PA daily: Palestine has been occupied since 1948, Israeli Arabs were "forced" to accept Israeli citizenship
Headline: “The Palestinians’ identity crisis of 1948”
“On many occasions, the Palestinian society, and behind it the Arab society, are embarrassed in the face of the identity of the Palestinian who holds onto his land (i.e., Israeli Arabs who did not leave their land in 1948), while the Arabs and non-Arabs abandoned this (i.e., the land) and that (i.e., the Palestinian). The moment that one of the Palestinians of this group stands out in a particular area, we hear voices blaming them for being Israelis, and this is a great injustice on our part toward the people of Palestine.
What is important is that with the rising fame of any Palestinian – Muslim, Christian, or Druze – from within this society that is still suffering occupation, we hear voices that deny them their Palestinian identity, under the pretext that they have received Israeli citizenship, even though this citizenship is obligatory and they have no choice.
Today, at a time when the Arab world is following the Arab Idol program, and the rise of two people from the heart of occupied Palestine (i.e., the PA areas and all of Israel), we hear voices that consider them Israelis…
Activist and blogger Muhammad Abu Allan:
Palestinian citizenship is the root, and the Israeli citizenship is the new [one]. Therefore, the Israeli citizenship imposed upon the Palestinians of 1948 (i.e., Israeli Arabs) does not cancel their Palestinian identity. The Israeli citizenship is a citizenship that is imposed on them by virtue of the illegal laws of the Israeli occupation, and therefore everything deriving from them and all of their components are illegal. What is happening on the ground has largely proven that the Israeli citizenship has not succeeded in disconnecting the Palestinian – not from his land, not from his heritage, and not from his history - even though 66 years have passed since the occupation of Palestine…
[Palestinian] People’s Party (i.e., a member of the PLO) political bureau member Khaled Mansour:
Regarding the Israeli citizenship of Palestinians in the territories conquered in 1948 (i.e., Israel), they were forced and have no choice. They chose to remain rather than be refugees…
Al-Quds Open University lecturer Dr. Abd Al-Karim Maz’al:
As far as I am concerned, I believe that every Palestinian born in historical Palestine is a Palestinian, and no one can cast doubt on his identity and patriotism. This part of our Palestinian people has undergone Zionist occupation, and despite all the Zionist actions against it – including being forced to accept [Israeli] citizenship – it remains a serious bone in the throat of the completion of the Zionist [ethnic] cleaning project.”
“On many occasions, the Palestinian society, and behind it the Arab society, are embarrassed in the face of the identity of the Palestinian who holds onto his land (i.e., Israeli Arabs who did not leave their land in 1948), while the Arabs and non-Arabs abandoned this (i.e., the land) and that (i.e., the Palestinian). The moment that one of the Palestinians of this group stands out in a particular area, we hear voices blaming them for being Israelis, and this is a great injustice on our part toward the people of Palestine.
What is important is that with the rising fame of any Palestinian – Muslim, Christian, or Druze – from within this society that is still suffering occupation, we hear voices that deny them their Palestinian identity, under the pretext that they have received Israeli citizenship, even though this citizenship is obligatory and they have no choice.
Today, at a time when the Arab world is following the Arab Idol program, and the rise of two people from the heart of occupied Palestine (i.e., the PA areas and all of Israel), we hear voices that consider them Israelis…
Activist and blogger Muhammad Abu Allan:
Palestinian citizenship is the root, and the Israeli citizenship is the new [one]. Therefore, the Israeli citizenship imposed upon the Palestinians of 1948 (i.e., Israeli Arabs) does not cancel their Palestinian identity. The Israeli citizenship is a citizenship that is imposed on them by virtue of the illegal laws of the Israeli occupation, and therefore everything deriving from them and all of their components are illegal. What is happening on the ground has largely proven that the Israeli citizenship has not succeeded in disconnecting the Palestinian – not from his land, not from his heritage, and not from his history - even though 66 years have passed since the occupation of Palestine…
[Palestinian] People’s Party (i.e., a member of the PLO) political bureau member Khaled Mansour:
Regarding the Israeli citizenship of Palestinians in the territories conquered in 1948 (i.e., Israel), they were forced and have no choice. They chose to remain rather than be refugees…
Al-Quds Open University lecturer Dr. Abd Al-Karim Maz’al:
As far as I am concerned, I believe that every Palestinian born in historical Palestine is a Palestinian, and no one can cast doubt on his identity and patriotism. This part of our Palestinian people has undergone Zionist occupation, and despite all the Zionist actions against it – including being forced to accept [Israeli] citizenship – it remains a serious bone in the throat of the completion of the Zionist [ethnic] cleaning project.”