In the year 1891 in a trip to Palestine and young Jewish writer active in the Zionist movement wrote this observation of the course and future of the Zionist cause in Palestine.
“We tend to believe abroad that Palestine is nowadays almost completely deserted, a non cultivated wilderness, and anyone can come there and buy as much land as his heart desires. But in reality this is not the case. It is difficult to find anywhere in the country Arab land which lies fallow; the only areas which are not cultivated are sand dunes or stony mountains, which can be only planted with trees, and even this only after much labor and capital would be invested in clearance and preparation...We tend to believe abroad that all Arabs are desert barbarians, an asinine people who does not see or understand what is going on around them. This is a cardinal mistake. The Arab, like all Semites, has a sharp mind and is full of cunning...But when the day will come in which the life of our people in the Land of Israel will develop to such a degree that they will push aside the local population by little or by much, then it will not easily give up its place...One thing we certainly should have learned from our past and present history, and that is not to create anger among the local population against us...We have to treat the local population with love and respect, justly and rightly. And what do our brethren in the Land of Israel do? Exactly the opposite!...and they behave toward the Arabs with hostility and cruelty, infringe upon their boundaries, hit them shamefully without reason, and even brag about it. Our brethren are right when they say that the Arab honours only those who show valour and fortitude; but this is the case only when he feels that the other side has justice on his side. It is very different in a case when [the Arab] thinks that his opponent’s actions are iniquitous and unlawful; in that case he may keep his anger to himself for a long time, but it will dwell in his heart and in the long run he will prove himself to be vengeful and full of retribution.”
Although a Zionist write who’s name adorned Israeli streets, Ahad Ha’am [Asher Zvi Hirsch Ginsberg, Western name] saw the truth. He saw that the Zionists would eventually have to push out the Arabs in order to achieve a Jewish state, this came to pass in 1948 and 1967 with the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. He challenged the myth that Palestine “is a land without a people, for a people without a land.” He saw properly that Palestine was populated thoroughly with Arabs.
He also saw the atavistic nature of Zionists, their violence toward Arabs and their celebration of that violence.
Ha’am saw that the racist Zionist Orientalist cliche that “Arabs only understand that language of force” was a fallacy. Arabs are not cowed by force if an injustice is done to them.
Finally, Ha’am, just as he predicted that ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, also saw that the Arabs would hold revenge in their hearts and that they will eventually act on that revenge. Unfortunately for Zionists, this last part will come to pass too.
The aforementioned quote is from Ha’ma’s classic essay, “Truth from the Land of Israel.” It can be found in the Complete Works of Ahad Ha’ma.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1987-004-09A,_Amin_al_Husseini_und_Adolf_Hitler.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amin_al-Husayni
The Palestinians still subscribe to that ideology. They are not very nice people.
And fortunately the Arabs are getting their revenge. They are living large in Gaza while the Jews are forced to endure Tel Aviv.
“Did you know that Atafat’s Uncle (and a favorite one at that) The Mufti of Jerusalem, Mohammad Amin al-Husayni, raised two divisions of Bosnian Muslim SS to assist the Germans in solving their Jewish problem?”
While the second part of your sentence is true, the first part is false,. Wikipedia’s “Yasser Arafat” article specifically states: “Arafat’s original full name was Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini. Mohammed Abdel Rahman was his first name; Abdel Raouf was his father’s name and Arafat his grandfather’s. Al-Qudwa was the name of his tribe and al-Husseini was that of the clan to which the al-Qudwas belonged. It should be noted that Arafat’s clan, al-Husseini was based in Gaza and should not be confused with the well-known, but unrelated, al-Husayni clan of Jerusalem.”
Arafat’s claim that he was a nephew of Haj Amin al-Husayni, former Mufti of Jerusalem, friend and advisor to Adolph Hitler and wanted war criminal (by Yugoslavia) is nothing but another of the many lies he told in his lifetime.
To Marco:
“The Zionists” did listen to Ahad Ha’am, and the following agreement was the result:
TEXT OF THE FAISAL-WEIZMANN AGREEMENT
(3 January 1919)
His Royal Highness the Amir FAISAL, representing and acting on behalf of the Arab Kingdom of HEJAZ, and Dr. CHAIM WE1ZMANN, representing and acting on behalf of the Zionist Organisation, mindful of the racial kinship and ancient bonds existing between the Arabs and the Jewish people, and realising that the surest means of working out the consummation of their national aspirations, is through the closest possible, collaboration in the development of the Arab State and Palestine, and being desirous further of confirming the good understanding which exists between them, have agreed upon the following Articles:
Article I
The Arab State and Palestine in all their relations and undertakings shall be controlled by the most cordial goodwill and understanding and to this end Arab and Jewish duly accredited agents shall be established and maintained in their respective territories.
Article II
Immediately following the completion of the deliberations of the Peace Conference, the definite boundaries between the Arab State and Palestine shall be determined by a Commission to be agreed upon by the parties hereto.
Article III
In the establishment of the Constitution and Administration of Palestine all such measures shall be adopted as will afford the fullest guarantees for carrying into effect the British Government’s Declaration of the 2nd of November, 1917.
Article IV
All necessary measures shall be taken to encourage and stimulate immigration of Jews into Palestine on a large scale, and as quickly as possible to settle Jewish immigrants upon the land through closer settlement and intensive cultivation of the soil. In taking such measures the Arab peasant and tenant farmers shall be protected in their rights, and shall be assisted in forwarding their economic development.
Article V
No regulation nor law shall be made prohibiting or interfering in any way with the free exercise of religion; and further the free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship without discrimination or preference shall for ever be allowed. No religious test shall ever be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.
Article VI
The Mohammedan Holy Places shall be under Mohammedan control.
Article VII
The Zionist Organisation proposes to send to Palestine a Commission of experts to make a survey of the economic possibilities of the country, and to report upon the best means for its development. The Zionist Organisation will place the aforementioned Commission at the disposal of the Arab State for the purpose of a survey of the economic possibilities of the Arab State and to report upon the best means for its development. The Zionist Organisation will use its best efforts to assist the Arab State in providing the means for developing the natural resources and economic possibilities thereof.
Article VIII
The parties hereto agree to act in complete accord and harmony in all matters embraced herein before the Peace Congress.
Article IX
Any matters of dispute which may arise between the contracting parties shall be referred to the British Government for arbitration.
Given under our hand at LONDON, ENGLAND, the THIRD day of JANUARY, ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN.
[Translation]
Provided the Arabs obtain their independence as demanded in my Memorandum dated the 4th of January, 1919, to the Foreign Office of the Government of Great Britain, I shall concur in the above articles. But if the slightest modification or departure were to be made [sc. in relation to the demands in the Memorandum] I shall not be bound by a single word of the present Agreement which shall be deemed void and of no account or validity, and I shall not be answerable in any way whatsoever.
(signed) FAISAL IBN HUSAIN (in Arabic)
(signed) CHAIM WEIZMANN
http://domino.un.org/unispal.nsf/2ee9468747556b2d85256cf60060d2a6/5bff833964edb9bf85256ced00673d1f!OpenDocument
As you can see by reading it, this agreement espoused the “Two-State” solution. It was the Arab states that refused to honor this (and many other) agreements, including the UN resolution for the partition of Palestine.