Fayyad talks of Jews' rights in "Palestine"

From the Aspen Daily News:

Palestinian National Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Saturday that Jews would enjoy freedom and civil rights in a future Palestinian state.

Fayyad addressed the subject in response to a question from former CIA director James Woolsey at the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Ideas Festival, which included a day of panels on different aspects of the current state of the Middle East.

Woolsey said there are a million Arabs in Israel, accounting for one-sixth of the Israeli population, and that “generally they enjoy the guarantees that Americans look for in the Bill of Rights.”

“Now, if there is to be the rule of law in a Palestinian state, and if Jews want to live in someplace like Hebron, or anyplace else in a Palestinian state, for whatever reasons or historical attachments, why should they not be treated the same way Israeli Arabs are?” Woolsey asked. “That would be, there could be a sixth of the population consisting of them. They could vote for real representatives in a real Palestinian legislature, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and most importantly, be able to go to the sleep at night without worrying someone is going to kick down the door and kill them.”

Fayyad responded by saying, “I’m not going to disagree with you. And I’m not someone who will say that they would or should be treated differently than Israeli Arabs are treated in Israel.

“In fact the kind of state that we want to have, that we aspire to have, is one that would definitely espouse high values of tolerance, co-existence, mutual respect and deference to all cultures, religions. No discrimination whatsoever, on any basis whatsoever.

“Jews to the extent they choose to stay and live in the state of Palestine will enjoy those rights and certainly will not enjoy any less rights than Israeli Arabs enjoy now in the state of Israel,” Fayyad said.

The crowd at the Greenwald Pavilion applauded enthusiastically.

Anyone with eyes will see that the "equal rights' given to Jews would be the same "equal rights" that dhimmis have had in Muslim countries for centuries - meaning, they would be clearly second-class citizens with nothing close to equal rights.

But let's look at the Constitution of "Palestine" and see exactly what kinds of equal rights we are discussing here:

ARTICLE 1

Palestine is part of the large Arab World, and the Palestinian people are part of the Arab Nation. Arab Unity is an objective which the Palestinian People shall work to achieve.

Meaning that non-Arabs are clearly excluded from being member of the "Palestinian People."

ARTICLE 2

The Palestinian People are the source of all power, which shall be exercised through the legislative, executive, and judicial authorities, based on the principle of separation of powers, and in the manner set forth in this Basic Law.

And if you are not a "Palestinian" by their definition - meaning, you are not an Arab - then you do not share in being the "source of all power."

ARTICLE 4

1. Islam is the official religion in Palestine. Respect and sanctity of all other heavenly religions shall be maintained.
2. The principles of Islamic Shari’a shall be the main source of legislation.
3. Arabic shall be the official language.

Well, that's pretty clear.

ARTICLE 9

All Palestinians are equal under the law and judiciary without discrimination because of race, sex, color, religion, political views, or disability.

Not "citizens of Palestine" but "Palestinians." Meaning, again, if you are not a "Palestinian" by their definition you do not enjoy these equal rights. Since we've already defined "Palestinian people" as being Arabs in Article 1, it is clear that Jews would not fit under this definition.

ARTICLE 18

Freedom of belief and the performance of religious rituals are guaranteed, provided that they do not violate public order or public morals.

And the definition of these public morals was given in Article 4 - Shari'a. Meaning that public shows of any religion besides Islam can be shut down according to this pretend-pluralistic constitution.

ARTICLE 24

4. Private school and educational institutions shall comply with the curriculum approved by the Palestinian National Authority, and shall be subject to its supervision.

So the chances that the Palestinian Authority would allow Jewish schools to teach Talmud, for example, are pretty much zero.

ARTICLE 27

1. Establishment of newspapers and all media means is a right for all, guaranteed by this Basic Law. However, their financing resources shall be subject to law.
2. Freedom to audio, visual, and written media, as well as freedom to print, publish, distribute, transit, together with the freedom of individuals working in this field, is guaranteed by this Basic Law, other related laws.
3. Censorship on media shall be prohibited. No warning, suspension, confiscation, cancellation, or restrictions, shall be imposed on media except by law, and in accordance with a judicial order.

We've seen dozens of examples of how this applies in practice, most recently with an Al Jazeera reporter whose videotape was erased by the PA because they didn't like what he was reporting.

ARTICLE 35

Before assuming the office, the President shall take the following oath before the Legislative Council, and in the presence of the Speaker of the Palestinian National Council, the Chief of Supreme Court “ I swear to Allah Almighty to be faithful to the Homeland and to its sacred places, and to the people and its national heritage, and to respect the Constitutional system and the law, and to safeguard the interests of the Palestinian people completely, as Allah is my witness “.

Sounds like a non-Muslim cannot become president of Palestine.

ARTICLE 49

Before taking on any responsibility, every Member [of the Palestinian Legislative Council] shall swear the following oath before the Council: "I swear by Allah Almighty to be faithful to the Homeland, and to preserve the rights and interests of the people and nation, and to respect law and perform my duties in the best manner, as Allah is my witness".

Sounds like a non-Muslim cannot become a member of the Legislature.

ARTICLE 97

The Judiciary branch shall be independent, and shall be assumed by the different types and level of courts. The structure, jurisdiction, and rulings of the courts shall be in accordance with law. The rulings shall be announced and executed in the name of the Palestinian Arab People.

Sounds like a non-Arab cannot become part of the Judiciary.

So even if Fayyad is only saying that Jews in "Palestine" would have rights similar to those of Arabs in Israel, the Palestinian Constitution shows him to be a liar. After all, Israel has had Arab members of Knesset, Arab Supreme Court justices and even, for a short time, an Arab President.

And the constitution is an idealized vision of the most liberal an Arab Palestine ever could be. In reality, such a state would not come close to anything resembling the Western concepts of freedom that it attempts to approximate, and history shows that any Jews who try to gain any political power in an Arab Palestine would be more likely to be massacred than accepted.