The History of the So-Called Palestinian People

Here is a story practically unknown today to the majority of people, is the story of the so-called Palestinian people. Practically no one tells it because it is much better for things to remain a little in the fog, because the Palestinians, in that fog, are the perfect victims. That is to say: "poor things, what a bad time they are having, they have taken away their land, etcetera, etcetera."

I already written an article about the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict a few months ago, and if you have not seen it, I encourage you to read it. The story is not exactly like that; it is much more complex. But today we are going to focus on that Palestinian people who, as I say, are the perfect victims in today's world for various reasons.

A Recent Identity

The first thing to note is that the Palestinian people, as a distinct national identity, did not exist until very recently. In that region of what was then the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire, people lived and were relatively called Palestinians because they had received that name. But in reality, they were Arab populations who lived in that region of the world, who did not have a special interest in independence, or at least they had not shown it at any time. They were simply just another part of the Turkish Empire.

To give you an idea, it was not even one of the formal provinces of the Turkish Empire. There had never been a movement from that part of the empire saying, "we want to be something else," as the Jewish population had from the first moment.

The 1948 Partition and the "Nakba"

The Palestinian question began to emerge when the UN made a plan to divide what was left of that territory and divided it into two states: a Jewish state and an Arab state.

As you all know, Israel declared its independence, and was immediately invaded by all the countries that surrounded it—Jordan, Egypt, Syria—to try to prevent it. It is crucial to note: they invaded not to form a Palestinian state that the UN resolution had given them the right to, but to destroy the new Jewish state.

There is a war in 1948. That war is won by Israel in a practically miraculous way, and it is consolidated as a nation. In the course of that war, as in all wars, borders shift. In these movements, there are Palestinians who have to leave their homes or who decide to abandon them. There was everything: people who were expelled, and people who decided to leave because they did not want to live in what had become a Jewish state.

The Palestinians have called this the Nakba, the "catastrophe," and it is understandable. We are talking about about 700,000 people—a huge number—who had to leave their homes and seek refuge elsewhere.

Something that is less known is what we might call the Jewish Nakba. In all Arab countries, there were ancient Jewish communities. After the establishment of the State of Israel, they were forced to leave those countries. In kingdoms like Morocco, there were thousands of Jews, and soon after that, there were dozens. This happened from Morocco to Iraq. In fact, curiously enough, there were a little more than 800,000 Jewish refugees—many of whom went to Europe and others to Israel. This is talked about much less.

Rejection by Arab Brothers

The Palestinian refugees went to neighboring countries. And here begins a very curious story: instead of receiving them, integrating them, and giving them citizenship, they were kept in a kind of legal limbo. In places like Lebanon, they were confined to what are still called "refugee camps"—which are now permanent cities—small ghettos. I'm talking about Arab countries doing this to them.

There was one exception: Jordan. Jordan tried to integrate them and granted citizenship to many, to such an extent that practically half of its population was of Palestinian origin a few years after 1948.

What happened there? Black September. A civil war between the Palestinians who had arrived and the Jordanian state. They mounted a plot, tried to assassinate the king (the father of the current King Abdullah), and a brutal civil war ensued for months, with thousands dead. The result was that many Palestinians were expelled from Jordan. The only country that had fully welcomed them found them to be unmanageable.

From there, many went to Lebanon. At that time (the early 70s), Lebanon was the richest country in the Middle East, the "Switzerland of the Middle East." Lebanon is a country with immense ethnic and religious diversity—Christians, Druze, Shia Muslims, Sunni Muslims—held in a very delicate, complex balance.

The arrival of armed Palestinian militias into this mosaic was one of the main triggers for a 15-year civil war that devastated Lebanon, caused some 150,000 deaths, and destroyed the country. I insist: it was not only their fault, as Lebanon was already a complicated place, but their presence was a decisive catalyst that led every other group to arm themselves.

Missed Opportunities for Peace

Today, there are approximately 5 million Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Their situation is very difficult; I will never deny that. They live under occupation and do not have the Israeli citizenship that some 2 million other Arabs within Israel proper enjoy.

However, their primary response has been violent. The PLO was one of the great terrorist groups in Europe during the 70s and 80s. They hijacked planes; they invented plane hijacking as a form of terrorism, that includes the assasination of the whole Olympic Israeli Team, in Munich Olympic Games 1972. Within the territories, the response was also violent through intifadas bombings. Something the main Zionist paramilitary groups have done in a lower degre before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, they engaged in activities described as terrorism by the British authorities and other contemporary observers, were the Haganah, the Irgun , and Lehi .

And yet, despite this, a point was reached where peace was possible. The Oslo Accords in 1994 recognized the Palestinian National Authority. It was the germ of a future state.

But since 1994, that state has not advanced; it is much further away. Whose fault is it? There are opinions for everyone, but I believe most of the blame lies with the Palestinian leadership.

In the year 2000, at Camp David, with President Clinton mediating, Yasser Arafat was offered a deal to create a Palestinian state. It was an offer that gave him practically everything he had asked for, excluding the full "right of return" for refugees—which anyone understands is totally unfeasible today.

