Call it Palestine
Written by Ahmad Jamil Azem
Translated by Nael Khader
Some
Palestinian fellows told me that there are some Zionist activists in a European
country are rallying towards derecognizing Palestine, as a name. Not just in
the current transactions, but by recreating new documents and maps dating
before the existence of the Zionist community in the what so-called Israel.
Recently, a member
of the Israeli parliament, Anat Berko, ridiculously stated in the Knesset that “Palestine”
is a fabricated name. Her proof was that Arabic doesn’t have the letter “P”,
ignoring the Arabic pronunciation, “Felasteen”.
One of the most
strong comments on her statements was “Based on your claim, Jews do not exists
because Hebrew doesn’t have the letter “J”.
Names hold
their meanings by the way we feel about them, how we imagine that meaning in
our minds, how we live them, how we interact with the name holders whether they
are real or abstract, and by how we dream of them as well.
This year
marks the hundred anniversary of Sykes–Picot Agreement between the colonial
countries to divide Southwestern Asia and create what is called the Middle
East. When discussing this, I normally ask my students; who had put the current
Palestinian borderlines?
Voices arise: “Sykes–Picot Agreement”. Then I draw a rough sketch of Palestine
(as much as I am able to). I draw the “of Sykes–Picot Palestine”. It shows that
it includes about the half of the current Palestine; it cuts Palestine athwart
at Rafah in the south (from east to west). The southern part to Egypt is a collateral.
The northern part is deemed international subdivided among Russia, France, and
Britain; whereas France hold control over Safad and Al Houla, and Britain takes
Haifa and Akka.
The Zionist movement
threw a wobbly hearing of this plan, so they started protesting against it especially
in Britain. They wanted “The great Palestine”.
What I want
to mention in this regards is that the Zionist movement had a newspaper in
Britain called “Palestine”, and it was their portal for the protest campaign.
The Buraq
Uprising raged in 1928-1929. I come to notice that it was called “uprising”,
which some are against giving it to the current “revolution” (Intifada). It
happened as a result of Zionists launching an immigration campaign to Palestine
calling Jews to migrate.
“New
Palestine” was one of the famous newspapers advocating the campaign. The First
Zionist Congress in Basle 1897 came out with the resolution to “Conquer
Palestine”. Many affiliate institutions of the Zionist movement were named with
titles carrying “Palestine”.
I’ve
searched for all online resources, I found that “Palestine” was removed.
However, some remained such as the Bank Leumi, the biggest Israeli bank, was
first established under the name “The Anglo-Palestine Bank” in 1902.
When it
comes to the west, “Palestine Society” was formed in London in 1804 to study
the geography of the country. In 1865, “Palestine Exploration Fund” was
established in Jerusalem chamber inside Westminster Church. Celebrating the 150
anniversary, the head of the Fund stated that “It was first established to
study the southern side of the east land usually known as Palestine”.
Moreover, in 1870, “The American Society to Explore Palestine” was established.
In Russia, however, “The Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society” is still active
since 1882.
David Lloyd
George, Prime Minister of the Wartime Coalition Government in 1916-1922, called
Palestine as “Canaan" in his diaries.
From an
eastern perspective, Omar Son of Al Khattab, in the seventeenth century, formed
an administrative unite called “Army of Palestine”
There are
political and legal meanings of names, or even political application of them
that can be fluctuant from one phase to another whereas some names are fought
for in some times while in other times they are fought.
The name can
hold a practical meaning as well. For example, many magazine subscriptions, newsletter
subscriptions, and other online financial transactions do not have the name
Palestine in their lists.
A Jordanian business
man once told me that he ordered the shipping of some materials from Europe to
farmers in Akka, and he insisted on using the name Palestine in the address leveraging
the ignorance of the European officers of the issue.
The shipment was delayed. Many talks and transactions were made. He was fined a
delay penalty.
He, however, enjoyed creating confusion in the Scandinavian company and in all
who don’t know the story of Palestine.
I enjoyed his story. It made us talk about the people, streets, memories,
trees, smell, air, leaders, photographs, fine art, books, history, and the
amazing wandering around the streets of that “Palestine”.
Written by Ahmad Jamil Azem
Translated
by Nael Khader
Source:
http://www.alghad.com/articles/930892-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%85%D9%87%D8%A7-%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86
