A Peace Plan

Palestinians should come out as winners

Published on June 5, 2005 By Leauki In War on Terror

I have long wondered whether there is an objective way to measure bias in articles and Web sites about the Palestinian conflict. And I believe I found one. Both sides of the conflict are eager to present their position as based on a just claim to the land of Palestine and thus both sides have an interested in downplaying the role of the others in the region.

Before Israel was founded millions of Jews lived among Arabs as "dhimmis". They were underprivileged, differently taxed, and often had to be be marked as Jews in public. They were often not allowed to hold public office or worship according to their beliefs in public. This status was celebrated as the tolerance of Islam, which appears to rival the intolerance of fascist Germany in the 1930s. And no, I am not neutral here.

The Jews of the Arab world were very much in the same situation as other minorities, including Kurds and Christians, and subject to the same treatment in the last 50 years. The arrival of surviving Jews from Europe (where the Nazis ran the industrial equivalent of racism) and America gave the Jews of the Arab world the chance to fight back. And fight back they did.

The Arab world at the time was still under the administration of the victors of World War I who obtained as mandates the land which was taken from the Ottoman Empire and that was not Turkish. (Unfortunately Kurdistan was split between a "Turkish" and an "Arab" part, although Kurds are neither Turkish nor Arab.) One of the mandates was Palestine, which was split into a Jewish part and an Arab part. Arab Jews and European/American Jews accepted the partition, Arabs did not. This led to the first war between Israel and its neighbours and Jewish and Arab refugees leaving Israel/Palestine and other countries of the general region.

The objective method to measure bias I have found consists of the simple process of determining who is mentioned in the article or on the site. There are two groups that biased pundits of either side have reason to downplay: Jews of the Arab world (Mizrahim and Sephardim) and Palestinian Arabs. It appears that there are five methods to deal with the existence of these people:

1. Source mentions Palestinian refugees but no Mizrahim/Sephardim.
(This appears to be most common.)

2. Source mentions Palestinian refugees and Mizrahim/Sephardim.
(Liberal Palestinians?)

3. Source mentions Palestinian refugees and Mizrahim/Sephardim refugees.
(Balanced?)

4. Source mentions Mizrahim/Sephardim refugees and Palestinians.
(Common Israeli right-wing position.)

5. Source mentions Mizrahim/Sephardim refugees but no Palestinians.
(Potential Israeli hardliner position. Not seen in the wild?)

I believe the list is quite neutral.

Using this list, I would argue that the mass media fall into category 1. I have not found many reports or newspaper articles that even mention Jewish refugees or the fact that they, in contrast to Arab refugees, received no international support. The Arab countries they fled have also not bothered to grant them a "right of return" or financial compensation, although it can be argued that these Jews probably don't want to live in an Arab country. Incidentally, Palestinians seem to have no fear of living in Israel should they get a "right to return". And incidentally, the number of Arab and Jewish refugees appears to be about the same (600,000 to one million).

I refuse to accept any source as valid that falls into category 1.

Now as for the peace plan, it should be based on the idea that Jews and Arabs are both human beings and worth the same.

I think the first step would be to compensate Palestinian refugees. I think the fairest way to determine how much the Palestinians should get for loss of their homes is to let the Arab countries that always so wanted to help the Palestinians decide how much that is. This will give the countries of the Arab League an opportunity to show the Palestinians their support without killing Jews.

Israel will then have to pay that amount to a democratic Palestinian government.

And the Arab countries will have to pay the same amount to Israel for the Jewish refugees.

Comments (Page 1)

Manopeace

on Jun 05, 2005

And I believe I found one.

and it is?

Source mentions

and the source is??

Living in Israel and being part of the struggle to give the Palestinians the full rights they deserve, I would very much be interested in the source you speak of.

Leauki

on Jun 05, 2005

"and it is?"

As my article said the method is to compare a given source to the list.

"and the source is??"

The source is the given source.

I assume the "full rights they deserve" is more than the rights Jews in the Arab world had and have. My article demands the same treatment for Jews and Palestinians. What do you demand?

Manopeace

on Jun 05, 2005

My article demands the same treatment for Jews and Palestinians. What do you demand?

Exactly that. no less no more!

Leauki

on Jun 05, 2005

So when you say that Palestinians should be given the full rights they deserve, you also advocate that Arab Jews should be given compensation from the Arabs and that Israel should be compensated for the wars they have been subject to? Because I think that Palestinians should be compensated for the loss of their homes and that a Palestinian state, should it ever exist as a democratic entity (rather than a Pan-Arabist puppet state like in Nasser's time) must not be attacked by its neighbours.

