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Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Jews and Arabs living peacefully together

One often hears claims such as this one, printed as a letter to the editor in a Dallas newspaper:
Muslims and Jews were living in peace in Palestine until the Zionists established Israel and started driving Arabs from their ancestral homes...
I just came upon the American Jewish Yearbook for 1914-1915, describing events of the year. Here are some of the events in Palestine at the time:
August. Bedouins attack colony of Rehobot, killing one colonist and wounding several others. --Rehobot vineyards penetrated by villagers from Zernuka, who kill Jewish student.

November. At colony of Kinneret two Jewish watchmen murdered by Arabs.

December. Near Tiberias, two colonists killed and several injured by Arabs.

January. At Hebron, Jewish storekeepers are boycotted by Mohammedan women.

April. Minister of Interior removes Governor of Tiberias on complaint of Chief Rabbi of his laxity in protecting the Jews against Arab attacks.

May. Minister of Interior orders officiais in Palestine to repress all anti-Jewish manifestations.—Chief Rabbi waits on Minister of Interior and reads to him two violent articles in Arab journal Palestine, and warns him that any disorders that might result therefrom would create bad impression abroad.
There were constant attacks by Arabs against the tiny Jewish community even then, as well as incitement against Jews in the Arab media and economic boycotts.

Pointedly, these attacks and incitement were not against Zionists, but Jews. And the Jews didn't attack any Arabs.

These are the idyllic, peaceful days that the Arab world wants to return to, when the Jews were defenseless and the Arabs could attack them with impunity.