THIS PAST Wednesday did indeed mark the passage of the 55th anniversary of the Jewish-Arab battle at the village of Deir Yassin, but it was not, as some propagandists like to claim, a massacre. The conflict in the Middle East has never been a pretty one, but to call the Jewish people "terrorists" and the Arabs "victims" is far from the truth.
After World War II, the British decided that they could not deal with the rising conflict between the Arabs and the Jews, because both parties demanded their own nation. A compromise emerged to foster both an Arab and Israeli state. Unfortunately, it became evident that forces on both sides were unhappy with the proposed compromise; the leading Jewish authorities eventually accepted it, while the Arab League Secretary Azzam Pasha on Sept. 16, 1947, had this to say about the creation of a Jewish state: "Nations never concede; they fight. You won't get anything by peaceful means or compromise. You can, perhaps, get something, but only by the force of your arms." Despite the opposition, the United Nations passed U.N. Resolution 181, splitting the territory into a Jewish state and a planned Palestinian state, with Jerusalem itself under international control.
The Jews in Jerusalem, now in the heart of the planned Palestinian state, found themselves facing a blockade. Arab irregulars prevented shipments of food and medicine to the Jews living there. The "terrorist groups" that the propagandists refer to defended the Jews in the city and brought them food and supplies. Deir Yassin was located on a strategic hill overlooking the primary road into the city, the highway to Tel Aviv. It commanded a broad view of the surrounding area, and was located less than a mile from the outskirts of the city. There were Arab soldiers living in and attacking from the village. It was thus decided to conquer the village. The villagers were warned by a truck with a loudspeaker, and many left before the fighting began. Due to deceptive tactics of fake surrender and fighters dressed as women, approximately 100 Arabs were killed. The number was eventually confirmed by Professor Sharif Kanaana of Bir Zeit University (located in current day Palestine) in his study, "Reinterpreting Deir Yassin." This number is significantly less than the number touted by many people.
The battle at Deir Yassin was a very sad event, and civilians did die. However the circumstances of the event were greatly exaggerated to try to foster anti-Semitism. Neither the British nor the Red Cross witnessed the event, but the Jews called in the Red Cross afterwards to inspect the battleground to dispel rumors of a massacre. Hussein Khalidi, the secretary of the Arab Higher Committee saw the event as an opportunity. According to the Jerusalem Report on April 2, 1998, he said, "We must make the most of this." Khalidi proceeded to write a press release detailing many false atrocities. In response to criticism from the villagers themselves that "there was no rape" (Abu Mahmud, resident of Deir Yassin, BBC television series "Israel and the Arabs: the 50-year conflict."), Khalidi responded, "We have to say this, so the Arab armies will come to liberate Palestine from the Jews." In the four months following the partition, over 500 Jewish civilians were killed by terror attacks on non-military targets. To call this conflict one-sided would be simply wrong.
In the present day, the fact remains that many Palestinians refuse to accept or acknowledge the existence of the state of Israel. To many civilians and leaders, the only acceptable "compromise" is the complete destruction of Israel. An Arab language textbook by the name of Our Arabic Language For Fifth Grade #542 says, "Remember: the final and inevitable result will be the victory of the Muslims over the Jews." (pp.67-69) Arab children are taught from the very beginning to hate Israel. This is why it is increasingly hard to sympathize with the plight of the Palestinians. Many are still waiting for the glorious Arab armies to rise up and destroy the Jews. On January 30, 1996, Yasser Araft said, "we Palestinians will takeover everything, including all of Jerusalem."
In 2000, at the Camp David II peace talks, Israel offered 97 percent of the land the Arabs lost in 1967 when they attacked Israel and an additional 3 percent of land in Israel proper. This land would be used for the creation of a Palestinian state. In return Israel asked for peace. The Arab leaders said "no" and instead chose to step up the terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians.
Israel has as much a right to exist in the region as the Palestinians. Despite what some propagandists will tell you, Israel was founded not on a basis of terrorism, but on most of the same Western values that the United States supports. Israel has fought five wars in self defense against various invading Arab forces. While atrocities have been committed on both sides, no one can deny Israel's moral right to exist and defend itself.
The United States offers a good deal of foreign aid to Israel because, quite frankly, they are in a very tough situation. The Palestinians have often showed that they are not willing to compromise, and Israel is daily subjected to terrorist attacks. We help Israel because it is the right thing to do. America has been subjected to terrorist attacks, and we must do our best to help with the removal of terrorists.
The conflict in the Middle East is a dirty and dangerous one. Neither side has the absolute moral high ground, nor can either side claim to have done nothing wrong, but labeling the Palestinians "victims" of Jewish oppression is a completely unfounded statement.
(Daniel Bagley's column appears Mondays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at dbagley@cavalierdaily.com.)
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