Did you write any articles or postings that make that clear and, and here comes my test, actually mention both Palestinians and Arab Jews?

Manopeace

on Jun 05, 2005

you also advocate that Arab Jews should be given compensation from the Arabs and that Israel should be compensated for the wars they have been subject to?

That is a totally different unrelated problem. Do not put words in my mouth please. I do not . The struggle of the Palestinian people for a homeland of their own, and the eventual victory they will have in achieving this will be the only guarantee to peace in this country.
Compensation to Arab Jews for their losses has nothing to do with the Palestinian people.

Did you write any articles or postings that make that clear and, and here comes my test, actually mention both Palestinians and Arab Jews?

If you go through my blogs you will find quite a few threads about this struggle.
As far as your 'test' goes, I'm not sure if I passed it or not, the struggle here is one between Jews and Palestinians, not between Arab Jews, European Jews or Jewish Palestinians. Do not try to make the conflict even harder to understand to the westerner...it's hard enough as it is.

Leauki

on Jun 05, 2005

"That is a totally different unrelated problem"

No, it isn't. You cannot demand equal rights for Palestinians and Israelis without also demanding equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians. If Palestinians have been the victims of this conflict because they have fled their homes and do not have the same rights as Israelis, then so are Arab Jews who have fled their homes and did not have the same rights as Arabs. (They were just lucky that Israel welcomed them more sincerely than the Arab states welcomed Palestinians.)

Compensation for Arab Jews has a lot to do with that. You cannot demand compensation for one group of victims because you want "exactly the same treatment" but not for the other who have been subject to the same injustice.

But apart from this, I disagree that a Palestinian homeland would achieve peace. There was a Palestinian homeland, a Pan-Arabist puppet state in the 1950s, and that didn't achieve peace. What would achieve peace is a democratic Palestinian state that does not want to destroy its neighbour and Arab countries who admit that attacking Israel is wrong and who accept that they have lost the wars.

"If you go through my blogs you will find quite a few threads about this struggle."

Maybe, but the point is do your articles mention both Palestinians and Arab Jews?

And if the struggle is between Jews and Palestinians then why were so many Arab countries involved in it? I think this is rather a conflict between Pan-Arabists and all minorities in the area, the Jews being just one of them.

And the Palestinians are just another group of victims. If the Arabs had fought for them, the Palestinians would have got their own (independent) country decades ago.

Peace will be achieved once the Palestinians realise that they are now, under Israeli rule, closer to having their own state than ever before.

Manopeace

on Jun 05, 2005

Maybe, but the point is do your articles mention both Palestinians and Arab Jews?

It is a point that has no bearing whatsoever on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Your arguments can be used to question any wrongdoings any nation does against another. Are the British to apologise and compensate for the crimes done in Nazi Germany? NO! Are the Americans to apologise for the compensation of native Indian lands in Canada? NO!
Qhy should the Palestinians be accountable for crimes commited against Arab Jews in Egypt, Syria, Iraq or any other Arab nation? They shouldn't be.
In one breath you are DEMANDING equal rights for the Palestinian people, in the other breath you are laying down conditions for that.
Make up your mind!

Leauki

on Jun 05, 2005

"It is a point that has no bearing whatsoever on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict."

And that is exactly what I am criticising. People look at the conflict and completely ignore one side. Palestinian refugees acknowledged by the UN, used as a reason for several wars against Israel, and are constantly subject of reporting. But Jewish refugees and what the Arabs did to "help" the Palestinians is not part of the picture.

My arguments can indeed be used to question any wrongdoings any nation does against another. And why not?

The rest of your posting I do not understand:

"In one breath you are DEMANDING equal rights for the Palestinian people, in the other breath you are laying down conditions for that."

The conditions for equal rights for Palestinians I lay down are equal rights for Jews. If Palestinian refugees enjoy a right to be compensated for their losses, so should Jewish refugees.

I believe that both Jewish and Arab refugees should be compensated. You apparently have a problem with that. I don't understand why. I also don't understand how Israel compensating Palestinian refugees or Arab countries compensating Arab Jewish refugees is related to "the British to apologise and compensate for the crimes done in Nazi Germany" or "the Americans to apologise for the compensation of native Indian lands in Canada".

To make it perfectly clear:

1. I do not believe that the British should compensate the victims of Nazi Germany. (I don't even understand how anybody could come up with that idea.)

2. I do not believe that the US should compensate Indians for loss of land in Canada. (Although I think this is a more interesting case.)

