Dear Listeners,
This commentary is in my book.
Philosophically, we humans grasp at inventing illogical expressions when we are uncomfortable with our own prejudices.
Case in point – let us examine the expression “occupied land”, which came into vogue only after the State of Israel was legally created in around 1948.
The British who owned the territory offered land also to the Arabs. They declined and continue to decline. They only want Israel annihilated.
Immediately after Israel became a State, five Arab countries in the Middle East declared war on the new Jewish State – they were all defeated in a matter of days by the little Country. That is when the expression “occupied” came into being.
Israel, the victor, was and is the true owner of the conquered land – but the U.S. government calls that land “occupied”. Is that supposed to mean that the aggressors who Israel conquered still own that land?
Another opposite case in point – during the Mexican-American War in about 1846 through 1848, the U.S. invaded a part of Mexico known as Texas, which Mexico had received from Spain along with other land in the American Southwest. The U.S. won the war, took Texas and the other States in the American Southwest, and probably California.
It is said that Mexico was given a token $500 million for all that land. The Mexicans have been resentful and angry since then, and rightfully so.
They want their land back, but that will never happen. Shouldn’t that conquered Mexican land also be considered occupied land?
Let’s fast forward to the present situation.
Jordan, a country which owned half of Jerusalem in 1948, wanted all of Jerusalem shortly thereafter, so she declared war on Israel. She lost, so now Israel owns that territory. The U.S. maintains it is occupied land, and Obama forbids Israel to build houses there.
Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel has told Obama he cannot dictate to Israel about Israeli land – and therein lies the stalemate between our two democracies. I say kudos to Netanyahu for not allowing the U.S. to bully Israel.
Meanwhile, the despicable dishonest U.S. media picks and chooses what it wants to expose, and never mentions that Israel won all that land honestly.
It is all unfair, unjust, untrue, and Israel stands totally on its own.
Please – someone – explain the nonsensical expression “occupied land” or “occupied territory”, which is only used for land won fair and square by the Israel after it is attacked. It is an honest issue our government refuses to recognize, confront, and acknowledge.
For KSCO, this is Kay Zwerling.
© copyright 2011
