Gastschrijver Jamal Kanj August 2023
This is the sixth of a series of articles exploring Zionist historical reconstruct and cultural heist of native Palestinians. For the first article: ‘Israeli’ Invention of Artificial Reality, for the second article: ‘Israel’: A ‘fairytale’ history, for the third article: Israeli Invention of National Symbols, for fourth article: Israel’s largest Surface Cultural Heist: Palestinian Cuisine, fifth article: Cultural Heist: Biblical Currency and Zion-washing of Palestinian National Dress
Building on a prior article in the series, titled ‘Israel’: A ‘fairytale’ history, this will explore the Zion-washing of non-historical religious texts like the Quran – which Zionist Jews do not accept as true – to engender ignorance and kosher the ethnic cleansing of historical Palestine.
First, the word ‘Hebrew’ is not widely recognized to refer to the ancestral location of the earliest Hebrews. The word derived from the Hebrew ‘Ivri’, which translates to perates, a Greek word meaning to traverse or someone who came across, a migrant. The term is historically reserved to tribes that migrated from across the Euphrates and settled in the land of Canaan.
In Arabic, the singular word e’bri, (Hebrew) finds its origin in the verb a’bara, the act of crossing a waterway. Traversing a body of water is defined in the Akkadian, Aramaic, Arabic and Hebrew languages respectively, e’ber nhari, avar nahara, a’bara elnahara, and ever nahar.
In contemporary Arabic, the plural word for Hebrews is e’braneieen, an adjective describing those who crossed over a waterway.
Inarguably, DNA and anthropologically verified, the ancient e’braneieen or ‘Ivrim’, who came from across the river were among the various groups that settled in Palestine, contributing to the diverse mosaic of present-day Palestinians. These Palestinians, with varying genetic levels, are the descendants of the Philistines, Canaanites, Jebusites, Romans, ‘Ivrim’ and others. While some of the original ‘Ivrim’ also known as Aravim or Mizrachi Jews adhered to their original belief system and continued to live in Palestine and other neighboring countries, the majority, however – like all others – have transitioned and embraced the successive religions like Christianity and later Islam.
Ignoring the genetic and historical facts, the European Zionist movement – descendants of the Khazar Jewish converts – endeavored to utilize non-historical records to reconstruct history and propagate misinformation in order to establish a link with the ancient (migrants) Hebrews. Along with citing the Old and New Testaments, the Zionist movement also alluded to the Quran, the sacred text of Islam, asserting that ‘Israel’ was referenced multiple times therein, whereas ‘Palestine’ was not.
It represents the pinnacle of dishonesty when Zionists capitalize on people’s lack of familiarity with the Quran, a text, like the New Testament they describe as fake. Yet, they are willing to wield it as a historical source when it aligns with their confirmation bias and fits their historical revisionism.
The term ‘Israel’ appears in the Quran in the same context as the Book of Joshua (verses 24:3-15) where it refers to the descendants of Jacob, and where ‘Israel’ is used interchangeably with the name Jacob. Likewise, the Quran mentions Bani-Israel (descendants of Jacob), as a clan of Jacob, not a country. The Quran uses an equivalent term when it talks about Bani-Adam, descendants of Adam. Hence, the hyphenated term ‘Bani-Israel’ or its corresponding phrase Bani-Yacoub conveys a clan-based connotation and doesn’t denote a geopolitical entity, much like the reference to Bani-Adam’ does not suggest an Adam country.
The Quran abstains from explicitly naming nations, be they Arab or otherwise, since the concept of the modern nation-state as we know it today didn’t exist 1500 years ago. In the same vein, the Quran doesn’t mention countries such as Syria, Iraq, Iran, or Iraq either. This is because religious texts, including the Quran, aren’t meant to be historical textbooks. For this reason, none of these books can be found in the history section of your library or bookstore.
Yet, among the three monolithic religious scriptures, the only one explicitly designates Palestine as a distinct country – not in a tribal context, is the Old Testament. In the book of Exodus 13:17, it states: ‘When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter’.
‘Philistine’ is the phonetic equivalent in Arabic of the English term ‘Palestine’.
The level of Zionist arrogance is so brazen they decontextualize verses from the Quran to propagate lies, especially as they overlook the comprehensive religious text that directly contradicts the very notion they seek to promote. For Palestine as a region was one of the few places cited in the Quran and the Prophet’s ‘PBUH’ Hadeeth (quotes).
In one verse, the Quran refers to Jerusalem, ‘Masjid al-Aqsa, the surroundings of which We gave blessings’. This verse unequivocally underscores the sanctity of Jerusalem and its adjacent environs for Muslims. Interpretations vary, with some translating it as indicative of contemporary Palestine, while others suggest a broader scope encompassing Palestine and its neighboring countries.
Furthermore, an additional reference lies in the Prophet’s Hadeeth describing the people of Palestine: There will always remain a group of people from my Ummah (Nation) who will be triumphant on truth. Those who will oppose them or abandon them, will not be able to harm them . . .’ The Prophet was asked, “where are these people?” He said: ‘In Bayt Al-Maqdis and the precincts of Bayt Al-Maqdis’, in Jerusalem and its surrounding.
One could contend the prophecy outlined above is being realized, in part, today, as Palestinians remain steadfast despite being abandoned by their coreligionists exemplified by Arab dictators normalizing relations with the Zionist occupier.
Zionist’s exploitation of people’s ignorance of religious texts would be incomplete without suppressing history. Hence, Zionist efforts to perpetuate uninformed Western public by capitalizing on the Holocaust to milk the misplaced European guilt. This is further exemplified by their abuse of the label ‘anti-Semite’ to intimidate, and stifle open discourse or criticism directed at what is considered one of the most racist governments in Israeli history.
In addition, Israeli apologists flaunt undue influence imposing semi-comprehensive censorship on Palestinian narratives in mainstream media, institutional learning, and by pressuring local and national government bodies to promulgate laws that criminalize the rights of persons engaged in nonviolent protests and boycotts against Israel.
There is a long litany of examples where academics and scholars denied tenure in US universities, or dismissed from think tanks and research centers because their perceived ‘controversial’ opinion on the Palestine question might deter tribal donors. Similarly, contracts with government agencies terminated due to businesses refusing to endorse a commitment against boycotting Israel. Moreover, the perspectives of Palestinians are conspicuously absent from mainstream print and media platforms. In contrast, pro-Israeli writers have unfettered access to publishing in all newspapers, and where Israeli officials or their apologists squawk unchallenged on US and European cable news networks.
That’s why you’ll not read this article in one of those managed outlets.
Kanj is the author of “Children of Catastrophe,” Journey from a Palestinian Refugee Camp to America, and other books. He writes frequently on Arab world issues for various national and international commentaries, A version of article was published on Al Mayadeen TV, https://english.almayadeen.net/articles/blog/camp-jenin:-the-story-of-palestine
