| Rewriting history |
| Rewriting the history of the Land of Israel in order to deny Israel's right to exist is central to Palestinian Authority (PA) policy. Long before it started the PA terror campaign (the "Intifada," 2000-2005), the PA was fighting a history war – erasing Jewish history and replacing it with a fabricated Palestinian history. This rewriting has two central goals:
1- Erase the Jewish nation's 3,000 year history in the Land of Israel;
2- Invent ancient Palestinian, Muslim and Arab histories in the land.
The goal of this historical revision as a political strategy was first expressed publicly at a conference of Palestinian historians in 1998, when rewriting history was linked to the political goal of denying Israel's right to exist:
"Dr. Yussuf Alzamili [Chairman History Department, Khan Yunis Educational College] called on all universities and colleges to write the history of Palestine and to guard it, and not to enable the [foreign] implants and enemies to distort it or to legitimize the existence of Jews on this land... [History lecturer Abu Amar] clarified that there is no connection between the ancient generation of Jews and the new generation." [Al-Ayyam, Dec. 4, 1998].
Erasing Jewish history in the land of Israel is followed by the PA’s invention of ancient and modern histories that support its political ideology and claim to the land of Israel. The Holocaust and other aspects of Jewish history are alternately denied, downplayed or distorted. Another distortion is to hide from Palestinians that Jesus was a Jew who lived in the Land of Judea/Israel. PA leaders repeatedly define Jesus as a Palestinian who preached Islam, thus denying not only Jewish history, but also the history and legitimacy of Christianity.
Citing numerous examples, this section will document that these and other historical revisions are an integral part of Palestinian policy and are used to create political ideology. |
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| Jesus misrepresented as "Muslim Palestinian" |
.jpg) As part of its ongoing attempt to invent a Palestinian history, the Palestinian Authority tries to hitch a ride into the past with Jesus. Whereas the historical Jesus was a Jew living in Judea/Israel, the PA turns him into a “Palestinian”: “We must not forget that Messiah [Jesus] is a Palestinian, the son of Mary the Palestinian.” [ Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 18, 2005] This is not only a distortion of Jesus’ personal history, but also an anachronism. The Romans changed the name of Judea/Israel to “Palestine” 136 years after the birth of Jesus, to punish the Jewish nation after their unsuccessful rebellion. In another anomaly, Jesus is turned into a Shahid – a holy Martyr of Islam. Whereas Islamic teachings do view Jesus' gospel as part of the Islamic prophetic tradition, nowhere does Islam refer to him as a Shahid.
This cartoon demonstrates the misappropriation of the crucifixion as a Palestinian symbol. The word on the cross: “Palestine.” [“Intifada”, supplement to Al Hayat Al Jadida , Dec. 11, 2000]
The following are more examples of the revision of the history of Jesus:
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PA daily: "Jesus is a Canaanite Palestinian" and Palestinians are "Jesus' descendants"
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Source:
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 6, 2013
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Op-ed by Adel Abd Al-Rahman:
Headline: "The resurrection of Jesus, the resurrection of the state"
"Easter... is not a holiday for Christian Palestinians only but a holiday for Palestinian nationalism, because Jesus, may he rest in peace, is a Canaanite Palestinian. His resurrection, three days after being crucified and killed by the Jews - as reported in the New Testament - reflects the Palestinian narrative, which struggles against the descendants of modern Zionist Judaism, in its new colonialist form, that conspires with the Western capitalists who claim to belong to Christianity.
Jesus, may he rest in peace, the virtuous patriotic Palestinian forefather, who renewed the Old Testament, split away from its followers, brought forth his New Testament and spread it among mankind - which led the Jews to persecute him until they caught him, crucified him and murdered him. Afterwards, he rose from the dead like the phoenix and set out to spread his teachings that still exist and will exist as long as mankind exists.
Jesus' story is his [Palestinian] people's story; the Zionist movement - tool of the capitalist West - wanted to falsify historical facts, to exile and crucify the Palestinian Arab nation and then murder it by means of ethnic cleansing... But the Palestinians, Jesus' descendants, rose from the ashes, like the phoenix, from the ruins of the Nakba (i.e., "the catastrophe," the Palestinian term for the establishment of the State of Israel) and the Naksa (i.e., "the setback," Palestinian term for Israel's victory in the Six Day War.) They dressed their wounds and raised the flag of nationality again by founding parties and factions...
Easter is a distinct [Palestinian] national holiday which doesn't concern only Christians but rather all Palestinians believing in the different religions - Islam, Christianity and Judaism."
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Fatah official Saeb Erekat: Jesus is “Palestine's first Martyr”
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Source:
Palestinian TV (Fatah), Dec. 31, 2012
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PA TV broadcast a ceremony in Bethlehem marking the 48th anniversary of the founding of Fatah. In the audience were senior PA and Fatah leaders: Fatah Central Committee member Jamal Muhaisen, Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs Issa Karake, Governor of Bethlehem Abd Al-Fattah Hamael, Governor of Hebron Kamel Hamid.
Saeb Erekat, member of the Fatah Central Committee:
“Now, let us first begin by recalling those whom we planted as seeds to grow and provide shade for us in all seasons, the brave-hearted Martyrs (Shahids). Chief among Martyrs, our commander and mentor, eternal Martyr commander, the creator of our glory, honor, and power, Yasser Arafat. Colleagues: Commander Marwan Al-Barghouti, Commander Ahmad Sa’adat, Commander Mahmoud Al-Ramahi, elder prisoner Karim Younes, and the thousands of our sons and daughters in prison and our brave wounded.
