Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Sunday 27 March 2016

David Singer Maps It Out: "Internet Intifada Denies Free Speech"

Here, entitled "Internet Intifada Denies Free Speech," is the latest article by Sydney lawyer and international affairs analyst David Singer.


He writes:

Many Palestinian websites are stifling free speech by refusing to publish comments answering anti-Israel articles published on their sites.

The latest example is an article written by Rania Khalek on Electronic Intifada


Responding to the decision by McGraw Hill Education to destroy all copies of its text book Global Politics: Engaging a Complex World  – containing the accompanying maps – Khalek claimed: 
"The maps, which appear in chronological succession on page 123, show Palestinian land loss from 1946, one year before Zionist militias initiated the displacement of more than 750,000 indigenous Palestinians from historic Palestine, to the year 2000, by which point Palestinian land had been reduced to a handful of tiny non-contiguous enclaves in the occupied West Bank and a sliver of Gaza."



I endeavoured to post the following comment in response on 21 March pointing out the misleading nature of these maps:
"Map 1:
The heading “Palestinian and Jewish Land 1946“ is misleading for the following reasons:
(i) The map excludes Transjordan which in 1946 still comprised 78% of the territory of the Mandate for Palestine until granted independence by Great Britain in May 1946.
(ii) The land described as “Palestinian land” misleadingly implies legal ownership by the Palestinian Arabs of that land when in fact about 90% of it was State land under British Mandatory control and legal power of disposition.
Map 2:
The legend “Palestinian land” is misleading.
The legend should have said “proposed Jewish State” and “proposed Arab State” - the terms used in the UN Partition Plan.
Map 3:
The heading "1949-1967" is misleading.
The map should have shown the unification of the West Bank with Transjordan between 1949 and 1967 and the change of name of Transjordan to Jordan in 1950.
It should also have designated the Gaza Strip as being under Egyptian military administration between 1948-1967.
Map 4:
One can only wonder why the year 2000 was chosen. Why not 2015 after Israel had already withdrawn from Gaza and four settlements in the West Bank in 2005 and dismantled many illegal outposts?
In any event the legend “Palestinian land” and “Israeli land” is again wrong and misleading in so far as it relates to the West Bank. The land there should have been shown as Areas “A”, “B” and “C”
As maps designed to be taught to students they are totally lacking in accuracy and ignore basic facts in their compilation.
Designating land as “Palestinian land” in any event implies that such land belongs to the “Palestinians”. Since there were no persons designated as “Palestinians” until the 1964 PLO Charter defined that term – the use of the term in maps before then smacks of an attempt to re-write history.
McGraw Hill had no option but to discard these maps"
My comments have not yet been published – and comes at a particularly sensitive time as Electronic Intifada Editor Ali Abunimah, a US citizen, has recently received a visa from the Australian Government – after waiting two months – to speak at a four day Marxism Conference and at other venues in Australia.

Abunimah posted the following tweet thanking the thousands who had petitioned the Australian Government supporting the grant of his visa:
"I'm so grateful to every person who stood up for free speech. Delighted that I just received my visa for Australia. See you Down Under!" 4:44 AM - 16 Mar 2016

Perhaps my comment inadvertently slipped through the cracks as Mr Abunimah was busy packing his bags for his visit to Australia.

Free speech means free speech for all Mr Abunimah. Stand up, be counted, publish my comment.

5 comments:

  1. *** QUOTES FROM THE KORAN ABOUT INFIDELS ***

    Koran, chapter 4, paragraph 95:
    Not equal are those believers who sit at home and receive no injurious hurt, and those who strive hard fighting jihad in Allah’s cause with their wealth and lives. Allah has granted a higher rank to those who strive hard fighting jihad with their wealth and bodies, above those who sit [at home]. Unto each Allah has promised good, but He prefers the jihadists who strive hard and fight above those who sit home. He has distinguished His fighters with a huge reward.

    Koran, chapter 8, paragraph 12:
    Your Lord inspired the angels with the message:
    I will terrorize the unbelievers. Therefore smite them on their necks and every joint and incapacitate them. Strike off their heads and cut off each of their fingers and toes.

    Koran, chapter 8, paragraph 39:
    So fight them until there is no more fitnah [disbelief of non-Muslims] and all [people in the world] submit to the religion of Allah alone.

    Koran, chapter 8, paragraph 59:
    The infidels should not think that they can get away from us. Prepare against them whatever weapons you can muster, so that you may terrorize them. They are your enemy and Allah’s enemy.

    Koran, chapter 8, paragraph 65:
    O Prophet, urge the faithful to fight. If there are 20 among you with determination they will vanquish 200. If there are 100 then they will slaughter 1,000 unbelievers, because the infidels are a people devoid of understanding.

    Koran, chapter 9, paragraph 5:
    Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war.

    Koran, chapter 9, paragraph 14:
    Fight them and Allah will punish them by your hands, lay them low, and cover them with shame. He will help you over them.

    Koran, chapter 9, paragraph 29:
    Fight those who do not believe until they all surrender, paying the protective tax [jizya] in submission.

    Koran, chapter 9, paragraph 123 :
    Fight the unbelievers around you, and let them find harshness in you.

    Koran, chapter 47, paragraph 4:
    When you clash with the unbelieving infidels in battle, smite their necks until you overpower them, killing and wounding many of them. At length, when you have thoroughly subdued them, bind them firmly, making [them] captives. Thereafter either generosity or ransom (whichever benefits Islam) until the war lays down its burdens. Thus you are commanded by Allah to continue carrying out Jihad against the unbelieving infidels until they submit to Islam.

    **********************************
    FAMOUS LAST WORDS
    **********************************

    Mohammed’s last words before he died:

    “O Lord, kill the Jews and Christians.”

    SOURCE: Hadith Malik, 511:1588

    EXPLANATION: Islam teaches that Mohammed’s
    later teachings take priority over his older teachings.
    Therefore, the later the teaching, the greater it is.
    Therefore, Muslims must believe that Mohammed’s
    last words were his most important words.
    Hadith is a major Islamic holy book, like the Koran.

    ReplyDelete
  2. To Mr Cohen - thanks for your latest comment. I won't post it as a comment - I'll make it into a post on Monday.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Replies
    1. Mr Cohen, I'll use your latest contribution in the same way, next time I post something relevant into which it can be incorporated. Thanks.

      Delete
  4. An odious rearguard action by academic creeps:
    https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/academics-urge-mcgraw-hill-education-reverse-decision-destroy-textbook/

    ReplyDelete

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