Why We Say #FreePalestine

One

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The first thing I'm going to tell you about, is Zionism. Do you know what Zionism is?

Not really.

This is the definition Oxford will give you: "A movement for (originally) the re-establishment and (now) the development and protection of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel. It was established as a political organization in 1897 under Theodor Herzl, and was later led by Chaim Weizmann."

That's basically what it is. Theodor Herzl believed that as long as the Jews did not have a state of their own, they would always be seen as a minority, a group people looked down at. In his book "Das Judenstaat" Theodor describes his idea of a Jewish nation, and why a Jewish nation was the best resolution. Of course this state would be created in Palestine, as the Jewish believed it belonged to them. However, if you take a look in their book, the Torah, you will find out that they never were destined to have their own state. Real Jews know that they are people without a homeland. Therefore, the ideology of Zionism is contradicting the belief of Judaism. However, not only Zionism is a big factor in everything going on in Palestine, Britain also played a big role in the scene.

So Britain, having the not so smartasses as leaders, made a few promises:

First of all, the McMahon-Hussein Agreement of October 1915. This agreement was accepted by the Palestinians, as the Brits promised they would give Palestine and the other Arab countries their rights to self-determination if Hussein, back then the prince of Mecca with great influence on the Arab Peninsula, would fight with the Brits against the Ottomans. Of course, Hussein gave his word and the Arabs successfully revolted against the Turkish. However, McMahon, who acted on behalf of Britain and who had given his promise to Arabs, did not keep the promise. There was especially confusion around the sentence: "cannot be said to be purely Arab".

So this was during the Great War?

Yep.

And.. what's up with that sentence?

Well, in the agreement was agreed upon that land that "cannot be said to be purely Arab" was excluded from the agreement. As most Arabs, Hussein had thought that Palestine was purely Arab, and so it would be returned to the Palestinians. However, the British saw Palestine differently as the Turks had allowed other religious groups to live in Jerusalem and therefore it "cannot be said to be purely Arab".

Okay, but that's just flat out BULL. SHIT. I can't believe they considered Palestine not to be purely Arab, JUST because there were living other religious groups than Muslims. That's like, so messed up! I mean, Jew, Christian or Muslim, if you live in Palestine, and your parents were born in Palestine, and you grandparents and great-grandparents were too, then surely you can be considered to be purely Arab. I mean, UUUUGGGHHH.

I know right? It's really frustrating.

I like, want to go time travelling and travel to when this was being discussed and give McMahon and the British government a bitch slap and tell them that Palestine CAN be said to be purely Arab, because - really - if your forefathers were born there, then surely they ARE Arabs. Christian, Muslim, Jew or even an atheist, if your roots are in Palestine, then surely you ARE a Palestinian.

Yeah... I think about that the same way. Besides, Britain and the USA and I don't know what more had basically forced the Ottomans to let other religious groups exist there.

I'm sorry, but I really really really have to go for a run right now - and punch a tree because... Well, let's just say... I'm having a hard time keeping my temper...