Newt Gingrich Palestine Comment Condemned By Arab League

CAIRO -- A senior Arab League official condemned on Sunday a statement by Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich claiming Palestinians are an "invented" people, calling it racist and a cheap stunt to get votes.

However Israeli Cabinet minister Uzi Landau said Gingrich was "right." He claimed the Palestinians do not have their own language or culture, and are instead part of the broader Arab world.

Gingrich also called Palestinians "terrorists." The comments struck at the heart of Palestinian sensitivities about the righteousness of their struggle for an independent state. Applying the label "invented" suggests that the Palestinian quest for independence is not legitimate. He later sought to clarify his position, with his spokesman saying he supports the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a negotiated settlement with Israel.

"If an Arab or Palestinian official said a racist comment that was one-millionth of what this U.S. candidate said, the world would have been in continuous uproar," said Mohammed Sobeih, the Arab League official who handles Palestinian affairs. Gingrich's comments were "irresponsible and dangerous," he added.

"If these comments were made for political gains, then this is an even bigger disaster. But it appears that this is a cheap attempt to get more votes in an election," said Sobeih. "And to get this small number of votes, this person sold America's interests by denying international law and democratic principles."

In Israel, a couple hard-line politicians welcomed Gingrich's comments.

However Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said the minister Landau was speaking for himself and did not represent official government policy. He added the government would not comment on the statements because they were part of an "internal American political campaign."

Danny Danon, deputy speaker of Israel's parliament and a minority voice among his hawkish Likud party, said Gingrich "understands very well the reality we live in in the Middle East."

Many in Israel support the idea of an independent Palestine alongside Israel and recognize the Palestinian struggle for independence.

______

Associated Press reporters Maamoun Youssef in Cairo and Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Comments

[MacUist]

10:54 AM on 12/15/2011

Born in California, I can say I am a Californian. Doesn't matter where I was born, DNA says I am Irish. It's true I am a Californian. It is also true I am Irish. It seems to me that the contemporary Palestinians are claiming to be Palestinian in the same sense that I am Irish. They were not making that claim until after 1967. The purpose of the claim is to create the foundation of a narrative in hopes of obtaining by sympathy and attrition what they have repeatedly failed to gain by war. Yes, they are invented, in exactly the same way as Americans are invented. I DO support the creation of a Palestinian State. I wish they had accepted the one offered and which they refused in 1948. Perhaps others need a fairy tale about an ethnic people with a false claim to a 3,500 year old ethnic root in the land,in order to support at State for contemporary Palestinian Arabs. I don't.

[martin2]

11:56 PM on 12/16/2011

Good post maybe Palestinians need to claim that God gave them the land.
One fairy tale is good as another.

[MacUist]

11:10 AM on 12/17/2011

Your point is well taken but I think the argument that God gave them the land is more often made by fundamentalist protestants and factions of more ultra-orthodox Jews rather than contemporary mainstream Jews and not entertained at all by non-practicing Jews. I think once one knows the return of the Jews began in the last decades of the 1800's when the Turks reversed their laws prohibiting Jews from owning land in the territory and that Jews at the time formed organizations pooling their money for the purpose of buying the land from the only land holders who owned it and that by as early as 1920's ownership of the future state was already nearly accomplished and the structuring of a state was a fait accompli BEFORE world war two, then that changes everything. This is well documented. It also seems to me that the palestinian narrative is actually closer to the fairy tale that you allude to. In an ironic paradox it is they who are making a claim based on the fairy tale of having been there for thousands of years. It is also documented that among contemporary people calling themselves palestinians most have resided in the area for less than 100 years renting land owned by others and were often renters who were not paying the rent, which may be why Turkish owners of the land sold it to Jews who came more often armed with cash rather than guns.

[RepublicanDepression]

11:49 PM on 12/14/2011

DAN W1LSON discussion moved up from below for everyone's entertainment

First, I provided the real world definition of Palestinians, which shows they are not "invented" and that Gingrich is wrong.

Dan W1lison falsely claimed: "Not according to Yasser Arafat and Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Both of them publicly that there is no such thing as a Palestinian people."

It was clear to anyone who follows Mideast politics that Dan W1lson confused pan-Arabist Mohsen with Arafat. This is a common error among right-wing Palestinian-haters. So I baited the trap.

I said: "Dan W1lson, prove that Arafat said "publicly that there is no such thing as a Palestinian people."

Dan W1lson provided a Mohsen quote that DOES say that (even though I didn't dispute that) and an Arafat quote that does NOT say that. “[T]he Palestinian people have no national identity.”