Not only did he not accept the offer, but when he returned to Ramallah, he unleashed the Second Intifada. They had an opportunity for peace and chose more violence. There were other negotiations later, with even more generous offers on the table (including parts of Jerusalem as their capital), and they were also rejected.

The Current Reality: A Rejected People

I tell you all this because the fantasy of the Palestinians as a people who are not to blame for anything and have only suffered is not true. The proof is in their complicated relations with Arab countries today.

Hamas is financed not by Arab nations, but by Iran—a Shiite Muslim power, not even Sunni. The Arab countries have had enough of the Palestinians. They have shown themselves to be an unmanageable people. The fault likely lies with the leaders they have had—the worst of the worst, like Hamas.

The Arab world created this problem when they invaded Israel in 1948 and used the Palestinians as a political tool to harass Israel. But they have reached a point of such unmanageability, such rejection of peace, that the Arab countries now reject them.

So much so, that many Arab countries have signed peace with Israel: first Egypt, then Jordan, and recently the Abraham Accords with Gulf states. Saudi Arabia was about to sign a peace deal before October 7th—which is precisely why Hamas launched the October 7th attack, to make that peace impossible.

The ultimate proof that they are fed up is this: with all the dramatic, tragic suffering in Gaza today, not a single Arab country will accept Gazan refugees. People may come out for medical treatment, but they have not admitted a single refugee. The presidents of Jordan and Egypt have stated this very clearly.

Why don't they want them? Two reasons:

1. They understand this is a problem that must be solved within the borders of a future Palestinian state.

2. They know this is a very problematic, fanatical population, deceived for years into believing impossible things like the full right of return or the destruction of Israel. The Jordanians and Egyptians know them well—they do not want that instability in their own countries.

The population of Gaza is practically Egyptian in origin, and that should make us think. The idea that a Palestinian state will suddenly be a wonderful democracy and solve the whole conflict is probably not true. The story, as I have told it, brings you a little closer to the painful and complex reality of why some things don't happen and why, unfortunately, others are happening.

--------------------

1972 Munich Olympics Massacre (September 5–6, 1972)

The 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, were boycotted by dozens of countries (including the U.S. and Israel) in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Let me know if you’d like details on that instead.

----
15-year Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990)

The 15-year Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) resulted in significant human casualties and long-term societal impacts. Here is a summary of the key figures and context:

Estimated Casualties:

• Deaths: Approximately 120,000 to 150,000 people were killed127. Some sources, like Labaki and Abou Rjeily (1994), suggest a conservative estimate of around 90,000 fatalities, but this may exclude unresolved cases of disappearances5.

• Injured: Around 300,000 people were wounded410.

• Disappeared: Approximately 17,000 to 18,000 individuals were reported missing and are presumed dead5710.

• Displaced: Over 1 million Lebanese (nearly one-third of the pre-war population) were forcibly displaced internally or emigrated abroad1410. This displacement exacerbated sectarian demographics, with Christians declining from 55% to 5% in southern Mount Lebanon and Muslims dropping sharply in East Beirut4.

Key Context:

• The war involved multiple factions, including Christian militias (e.g., Lebanese Forces), Muslim and leftist groups (e.g., Lebanese National Movement), Palestinian factions (PLO), and external actors like Syria, Israel, and Iran13.

• Casualties resulted from combat, massacres (e.g., Sabra and Shatila), and economic collapse, which led to widespread poverty and infrastructure destruction346.

• The Taif Agreement (1989) formally ended the conflict but left unresolved issues, such as sectarian power-sharing and Hezbollah's disarmament, contributing to ongoing instability3510.

Long-Term Impact:

• Lebanon's population stagnated due to war deaths and emigration, with zero growth during the conflict period4.

• The war cost an estimated $24 times Lebanon's 1993 GDP in economic losses, crippling development10.

----

Overview of Hamas' Attack on Israel (October 7, 2023)

1. Basic Information

• Date: October 7, 2023

• Code Name: Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

• Perpetrators: Hamas-led coalition involving other Palestinian militant groups (e.g., Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades) 6.

• Targets: Israeli civilian communities, military bases, and security installations near the Gaza Strip.

• Casualties:

  • Israeli deaths: ~1,200 (mostly civilians) 67.

  • Hostages: ~240 taken into Gaza 6.

  • Palestinian deaths (post-attack retaliation): Over 15,000 (as of late 2023) 7.

---

2. Tactics and Execution

• Multi-Pronged Assault:

  • Ground Invasion: Militants breached Israel's security barrier using explosives, motorcycles, and pickup trucks to attack towns and military bases 6.

  • Air Attacks: Paragliders were used to infiltrate Israeli airspace and target civilians 6.

  • Sea Incursions: Attempted boat landings on Israeli shores 6.

  • Rocket Barrages: Thousands of rockets launched toward Israeli cities 67.

• Training and Preparation:

  • Hamas conducted joint military drills with other Gaza-based factions from 2020 to 2023, simulating raids, hostage-taking, and breaching Israeli defenses 6.

