Palestine. Half of the Jews living in Israel are there because they or their parents were kicked out of the Arab countries where they had lived for centuries and even over 1,000 years.

In fact, Jews have been one of the most persecuted people in the world. Jews were given a small piece of land when they were thrown out of their countries, and then when they declared a state, the Arab world declared war on them. Then a few years later, the Arab world kicked their Jews out and stole their property.

Please.

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And no, it’s not have to population besides Israel exploited them and put them to good use by placing them in Arab land just how many Mizrahim are part of the racist colonial settlers in Hebron also known as the JewKluxKlan

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The Jews were partially exterminated and the rest were kicked out of their land, and you are saying that they should deal with that injustice, just somewhere else.

So I would say the same to the Palestinians. Too bad, that’s life. Should have made a deal and told the Arab League that a war wasn’t the right way.

They didn’t and here we are. You can’t tell the Jews to suck it up and then not tell the Palestinians to do the same.

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Yes, and now the Zionists design is Jews persecuting the Palestinians is that right Matthew

Yes, I feel it was wrong to kick out the Jews from Arab countries but you must remember it was in retaliation for the colonial settler occupation of Arab land

Two wrongs don’t make a right what was wrong right now at this moment, and time is that there is a racist, brutal occupation of the Palestinian people under the rule of Zionist Jews what do you expect them to do? Love them cuddle them thank them ?

the Palestinians aren’t against Israel because they are Jews. It’s because they are the occupiers. They are the invaders they are the interlopers they would feel the same way about this if they were let’s say taken over by Mexicans they would fight off the Mexicans, the same way they are doing the Israelis. It’s not about antisemitism it’s about anti-colonialism hence Zionism Capisci Matthew?

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“Arabs kicked out Jews as retaliation for colonial settler occupation of Arab land.”

And I don’t know history?

My father in law is an Iraqi Jew. He was 12 when his father was put in jail for being a Jew. His family fled with nothing to Israel. You have literally no idea what you’re talking about.

Uganda as a place to go? Is that supposed to be a joke? If Jews ended up in Uganda - a place where they literally have no connection to in any way - then what about the native Ugandans?

I think that it is obvious that your logic has many, many issues. Your grasp of fact is also full of misinformation.

You can say that Palestinians are against occupiers, but they have been occupied for centuries. Interesting that only when Jews were occupiers that it bothered them so much.

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Oh, and one more thing, Matthew, even though Palestine was occupied by Turks and Brits, they were essentially free and not burdened by continual hostility, such as pogroms Land theft and ethnic cleansing.

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I’d love to post this to Arsen Ostrovsky on twitter. How?

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