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Universi^ Microfilms International aOON.Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 1325090 LADAN, MUSA ZIONIST PERCEPTION OF THE ARAB PALESTINIANS AND ITS IMPACT ON THE MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY M.A. 1984 University Microfilms I nternstionel300 N. ZeebRoad, Ann Arbor. .MI 48106 ZIONIST PERCEPTION OF THE ARAB PALESTINIANS AND ITS IMPACT ON THE MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT by Musa Ladan submitted to the Faculty of the College of Public and International Affairs of The American University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in International Affairs Signatures of Committee; Chairman : ï^an of the College Date 1984 The American University Washington, D.C. «the AMERICAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY ZIONIST PERCEPTION OF THE ARAB PALESTINIANS AND ITS IMPACT ON THE MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT by . MUSA LADAN ABSTRACT This paper addresses one key aspect of the Middle East conflict: the attitude of most of the leaders of the Zionist movement toward the Arabs of Palestine in whose land that movement sought the ingathering of diasporan Jews and the founding of a Jewish national state. Negative and persis­ tent, this perceptive phenomenon has been significant, as the study discovers, both as a causal factor and as a principal catalysis to the region's crisis. The method of research consisted of examining and analyzing the theories, actions, treatments and statements of the influential Zionist leaders directed to the Arabs as contained in carefully selected books, newspapers, magazines and broadcasts. The study arrives at two conclusions. First, if the Zionist attitude were healthy and its approach prudent and tactful, the whole conflict might have been averted or reduced to a much lesser proportion. Second, a peaceful settlement in the Middle East at present depends on a peace- oriented revision of the attitudes and policies of the Zionist leaders in Israel. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..................................................... ü PREFACE ....................................................... INTRODUCTION................................................... 1 Chapter I. BACKGROUND TO THE P R O B L E M ............................5 Sources of Controversy and Bases of Claims to Palestine Brief Analysis of Claims to Palestine II. THE TWO INCOMPATIBLE NATIONALISMS ................. 15 Political Zionism Zionist Theories, Thoughts and Plans About the Palestinians Arab Nationalism and European Imperialism The Zionists, the Europeans, the Arabs and their roles in the Middle East Conflict III. JEWS IN P A L E S T I N E .................................... 40 The Concept of a Jewish- dominated Palestine Zionists Push for Control of Palestine Zionists' Disregard of Arabs' Feelings and Interests The Zionist State Zionist Attitudes Towards Palestinians' Words and Deeds Emptying Palestine of Palestinians IV. ISRAELI OCCUPATION AND THE PALESTINIANS ......... 56 "Yiretz Yisrael"; A Terror Dream Zionist Actions and Policies Toward the Palestinians iii Zionist Attitudes and Intransigence The World Opinion and Objections V. THE ZIONISTS AND THE PALESTINE ARABS NATIONALIST GUERILLA MOVEMENT: CAMPAIGNS OF TERROR ......... 71 The PLO Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Zionist Perception and Rejection of PLO Consequences of Extra-Legal Methods VI. ISRAELI DILEMMAS: CONCESSIONS, THE PALESTINIAN STATE, THE STATUS QUO AND ITS B U R D E N S ............. 86 Israeli Dilemmas Recognition As Part of Concession A Palestinian State: The Way Out Zionist Attitudes and the Price Exacted on Israel Israeli Security, Economic and Social Problems CONCLUSIONS...................................................118 Zionist Attitudes and Peace Efforts Handling the Zionist Attitude: The U.S. Role The Road to Peace Final Observations SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY iv PREFACE History records the rise, fall, preeminence and obso­ lescence of peoples, nations and cultures and of the various ways such vicissitudes have determined the interrelations of one people with another throughout the human experience. The following is part of the story of one people, the Jews, who rose, fell and rose again and the manner they looked upon and treated another people, the Arabs, who once rose in power but were now in decline. This does not necessarily portray the nature of one race or people but that entire human nature by which the stronger has always tended to oppress and extort the weaker. The author owes much thanks to Dr. Alan R. Taylor, from whose books invaluable sources have been drawn for this study, and Dr. Abdulaziz Said who both rendered immense assistance, giving valuable advice and the benefit of constructive criti­ cism throughout the course of this work. Also greatly appreciated by the writer was the technical assistance given by Janice Flug, the American University Librarian. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY MAJOR PROBLEMS, SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY That the Palestinian question is at the core of the Middle East problem is now not only an accepted theme but one that is becoming a cliche in the discussion of that region's situation. But some issues have tended to distract attention away from it, while a single event, the Camp David agreement, seen as a "giant step" toward peace, has now become the euphoric and rhetoric "landmark" of reference and the only springboard in some quarters for further and future policies and actions, even as it has produced little or nothing in terms of real peace value for the entire region. This attitude is regrettably most evident among some of the most crucial parties to the effort to finding a realistic solution to the Middle East crisis, namely, the United States, Israel and Egypt. Thus the "mother question", as President Assad called the conflict between the Palestinian Arabs and the Zionist Jews in Israel, has been rather submerged and is yet to receive the distinct attention and effort with the singleness of heart which it deserves. Yet unresolved, this very issue will permanently keep that region’s tension alive, and in all likelihood, be the one to set its latent conflict aflame, at any time and at all times. 1 One of the most unfortunate ingredients of the Middle East conflict which not only helped produce and compound the Palestinian question but also render the region's overall problem more and more intractable, has been the manner the Zionist Jews, with very few exceptions, have all along perceived and treated the Arabs in Palestine as less human and downplayed the problem of these Arabs whose land they were to take and establish a Jewish homeland. Not only can this attitude be traced to as far back as the era of the earliest Zionist thinkers and leaders, but also, and of signi­ ficance to the ongoing Middle East imbroglio, it has become an entrenched legacy of the influential Zionist leadership whose expression has been both vigorous and unequivocal to the present day. Of the factors that could have given rise to this unhealthy attitude of the Zionists toward their fellow Semitic people, the following may be among the important ones: Zionists' zeal and preoccupation with the return to Zion (after rejecting any other alternative to Palestine) and the anticipation of opposi­ tion to the process by others having their own claim to Pales­ tine; their propensity to a rather belligerent chauvinism; their disdain and scorn of the Palestinians and their level of enlightenment, and their ignorance about the degree or even existence of these Arabs' nationalist feelings and consciousness. These and possibly other factors caused the Zionists to see the reality only in its simplified or distorted version. Most Zionists not only belittled the human factor in their return mission, but also absolutely gave no thought to the moral and ethical imperatives and to the practical question as to what kind of future the projected Jewish homeland or state would have to face if, as they had schemed, its estab­ lishment was to be heralded by bloodshed. They saw no need to seek the cooperation and good relations of the indigineous Palestinian Arabs but instead concentrated virtually all their efforts in seeking the consent and/or collaboration of the successive powers in control of the territory while planning to conquer and expell the indigenes.