We Israelis have been unjustly branded as thieves. A respectable Dartmouth professor once asked me why we Israelis have any claim to our land. "Your people trampled into a land inhabited for over a thousand years," he said. "What right do you have to these people's land?" My professor and others believe a dangerous historical myth: that European Jews displaced a nation of Palestinian people who had been living comfortably for centuries.
This myth first appeared during the reappearance of Palestinian nationalism under the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Its leader, Yasser Arafat, announced in 1974 that the "Jewish invasion [of Palestine] began in 1881." Since then, this myth has incited misunderstanding, violence and hatred.
Hamas, a terrorist group that rejects the right of Israel to exist, states in Article 15 of its charter that "in face of the Jews' usurpation of Palestine, it is compulsory that the banner of Jihad be raised." In other words, this myth serves as partial justification for the horrific violence seen in recent years. Moreover, it has become an accepted view in our media and culture.
But in reality, the geography of pre-1948 Israel cannot be summarized in one sentence.
In the 1880's there was no nation in Palestine. Rather, a diverse population of around half a million lived in concentrated areas such as Jerusalem and the ports. In 1867, Mark Twain observed that in the Jezreel Valley "there is not a solitary village." One hundred forty years later, the region is one of Israel's most important agricultural centers. Overall estimates for the Arabic population in Israeli areas at the time range from under 90,000 to over 200,000.
Regardless of the exact figure, many of these Arabs lived as transitory herders. Bad healthcare, malaria outbreaks, short life expectancy, water scarcity and high infant mortality forced them to constantly move. As J.L. Burckhardt remarked: "Few individuals ... die in the same village in which they were born. Families are continually moving from one place to another." Only a small minority could brag of long lineages living in the same place.
As Jews arrived, leaders such as David Ben-Gurion discouraged purchasing already-used land from local Arab leaders or fellahin. Thus, Jews bought land from absentee landlords in Beirut or Damascus, many of whom made enormous profits engaging in such business. For example, Ruven Lerer, the founder of Ness-Zionna (and my family ancestor), bought land from a speculator in 1880 after being told it was near Jerusalem. Unfortunately for him, the land (which became Ness-Zionna) was a three-day donkey ride from the holy city.
Jewish immigrants like Ruven created economic opportunities that attracted large numbers of Arab laborers. In the town of Rishon L'Tzion (which borders Ness-Zionna), 40 Jewish families quickly attracted more than 400 Arabic families as workers. Furthermore, European Jews brought modern techniques of water supply, sanitation and medical care that made Palestine attractive. Some common Palestinian names even refer to their original home; the name al-Masri, for example, means "the Egyptian."
The demand for labor grew so quickly that by 1931 thousands of illegal Arab immigrants poured through searching for opportunity. President Roosevelt concluded in 1939 that "Arab immigration into Palestine since 1921 has vastly exceeded the total Jewish immigration during the whole period (1921-1939)." Despite no exact demographic records, it seems clear that the majority of modern Palestinians came during these migrations.
When Israel achieved statehood in 1948, Palestinian leader Musa Alami knew that "the people are in great need of a 'myth' to fill their consciousness and imagination." Much of history, especially in the Middle East, has involved conflict over ancestral lands. Hence the Palestinians, with Arab encouragement, generated a typical "inspirational" myth. Outsiders (Jews) had robbed their ancestral lands!
Yes, Palestinians have many legitimate grievances. Yes, Israel has made mistakes. But there is absolutely no historical basis to the claim that Jews displaced a deep-rooted Palestinian nation. Only a small fraction of the Palestinians nowadays have ancestry in the areas of Jewish settlement. Yet this myth continues to incite hatred and violence. It continues to obscure real discourse regarding Arab-Israeli issues.
I am tired of hearing intelligent people on this campus make arguments based on historical fabrications. I am alarmed by how misunderstanding has, in part, led to recent conflict. To be productive we must embrace historical fact and help others disregard the fiction of this myth.