3. I do believe that Israel should compensate Palestinian refugees (regardless of why they left Israel during the war).

4. And I do believe that Arab countries should compensate Arab Jewish refugees.

Points 1 and 2 have nothing to do with my article and I don't know why you brought them up.

Points 3 and 4 are, for me, equivalent, because Jews and Arabs are both human beings and deserve the same treatment.

You appear to have a problem with point 4. Why?

It's very simple. Equal rights apply to all parties that are meant to be subject to equality here.

Thus:

Compensation for Palestinian refugees means compensation for Jewish refugees.

A Palestinian state recognised by Israel means a Jewish state recognised by Palestine.

Anything else is not "equal rights".

Manopeace

on Jun 05, 2005

I also don't understand how Israel compensating Palestinian refugees or Arab countries compensating Arab Jewish refugees is related to "the British to apologise and compensate for the crimes done in Nazi Germany" or "the Americans to apologise for the compensation of native Indian lands in Canada".

its not related... neither are your arguments.

Leauki

on Jun 05, 2005

Why won't you tell me why you have a problem with compensation for Jewish refugees?

And if you demand equal rights for Palestinians, how will this equality manifest if they get compensation but Jewish refugees do not? Doesn't equality imply equality for both parties? When it comes to compensation for loss of their home, how can Palestinian refugees be treated equally when Jewish refugees do not receive such compensation?

For me equal rights means, in this context, compensation for all refugees, regardless of race or religion or nationality. At the very least both groups should be acknowledged. And that is where most pundits already fail.

Manopeace

on Jun 06, 2005

Why won't you tell me why you have a problem with compensation for Jewish refugees?

I do not have a problem at all with compensation for Jewish refugees. I have stated before, I will state it again, and for the LAST time.... that question is NOT related to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict.

And if you demand equal rights for Palestinians, how will this equality manifest if they get compensation but Jewish refugees do not?

Again...the same question from you...different form.

It is obvious that you have a solution to the crisis worked out in your mind. Here in Israel we have a different agenda. Negotiations between the Israeli government, the Palestinian Authority and possibly the monitering from an outside source will hopefully bring about a solution to the crisis.
The question of compensation to Jewish refugees from the Arab countries has to be dealt with separately as it is NOT related to the other problem.
This is all I have to say on this matter.

Leauki

on Jun 06, 2005

Why is that question not related to the conflict?

Why does the question of compensation to Jewish refugees have to be dealt with separately?

My plan makes it possible for all parties to be involved, for the Palestinians to come out as the winners, for the other Arabs to show their support for Palestinians without killing anybody, and for Arabs rather than Jews to determine how much the loss of one's home is worth.

You keep saying that the two aspects of the conflict, Jewish victims and Palestinian victims, must be treated separately. But you repeat the statement but do not say why. I believe that equal rights can ONLY come about if there is NO separate treatment.

Dr Guy

on Jun 06, 2005

INteresting debate you have going with Mano. But while you did actually write about 2 separate topics, I will choose for the moment to let you and Mano Debate the one, while I look at the other. That is the reporting and the bias.

Which I think you did a very fair job of. But I have yet to find any source that actually is unbiased (Number 3 in this case). That is not to say that we cannot get an unbiased review of the situation, we just have to realize where the source is biased at, and compensate for that.

But the fact you were able to state it so eloquently, is insightful. Now at least I can look at the conflict with a better objectivity than before, and read between the lives so to speak.

Manopeace

on Jun 06, 2005

INteresting debate you have going with Mano.

You mean...' had with Mano".... I'm finished...we were going in circles.

Leauki

on Jun 06, 2005

The debate I had with Mano was not really about my article. At first he seemed to not understand my list and which "source" I was referring to, apparently believing that I meant a specific source.

But you are right, Dr. Guy, that I was talking about two separate topics.

One is bias, and I think I found a fair method to determine bias. I have in fact used this in a while, rejecting any report as untrustworthy that did not fall into categories 2 to 4. Most sources seem to fall into category 1. I have yet to see category 5. But liberal Palestinian (category 2) sources exist, just look at http://www.freemuslims.org. They have a fantastic idea for Palestine which I completely support!

The other is the issue of the right to return that so many Palestinians demand. Compensation seems fair, and I believe I found the only objective method to determine how much should be paid. The problem is that my plan only works when the Arabs were right and really did attack Israel to help the Palestinians, because only then would they consider paying money that would ultimately go to a Palestinian country (via Israel). I do not, of course, believe that this will work. I do not believe that any Arab country ever did attack Israel to help the Palestinians. I believe they did it for the same reasons they attacked Kurds and Christians; you know my article about the pan-nationalist disease.

Have you seen my article about the Wikipedia articles?

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