I said: "Dan W1lson, thanks for taking the bait."As you can see from your OWN QUOTE, Arafat does NOT say "there is no such thing as a Palestinian people."

Arafat explicitly mentions the "Palestinian people" So Arafat publicly said there IS such a thing as the Palestinian people and Dan W1lson FAILS!

NOW:
Dan W1lson desperately resorts to this: “He mentions "Palestinian people" in his refutation of the existence of Palestinian people"

LOL! PROVE that Arafat "refutes" the "existence" of the Palestinian people.

Arafat says there IS SUCH A THING as the Palestinian people, who lack a national identity.

[RepublicanDepression]

11:42 PM on 12/14/2011

DAN W1LSON PART 2 of 2

Arafat refers to the existence of the "Palestinian People!" He is NOT "refuting" their "existence!" Arafat is saying there is such a thing as the Palestinian people, but that they lack a national identity.

That directly CONTRADICTS what Dan W1lson falsely claimed.

Dan W1lson pouts: "Yeah. I see you also completely ignore the second quote.”

Indeed I did. Why would Mohsen be taken seriously? Mohsen does NOT speak for the Palestinian people. Mohsen no more speaks for all of the Palestinian people than any US Congressperson speaks for all Americans.

Worse, Mohsen is a pan-Arabist in the PLO who not only puts Arab Nationalism over the Palestinian people, he spent most of his time working against the Palestinian people, according to credible sources.

The journalist Robert Fisk was to claim that as-Sa'iqa, under Mohsen, was to employ its energies "almost exclusively against their brother Palestinians",[6] stating that in June 1976 he saw "the PLO in open combat within West Beirut against Saiqa, who had attacked Arafat's forces on orders from Damascus."[7] Mohsen's militia has also been accused of being amongst the main perpetrators of the January 1976 Damour massacre, while some Lebanese Christian sources have suggested Mohsen led the attack on the town."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuheir_Mohsen

But it looks like Dan W1lson prefers to rely on far-right misinformation sources than factual sources.

Dan W1lson FAIL!

Where do you get your news?

[RepublicanDepression]

05:15 PM on 12/14/2011

PITBULL6 PART 1 moved up from below: too good not to share.

More examples of Republicans ashamed to admit they are Republicans.

I asked "what's wrong with being an "invented" people, Gingrich? Aren't Americans also "invented?­" OR at least "self-invented!...How do you Republicans stand being embarrassed by idiotic statements like these?"

Pitbull6 said: "Probably the same way Democrats stand being embarassed by idiotic statements their representatives make."

Notice how Pitbull6 self-identified as a Republican. I asked for responses from "you Republicans" Pitbull6 answered and he did not disavow being a Republican.

So I said: "Here we see the PERFECT example of the followers of the GOP (Greedy One Percent)
NO facts. No ability to refute. Only feckless petulance."

After being caught admitting to being a Republican, Pitbull6 whines: " am not a member or "follower" of the GOP, "

So I checked Pitbull6's comments. LOL! Your posts betray your following of GOP talking points:

Pitbull: “a black (sic), 2/3 first term senator"
LOL! PURE GOP and PURE GOP RACISM from Pitbull!

More posts defending Cain and attacking his accuser as a "monster." = Pure GOP!
More posts defending Romney on immigration = PURE GOP!
More posts defending Bill O'Reilly in defending cops using force on OWS protesters = PURE GOP!

I proved Pitbull6 follows GOP talking points. The lady doth protest too much, methinks!

See part 2 below:

[PitBull6]

08:02 AM on 12/15/2011

You are very confused. Pointing out the obvious--that both sides have people that say/do stupid/contradictory/odd things--is not "self identifying".

But you seem intent on adhering to the adage that if you repeat a lie often enough, it will be believed.

You've proven nothing other than your ignorance of the political beliefs of someone you do not know.

[RepublicanDepression]

01:22 AM on 12/16/2011

Pitbull6: "Pointing out the obvious--t­hat both sides have people that say/do stupid/con­tradictory­/odd things--is not "self identifyin­g"

1) Answering when I asked "you Republicans" to respond IS self-identifying.

2) I see that you no longer deny that your posts FOLLOW opinions and the misinformation of Fox News and Limbaugh and the GOP (Greedy One Percent). SO it's pretty clear you are a FOLLOWER of the Greedy One Percent (GOP).

pitbull6: "you seem intent on adhering to the adage that if you repeat a lie often enough, it will be believed."

3) Prove I have been "repeating" "lies".

[LE PHILANTROPE AVERTI]

09:55 AM on 12/14/2011

Whoever chose this photo to accompany this news item is of bad faith!

Is it so hilarious for the Arab League to feel the misery of the Palestinians?

