A More Truthful Understanding of Palestinians and Their History

Terri and Dick Markos
La Crescent, MN

We are responding to Jeff Erding’s one sided article in the Fillmore County Journal on the history of what is happening in Israel and Palestine. Just one example of his erroneous statements about the idea that “Muslim Arabs’’ have been offered a homeland five times since 1936 and rejected each proposal. First of all, these proposals were complex interactions and the American media was, then as now, biased in what was reported to the American public. For example, Robert Malley, a special assistant for Arab-Israeli affairs and part of the Camp David talks, wrote an article about the failures of Camp David and said that Arafat had made far more concessions that anyone gave him credit for. There were many more statements to this effect by scholars who have studied the accords. With reference to the1947 UN partition plan and Mr Erding’s statement that the plan was rejected, the actual context was that the UN stepped in under zionist pressure and recommended giving 50% of Palestine to a Jewish state despite the fact that Jewish people represented only 30% of the population and owned 7% of the land. Further investigation into Mr Erding’s statement about the Arab refusal to accept Israeli proposals reveals a much deeper and more nuanced understanding of the Arab/Palestinian point of view and the unfair characterization of these proposals in the American press.

Yes, the Jews did expel the Palestinians from their ancestral homeland contrary to Mr. Erding’s statement. Mr Erding refers more than once to the tiny state of Israel. The tiny state of Israel is not tiny when it comes to influence, standard of living, sheer wealth and the fourth largest military in the world. With 35 billion in aid from the U.S. over the next several years, not including what we are currently giving them in military aid, even a fraction of this amount would help thousands of struggling Minnesotans and provide for the best roads, transportation systems, educational systems and health care in the country.

Having said all of the above, no one disputes the fact that October 7 was a terrible event. However the failure to pay attention to Palestinian suffering over the years has brought us to this point.

Do we want to continue to support the slaughter of innocent civilians and children regardless of the history and the politics of the region? Please note, 11,500 Palestinian babies and children have been killed to this date. Does this align with who we are as Americans? We all need to ask ourselves this question.

The real history of the region Mr. Erding talks about does not support what he has imparted to the public. Palestine is not a “made up” term which he refers to and Palestinian people are the same as everyone else. They want a decent life, a roof over their heads, food for their family, educational opportunities, the ability to travel freely, to own land, to control their own borders, (land, air and sea) and the ability to access the best medical care for their children who have cancer and other severe illnesses. None of this is available. Mr. Erding has not fairly and accurately presented information, much less the facts.