Columnist Offers Different View on Jewish History

Mr. Benson’s title presents itself as part of pamphlet from Arab propaganda, or from anti Jews, or from anti-Israel provocateurs, or from all three.

In the first paragraph he continues an antagonistic approach with this quotation: “…its occupation of the rest of the territory seized in 1967 is ongoing”. Israel re-incorporated Judea and Samaria land after it defeated several Arab countries’ armies, its enemies, in a 6 days war. He presents that quote as irrefutable truth. Far from the truth it is, ever was, or will be.

The area he calls the “West Bank” is the area known throughout the history of that region of the world as Judea and Samaria, the heart of Jewish settlement in Israel, beginning 3500 years ago. Another statement early in his column describes it as a “…fierce struggle…(of) western against eastern”. Who are these struggling parties? He does not explain, only implies in a negative way, that Westerners were invaders and occupiers of an eastern land inhabited by docile, peaceable, friendly, warm, generous, people.

Again, a gross error of history.

Jews have lived continuously in Israel for 3500 years. Some European Jews settled there as long ago as 1,00o years, joining Mizrahi Jews whose families had never left that area and some Sephardic Jews and their families who settled there then. Most Arabs, now living in Israel and Judaea and Samaria, moved from the Arabian peninsula during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in response to those European Jews who had settled during that time, began to reclaim more land for agriculture ,and opened many types of businesses.

The Arabs moved there for work and economic advancement. Arab anti-Jewish agitation and violent attacks against Jews began as early as 1919 and accelerated during 1929.

The British Empire gained control in 1922 of that former area of Ottoman control and named it the Palestine Mandate, as required by the League of Nations. That Palestine Mandate included all of what is n0w called and controlled by Israel and the area east of the Jordan River, formerly called Transjordan and now called the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Until 1967 Israel controlled an oddly shaped area. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan illegally occupied against UN mandate biblical Judea and Samaria.

During that illegal Jordanian occupation of Judea and Samaria and Old Jerusalem, Jordan first expelled all Jews who resided in Old Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, destroyed Jewish religious buildings and sites, and then prohibited any Jews from settling in Old Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria or even visiting and praying at Jewish religious sites in Old Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria.

Mr. Benson belittles the long establish Jewish cities and towns built in Judea and Samaria after 1967 as “… subdivisions (what you would)see (in) Denver, Phoenix. Los Angeles, or Las Vegas”. I have visited Israel and seen those settlements, which have varied looks about them. So sad that in the year 2020 another American presents his bigoted, ignorant, twisted, despicable views as truth against another people. Shame on him. With this article, the history is accurate and honest!