Md. Golam Mostafa :
Palestine is a territory in the southern part of the Middle East which includes the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan. It is located on the middle of the river which is divided into two regions called Palestine and Israel. Palestine is an important destination for the three continents of Asia, Europe and Africa. This region is the birthplace of Judaism and Christianity. The importance of this region is immense due to its geographical location and religious pilgrimage. From ancient times the region has been ruled by different religions and different dynasties. Such as the Canaanite Amharic, the ancient Egyptian, the Babylonian, the Persian, the early Muslim caliphate, the Christian Crusaders, and lately the Iyubi, the Mamluk Ottomans, the British, the Jordanians, the Egyptians, and the ruling groups of present-day Israel and Palestine. The Palestinian Territories are one of the oldest regions in the world. The region was influenced by ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek and Persian civilizations.
Israelis’ did not have a state of their own before 1948. They lived scattered in different countries, including the Middle East. They formed the World Jewish Congress with a plan to establish a permanent Jewish state in Palestine, the holy land of the Middle East. In Switzerland in 1897 they held a conference of the World Jewish Congress. Its main protagonist was a Zionist theorist named Theodore Herzl. The conference decided that a Jewish state should be formed in Palestine at any cost. To this end, the Arab tribes must first purchase land and establish Jewish settlements. It was like buying land. The Arabs must be ousted, albeit through necessary terrorist activities. World War I had just begun and in 1917 the Palestine was annexed by Britain. The Jews multiplied the level of persecution of the original Palestinians in order to satisfy their ulterior motives. They slaughtered Muslims as well as Christians. Hitler, meanwhile, killed millions of Jews during World War II. Millions of Jews were displaced. They approached the UN in the hope of a little shelter. Then, in 1947, for strategic reasons, the British government handed over control of Palestine to the newly formed United Nations. A proposal to form an independent state for the Jews was presented to the United Nations in cooperation with the US administration. The Jews used this opportunity to persuade and pressure the members of the Security Council to pass a resolution. After the United Nations recognized Israel in 1948, David Benguer announced himself as Prime Minister of Israel on November 14, 1948. But at that time Israel did not have any specific territory, population or constitution. At the time of the recognition, 56% of the land belonged to Israel and the rest to Palestine. The Arab world, including Palestine, could not accept such a unilateral decision of the United Nations. Egypt, Jordan and Syria invaded Israel. Israel won the war and occupied 77% of Palestine instead of the 56% set by the United Nations. An independent Palestinian state was possible in the remaining 33 percent. But the original Palestinians are in deep disarray. Their dream of independence was shattered.
Loy Henderson, the then director of the US State Department, wrote a letter to the then US Secretary of State. US cooperation in the establishment of Jews in Palestine will not bring good to the United States. Rather, it will have an adverse effect on American interests in the Middle East. Loy Henderson insists that the United States is in a position to advance policy in the Near East and the Middle East that is not possible for any other major power. But the Americans will lose this status if they support the Jews. After a long time, Loy Henderson words came true.
Legendary U.S. intelligence chief Kermit Roosevelt says the way the Jews have garnered U.S. support for the establishment of Israel will lead to a foreign policy that is not for the benefit of the United States.
(The writer is lecturer, History and Culture of Islam, Narilya College,
Dhanbari, Tangail).
