Neville Kahn
Contrary to their misguided opinion, the establishment of the State of Israel could never have infringed on the rights of the Palestinian people. Proof of this can be found by careful analysis of the exact wording and construction of Resolution 181, which called for the partition of Palestine into two states.
The resolution clearly and specifically called for the establishment of “a Jewish state and an Arab state” – it did NOT call for the establishment of “a Jewish state and a Palestinian state”. This is hardly surprising and can easily be explained by examining the historical record.
While the existence of an Arab people in Palestine was never questioned at the time of the Partition Plan in 1947, the concept of “the Palestinian” had not yet been created, implying therefore that the idea of a “Palestinian state” had not yet been invented.
The first time the concept of “the Palestinian” entered public debate was after the Six Day War in 1967, a full 20 years after Resolution 181. This is why the term “Palestinian” never found its way into the resolution; the resolution itself never recognised their existence! This basic fact of history therefore beggars a burning question: How could the establishment of the State of Israel have ever “usurped land” from a “people” who did not exist?
Yes, I’m the first to acknowledge that the acronym JVJP – Jewish Voices for a Just Peace – really does suggest a noble cause. But perhaps they should consider re-naming themselves, in order to reflect more accurately who they really are: Jewish Voices for a “Just” Propaganda!
Neville Kahn
Sandringham, Johannesburg