[Gingerland]

09:33 AM on 12/14/2011

Of course all nations and national identities are invented. There were no Germans before 1871 to cite but one obvious example.

[MacUist]

11:50 AM on 12/15/2011

Since the Republic of Ireland dates only from the 1930's, that may be an example of an ethnic people pre-dating the official foundation of their state. The "invention" controversy, it seems to me, is over whether the contemporary Palestinians are either Palestinian like the Irish are Irish or whether the Palestinians are Palestinian in the same way Californians are Californians.
Documented history indicates that the overwhelming majority of contemporary Palestinians have a history in the territory we are discussing no older than the 1920's, having come in from Jordan, Yemen, Syria and other Arab countries, virtually imported by Arab leaders offended by the increasing number of Jews pooling money, BUYING land from Turkish landlords and re-populating areas that Mark Twain, not a known Zionist, in the later 1800's described as empty and in decay.

[paddlerchick]

08:07 AM on 12/14/2011

These comments shouldn't be considered "stunts". Take these clowns at their word--no clarification later--and vote accordingly.

[Towa rish]

03:41 AM on 12/14/2011

this reminds me of why i left this site in the first place... why on earth would a comment that includes nothing but a reference to the fact that the Belfour Declaration and the Declaration of the first Zionist Congress in their convention in Basel, Switzerland both referred to modern day israel as Palestine. the word israel itself was not mentioned at all as it did not exist. These documents form the basis for the foundation of the state of Israel, so obviously no one can question those. as for whether or not "Palestine", as proven above, had amy inhabitants, well... thats like Hawaii has no inhabitants because its just a part of the USA, since Palestine was just a part of the Ottoman empire. Jewish immigrants came from Europe and the USSR in the early decades of the 20th century, Olive trees farmed by Palestinians and cemetaries of those Palestinians date back longer than that...
Picture of the Original Belfour Declaration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Balfour_declaration_unmarked.jpg
First Zionist Congress:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Zionist_Congress
"Zionism aims at establishing for the Jewish people a publicly and legally assured home in Palestine"

[Wisdo]

10:46 AM on 12/15/2011

Well Said

[shergenius]

01:08 AM on 12/14/2011

Another one of those pathetic GOP dolts heard from again unfortunately.. I wish they would all go home to their mommies. I can't stand even looking at that moron's (newtie) face.

[TomMartin]

10:22 PM on 12/13/2011

Did he really call all Palestinians terrorists? Unfortunately the article does not provide a full quote with the word 'terrorists'.

[robeson]

09:13 PM on 12/13/2011

Newt is feeding his personal demons. He needs to hate, to create enemies for both the people he'll attack, and those he'll betray. He has colossal contempt for humanity.

[ahijazi2]

04:51 PM on 12/13/2011

If Palestinians are an invented people, then great! It is no longer a Palestinian conflict, but rather an Arab or Muslim conflict...and all Arabs and Muslims should take up arms now and defend their homeland!
thanks for the enlightening comment Gingrich!

[Anybodyseenthepopos]

06:10 PM on 12/13/2011

Excellent. You've got 22 Countries in the middle east alone. And 56 on a worldwide scale. Enjoy them and leave the Jews alone.

[athina2009]

09:27 PM on 12/13/2011

That's because this is the Arabs' native land; they belong there.

[ahijazi2]

11:20 PM on 12/13/2011

so if you have 22 children/cousins/ siblings...will you let one of them be butchered and killed...give up on them...and look after all the others?

[PoliticsHater]

06:40 PM on 12/13/2011

They did and they lost. See 1948.

[ahijazi2]

11:21 PM on 12/13/2011

but it was never over. see post 1948 till now.

[Adam Selbst]

03:40 PM on 12/13/2011

"If an Arab or Palestinian official said a racist comment that was one-millionth of what this U.S. candidate said, the world would have been in continuous uproar," said Mohammed Sobeih, the Arab League official who handles Palestinian affairs.

So do all of those Palestinian textbooks that deny any Jewish connection with Israel at all count? How about those Arab comments espousing the Protocols, or denying the Holocaust? There are comments far worse in the Arab press every day than anything Newt said. Thus far I have not noticed any continuous uproar, have you?

[Anybodyseenthepopos]

06:12 PM on 12/13/2011

Not a peep. It would be too politically incorrect and simply uncomfortable to point out reality. A reality funded by all the gas we put in our cars on a daily basis...

[athina2009]

09:29 PM on 12/13/2011

Have you taken a look at Israeli textbooks and Israeli laws? Israel has outlawed any mention of the nakba or Palestinian history. Please google the recent poll of Israeli high school students on Arabs and Arab rights before you lecture anyone on "Palestinian textbooks." As if Israel allows the Palestinians to determine their own education/textbooks.

