by Helen Aminoff

A FRIEND OF ours gave me a copy of an article that appeared in The Ann Arbor Independent’s 23 July issue, written by Donna Nevel entitled “The Problem With Israel: The Mass Expulsion of Palestinians.”  I would like to take this opportunity to respond.

The op-ed piece was based on a faulty premise: “Israel was created based on the expulsion of over 700,000 Palestinians from their land and from their homes (what Palestinians call the Nakba, the catastrophe.) This is the heart of the problem.” Further, it is full of misstatements of fact.

Following the end of WWI, the League of Nations created Mandates–a legal order that was intended to avoid future wars.  Among these is what we know today as “Palestine” but for which the true title was “Mandate for the Jewish National Home.”  This Mandate included Transjordan as well.  The Balfour Declaration of 1917, whereby the British government promised the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, was incorporated into the Mandate and ratified by 52 nations in July, 1922.  Fast forward to 1937 when the Peel Commission was established to reconcile issues between Arab and Jew.  The recommendation was to establish 2 separate states–one Jewish and one Arab–the very first time the concept of a 2-state solution arose.

The Commission found it impossible to separate the two peoples demographically and so were unable to determine boundaries/borders.  Ten years passed before a special Commission on Palestine was established in 1947 resulting in Resolution 181, known as the Partition Plan.  This plan was accepted by the Jews but rejected by the Arabs.  The following year, in 1948, in the territory allocated to them, the Jewish people declared their state, internationally recognized by one vote more than the 2/3 majority of the United Nations.

Immediately thereafter, the Arab states declared war on Israel; Egypt unlawfully occupied Gaza, and Jordan crossed the river and occupied the unallocated area known as the West Bank (of the Jordan River.)  Some Arabs were expelled as security threats, many remained and comprise the Arab population of Israel today, while approximately 750,000 Arabs chose to leave their homes following the urgings of their leaders who promised that they would be able to return to their homes in short order.  At the same time, an approximately equal number of Jews living in Arab lands were expelled.  They were taken in and absorbed by Israel and other countries and have become productive citizens, unlike their Arab cousins who were left to fester in refugee camps.

That was the way it remained for 17 years–until the 6-Day War in 1967 when Israel was attacked on all fronts by its Arab neighbors.  Despite Israel’s pleadings to King Hussein of Jordan to remain neutral, he chose to join Syria and Egypt, and Israel gained control over the West Bank and Gaza. The then Prime Minister of Israel, Levi Eshkol, made every effort to return the territories in exchange for peace with its Arab neighbors.  This proved futile.

U.N. Resolution 242 ensued in 1967 calling for the establishment of peace.  In that resolution, peace is the precondition for withdrawal; withdrawal is not a precondition of peace.  The Resolution does not call for the establishment of a Palestinian state, but for peace between Israel, Jordan, Syria and Egypt.  In March 2002, U.N. Resolution 1397 was issued.  It calls for a 2-state solution with no defined borders, and refers back to Resolution 242.

That is a brief general, factual account that brings us to today.  After Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005, they had hoped that its occupants would be able to build a true home for themselves. In 2006 Hamas won Parliamentary elections and the following year it overthrew the Palestinian Authority in a coup.  The Hamas Charter, which calls for the abolishment of Israel, states that there is no solution other than jihad.  (Recall the dismissiveness of  Hitler’s Mein Kampf and where that led.)

Every few years, war breaks out between Israel and Hamas and the cycle continues. Every few years we see the horrific pictures of dead Palestinian civilians and children, but never is the role that Hamas plays in these deaths explained.  We hear very little, if anything about the stores of materiel hidden in schools, Mosques, residential homes, clinics or that Hamas has established its headquarters in a hospital, and that despite Israeli warnings that bombs are coming, Hamas urges its people to occupy those buildings.   Nor do we see pictures of the thousands of rockets barraging Israel from Gaza on a daily basis.  It is not possible to provide photos of the mental trauma to the Israeli population, especially the children, who are given barely minutes to reach shelters.

Recently we saw two reports that never received wide publicity. One was from the APA complaining that their reporting in Gaza was restricted and that they were not allowed to photograph the dispatch of rockets into Israel–only pictures of dead babies.  The other was a video filmed by a reporter from India showing how a rocket launcher had been set up under a tent right outside his hotel window, in the heart of a residential area, from which rockets were launched the following day just moments before another cease-fire took effect.

Hamas demands lifting of the blockade yet refuses to disarm (something that Arafat and Abbas had agreed to 20 years ago); refuses to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist. It already has proven that it is not interested in the welfare of its population; when steel and cement were allowed in, those materials were used to build underground bunkers for the sole purpose of attacking Israelis rather than building badly needed housing for its citizens.  And how many more rockets will be imported into Gaza without the blockade?!

War is horrendous and the loss of life by innocents is tragic.  To say, however, that  Israel has killed approximately 2,000 in Gaza while “only” 3 Israelis have died is simply a numbers game.  The fault lies squarely at the doorstep of Hamas.  One only can guesstimate that the casualty rate in Israel would have more than doubled that of Gazans had Israel not developed the Iron Dome defense.

In order for this horrible cycle to be broken, Hamas will have to renounce its Charter and Gaza must be disarmed.  Then diplomatic measures will be required, but  it appears that the will and leadership are not currently present to achieve this goal.

There always are two sides to every story.  It’s important to understand both sides before making judgments.

Helen currently is retired.  She was employed at Beth Israel Congregation, of which she has been a member since 1962, as its first Administrator  from 1976 – 1981.  From 1981 until the office was closed in 2008, she was employed by David W. Osler Associates, Inc, Architects where she served as Business Manager.  She also is a retired realtor.  Helen has been an active volunteer in the community and in various Jewish organizations where she served in several executive positions.