It does not make sense that at the end of the year 2012 we should be celebrating [Fatah’s 48th anniversary] here, near the birthplace and site of the suffering of Jesus, Palestine’s first Martyr (Shahid), and say to him that the children of Palestine are still being murdered by the occupation (i.e., Israel) in the Gaza Strip, and murdered in the Al-Yarmouk refugee camp (Many people , including Palestinians, were killed in Al-Yarmouk during the Syrian civil war, 2012/2013 – Ed.), and murdered in Iraq.”
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Fatah Central Committee member calls Jesus "the first Palestinian"
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Source:
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 13, 2012
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Headline: "Seeing that at least 115 states voted in favor of the Palestinian [UN] application -- Shtayyeh: "Israeli threats to impose sanctions on the PA are empty, and insult the United Nations"
"Fatah Central Committee Member Mohammad Shtayyeh..., when responding to journalists' questions, wondered if the application to the UN was a step for which we (the PA) should have been punished.
He recalled what was said by the first Palestinian, Jesus of Nazareth -- may peace be upon him: 'Man does not live by bread alone'. He added, 'We will not agree to their forcing us to choose between bread and freedom. Yes, we need bread, but the Palestinian is prepared to sacrifice everything dear to him in order to end the occupation and gain freedom and independence."
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PA Minister of Prisoners: Jesus was the first Palestinian and the first Islamic Martyr in history
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Source:
Palestinian TV (Fatah), May 4, 2012
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Issa Karake, PA Minister of Prisoners' Affairs:
"We are standing at Jesus' Plaza, in front of the Church of the Nativity, [to convey] to those who uphold human rights: Take action before it is too late, take action to save [the Palestinian prisoners] the sons of Nativity, the sons of Jerusalem, and the sons of Jesus, the Palestinian, and the sons of Jesus, the Palestinian, the first prisoner and the first Martyr (Shahid) in history."
Click to view video |
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PA TV teaches that Jesus was a Palestinian
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Source:
Palestinian TV (Fatah), Apr. 7, 2012
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PA TV program Jerusalem Sights
Subject: Via Dolorosa
Program opens with the following text:
"Mother – what have I done wrong? Am I not allowed to bring a message of peace from my Lord? That was the crime of Christ, the Palestinian."
PA TV host: "Jerusalem is a mother who seeks her son on the roads, a dark-skinned Palestinian who walked the Via Dolorosa… Those who are lost are guided by a Palestinian who has not changed despite his foreignness; who never left its [Jerusalem's] ground. He lived in it [the city], and he walked upon its ground."
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Jesus was the first Palestinian Martyr
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Source:
Palestinian TV (Fatah), Dec. 3, 2010
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Religious program on PA TV: This is our religion
Author: "The Shahid (Martyr) President Yasser Arafat used to say: "Jesus was the first Palestinian Shahid (Martyr)." I heard him say that sentence many times."
PA TV Host: “He [Jesus] was a Palestinian; no one denies that.”
Author: "He [Jesus] was the first Palestinian Shahid (Martyr). He (Arafat) attributed this Martyrdom to Palestine, as well." Click here to view |
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Fatah proud of "Palestinian" Virgin Mary
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Source:
Fatah website, Mar. 8, 2010
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Fatah Communications and Education Authority statement in honor of International Women's Day from the official Fatah website:
"If we are proud of the holiness of our land, then we are proud and pride ourselves that the first and most important holy woman among the nations and peoples is from the holy land: The Virgin Mary - the woman of love and peace - is of the nation of Palestine, whose roots are grounded in the depths of history. Our movement takes note of its pride in all the women Shahidas (Martyrs), prisoners, Palestinian fighters, who have become a model of sacrifice and a school that teaches the meaning of giving and of sacrifice." [http://www.palvoice.com/index.php?id=23043] |
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Jesus is a Palestinian prophet
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Source:
Palestinian TV (Fatah), June 9, 2009
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Dr. Tayseer Al-Tamimi, PA Chief Justice of Religious Court, and Chairman of Supreme Council of Islamic Law:
"Jesus is the only Palestinian prophet."
Click here to view |
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Jesus and Mary- Palestinians "par excellence"
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Source:
Palestinian TV (Fatah), May 12, 2009
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Palestinian Authority Mufti, Muhammad Hussein:
"Jesus was born in this land; he took his first steps in this land and spread his teachings [of Islam] in this land. He and his mother [Mary], we may say, were Palestinians par excellence."
Click here to view |
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Palestinians "the people of the Messiah"
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Source:
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 9, 2009
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| "The Pope's visit is an opportunity for the Palestinian leadership to present its cause… so that His Honor [the Pope] will assume his religious and political responsibility towards the people of the Holy Land, the Arab Palestinian people, the people of the Messiah [Jesus]." |
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Jesus was a Palestinian prophet of Islam
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Source:
Palestinian TV (Fatah), Apr. 21, 2009
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The PA Mufti, Muhammad Hussein:
"We're talking about an ongoing chain [of prophets of Islam], from Adam to Muhammad, representing the call for monotheism and the mission of Islam… The prophets were all of the same religion [Islam]… [e.g.] Jesus was born in this land in Bethlehem… He also lived in Nazareth, moved to Jerusalem, so he was a Palestinian … We respect Jesus, we believe in him [as a prophet of Islam], just as we believe in the prophet Muhammad."
Click here to view |
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Messiah [Jesus] is Palestinian
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Source:
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 18, 2008
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| "We must not forget that the Messiah [Jesus], peace be upon him, is Palestinian, the son of Mary the Palestinian, who is sanctified by hundreds of millions of believers in this world." |
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