[Adam Selbst]

11:09 PM on 12/13/2011

Israel outlaws any mention of the nakba? I'm sorry, but that is simply untrue. It's absurd in fact.

I know the poll you're speaking of. It shows that there's a lot of bigotry in Israel. That a rift between the two cultures exists and is growing. I agree that sucks but I don't think it's due to any Israeli curriculum but rather reflects the current state of affairs in the I/P conflict. Nevertheless, unless you have data that shows a correlation between changes in Israeli's education and rising anti-Arab sentiments then it's off subject.

My point stands. The amount of anti-semitic propaganda that is constantly espoused by Arab leaders, on Arab TV, in Arab newspapers and so on is both exponentially more numerous and far more absurd as compared to Israeli or American criticism of Palestinians. Far from causing a "continuous uproar" it is merely business as usual.

As if Israel allows the Palestinia­ns to determine their own education/­textbooks? Good lord you're just SO wrong. All education in the OPT is under PA administration via MoEHE since 1994.

[GZLives]

02:34 PM on 12/13/2011

For those who are wondering where all the Palestinian Arab refugees come from if the "Palestinian People" were invented:

"Under UNRWA's operational definition, Palestine refugees are persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948, who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict"

http://www.unrwa.org/etemplate.php?id=86

And what that means is for all the Syrians, Saudis, Egyptians, Iraqis, Yemenis, Lebanese, Jordanians etc who just needed to show they lived in the Palestine Mandate for 23 months, less then two years, the UN deemed them and their children forever and ever "Palestinian Refugees" many who now pretend they've been there since time began.

Overnight the population of Arab "Palestinians" thanks to the UN magically increased

[johnre4546]

04:18 PM on 12/13/2011

"Overnight the population of Arab "Palestini­ans" thanks to the UN magically increased "

Heck, and once the state of Israel was declared the only thing that you needed to do to swell the ranks of "Israelis" was to stand on the tarmac and declare "I'm a Jew, and I'm HOME, baby!!!"

Yet the former is an "invented people", and the latter is not.

Go figure, heh?

[Anybodyseenthepopos]

06:18 PM on 12/13/2011

Whenever you'd like to point out the differentiating qualities of the Palestinian Arabs "Peoplehood" go right ahead. As of now you're blowing hot air and comparing a people with a 3,500 year documented history who are now home to Arabs that lived in the Palestine Mandate for 23 months or more. No history, language, currency, traditions etc. Created literally overnight. And created because the REJECTED the forming of their own country, because they couldn't handle living next to Jews.

[athina2009]

09:31 PM on 12/13/2011

Thanks for pointing out the ease wtih which certain people resort to hypocrisy without blinking an eye.

[Bill Sampson]

07:34 PM on 12/13/2011

How wrong can one be? The the term Peleset (translite­­rated from hieroglyph­­s as P-r-s-t) is found in numerous Egyptian documents referring to a neighborin­­g people or land starting from c.1150 BCE during the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt!

The first clear use of the term Palestine to refer to the region synonymous with that defined in modern times was in 5th century BC Ancient Greece. Herodotus wrote of a 'district of Syria, called Palaistinê­­"

The people how lived there are therefore called Palestinia­­ns! Do you follow the logic so far? These people have lived there since time eternal and for you to deny that just reflects badly on you!

[GZLives]

10:13 PM on 12/13/2011

Yeah sure since time eternal ... lol

[MacUist]

01:36 PM on 12/15/2011

Mr. Sampson, I hope that upon reflection it might occur to you that considering your post : " The first clear use of the term Palestine to refer to the region synonymous with that defined in modern times was in 5th century BC Ancient Greece. Herodotus wrote of a 'district of Syria, called Palaistinê­­­"

The people who lived there are therefore called Palestinia­­­ns! Do you follow the logic so far?" ,, what you are saying is that Palestinians who are Palestinian by virtue of living within an area called "Palestine" on old maps & / or texts is exactly like saying people who live in California ...... are "Californians" .... Do YOU follow the logic ?

[Lowa]

02:25 PM on 12/13/2011

Everything is valid if the reason is to court the respectable jewish donors, even if with this action (a politician) loses their dignity. They have dignity? Yesterday was the 'socalled palestinian people', today is the 'invented people' and tomorrow what, we will call them the 'imaginary people'? Shameful!

[Teacher 15]

06:27 AM on 12/14/2011

No, they aren't "imaginary"; the countless rockets targeting innocent Israelis are proof. Now that's "shameful!"