  • Exercises were publicly documented on social media, including training at sites less than 1 km from the Israeli border 6.

• Surprise Element:

  • Despite public training videos, Israeli intelligence underestimated the scale and coordination of the attack 6.

  • Hamas used offline communication to avoid detection and exploited vulnerabilities in Israel's surveillance infrastructure 6.

---

3. Motivations and Goals

• Revenge and Provocation:

  • Hamas cited past Israeli actions, including airstrikes, settlement expansions, and the blockade of Gaza, as motivations 7.

  • Instructions found on militants included: "Kill as many people and take as many hostages as possible" 7.

• Undermining Rivals:

  • Hamas sought to discredit the Palestinian Authority (PA) and position itself as the leader of the Palestinian cause 7.

  • The attack disrupted ongoing Israeli-Saudi normalization talks, which Hamas and its sponsor, Iran, opposed 7.

• Regional Strategy:

  • Iran, Hamas's primary sponsor, benefited from shifting regional focus away from its own conflicts and toward Israel 7.

---

4. Israeli and International Response

• Immediate Retaliation:

  • Israel launched Operation Swords of Iron, conducting airstrikes and a ground invasion of Gaza 67.

  • Israeli forces targeted Hamas leaders, including Ayman Nofal (killed on October 17, 2023) 6.

• Humanitarian Crisis:

  • Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza, restricting food, water, and electricity 2.

  • Later, under U.S. pressure, limited humanitarian aid was allowed into Gaza 2.

• International Reactions:

  • The U.S. and EU condemned Hamas and supported Israel's right to self-defense but urged proportionality 24.

  • The UN and human rights organizations raised concerns about civilian casualties and potential war crimes 5.

---

5. Historical Context and Comparisons

• Comparison to 9/11:

  • Israeli officials likened the trauma and scale of the attack to 9/11 4.

  • Both events involved intelligence failures and triggered large-scale military responses 4.

• Shift in Hamas Strategy:

  • Hamas had previously signaled moderation (e.g., accepting a two-state solution in 2017) but reverted to violence due to stalled diplomatic progress and growing unpopularity in Gaza 7.

---

6. Key Takeaways

• Intelligence Failure: Israeli agencies were aware of Hamas's training but underestimated its intent and capability 6.

• Regional Escalation: The attack heightened tensions between Israel and Iran-backed proxies (e.g., Hezbollah, Houthis) 10.

• Humanitarian Impact: Civilian casualties in Gaza sparked global debates about proportionality and human rights 57.

Conclusion

The October 7, 2023, attack marked a turning point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, exposing vulnerabilities in Israel's security apparatus and triggering a devastating war in Gaza. Hamas's tactics—including deliberate targeting of civilians and hostages—were designed to provoke a harsh Israeli response, thereby galvanizing Palestinian support and disrupting regional diplomacy. The aftermath continues to shape geopolitics, humanitarian concerns, and counterterrorism strategies globally

------

Casualties and Displacement in Northern Israel (2023-2024), resulting from the conflict with Hezbollah, b

---------

Groups Considered Terrorist

The main Zionist paramilitary groups that operated before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, some of which engaged in activities described as terrorism by the British authorities and other contemporary observers, were the Haganah, the Irgun (also known as IZL or Etzel), and Lehi (also known as the "Stern Gang").

Here is a breakdown of each group:

Main Actions Considered Terrorism by British Authorities

Key Contextual Notes:

1. Shift in Tactics: The Haganah began as a defensive force practicing Havlagah (self-restraint) but adopted more offensive, militant tactics after World War II in response to British immigration policies 15.

2. Political Goals: The Irgun and Lehi's campaigns were explicitly designed to evict the British from Palestine through a strategy of violence and intimidation, which they believed was the only way to establish a Jewish state 36.

3. International Condemnation: Prominent figures like Albert Einstein and Hannah Arendt condemned the Irgun, comparing it to "Nazi and Fascist parties" 6. The UN and both the UK and US governments formally designated Irgun and Lehi as terrorist organizations 6.

4. Post-1948 Transformation: Following Israel's independence, the Haganah was dissolved into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) 5. The Irgun was largely absorbed into the IDF, and Lehi was officially disbanded (though briefly outlawed by Israel after Bernadotte's assassination) 36.

For a more detailed history of these organizations and their impact on the British Mandate period, you can refer to the provided sources.

----------------------
ATTACK with Gold Apollo AR-924 pagers and ICOM IC-V82 walkie-talkies

The Israel electronic attack using rigged communication devices, primarily the Gold Apollo AR-924 pagers and ICOM IC-V82 walkie-talkies, resulted in significant casualties. Here is a detailed breakdown:

Casualty Summary

Key Notes:

1. Civilian Impact: The attacks killed at least 12 civilians, including children, and injured thousands more, many of whom were bystanders or family members of Hezbollah personnel 269.

2. Hezbollah Losses: Hezbollah acknowledged that many of its members were among the dead and injured, with the group describing the attack as its "biggest security breach" since the conflict began 49.