RUTHFULLY YOURS

http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/10/29/israel-and-vietnam-celebrate-25-years-of-diplomatic-relations/

Throngs of Vietnamese join Israeli folk dance event at historic Ly Thai To Square • Showcasing Israel’s trailblazing agricultural and water technology, Israeli Ambassador Nadav Eschar says the two nations are connected by “innovation, science and vision.”

Dmitry, a 26-year-old Israeli from Jerusalem traveling in Vietnam, could not believe what he was witnessing.

“Suddenly, in the middle of Hanoi, I heard Israeli songs,” he said ecstatically. “I told myself I had to be hallucinating, but it was actually happening.”

Dmitry was describing the large celebration put on by the Israeli Embassy in Vietnam on Saturday to mark 25 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which brought thousands of Vietnamese to historic Ly Thai To Square for a display of Israeli technology and a mass Israeli folk-dancing session.

The event was almost surreal, especially considering the past animosity between the two nations. For the better part of the past quarter-century, the government in Hanoi has usually contacted Israeli ambassadors only when it wanted to summon them and issue rebukes for Israel’s alleged mistreatment of the Palestinians, in keeping with Vietnam’s past as an ally of the Soviet Union. Vietnam even hosted Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat several times during the Cold War and afterwards.

Israel and Vietnam established official diplomatic ties in 1993, but it took 12 years before Hanoi opened an embassy in Tel Aviv. In 2010, when Israel suggested that then-President Shimon Peres visit Hanoi, the Foreign Ministry was told such a visit would be premature.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/netanyahu-presses-to-build-relations-in-gulf-states-1540753549

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to Oman marked a new chapter in his effort to strengthen ties with Gulf Arab nations and shift the conversation from Palestinian issues toward regional threats like Iran.

Mr. Netanyahu sees countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman as crucial potential allies in a Middle East that is realigned around opposition to Iran and is less concerned about Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land without a signed peace deal. U.S. officials hope Saudi Arabia and other states can pressure Palestinians to come to the table and accept the Trump administration’s terms.

Mr. Netanyahu on Sunday promised additional public meetings with Oman to follow up on his heavily publicized trip last week. Other Israeli officials also visited Gulf nations recently or are due to see them in the coming days in rare open settings, potentially building on the quiet ties between Gulf and Israeli intelligence agencies.

Israel lacks diplomatic relations with most of its Arab neighbors, save for Egypt and Jordan. Israel tacitly shares some intelligence information with neighbors including Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E.

In building relations with Oman, Mr. Netanyahu opens a potential back channel to Tehran as Israel is trying to push Iran out of Syria with the war there drawing to a close. Oman has served as a go-between for warring players in the region, including for the U.S. and Iran in 2013.

“In our long meeting we discussed in detail the challenges facing the Middle East. These were important talks—both for the state of Israel and very important talks for Israel’s security. There will be more,” Mr. Netanyahu said on Sunday ahead of a meeting of his cabinet.

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Regenerating muscles. I reported previously (Feb 2015) on the recovery from muscle injury of hip-replacement patients treated with PLX-PAD stem cells from Israel’s Pluristem. Follow-up data has now confirmed the results and expanded Phase III trials are being supported by the European Horizon 2020 program.
http://www.pluristem.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Muscle_publication_final_isa.pdf

A map of good and bad proteins. Researchers at Ben-Gurion University have identified certain proteins in the human body that are key to progressing or preventing diseases such as cancer. They have mapped protein to protein interactions and are confident they can develop new treatments for those diseases.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-protein-map-method-offers-hope-for-target-specific-drugs-researchers/

Living to 200 and beyond. (TY WIN & I24 News) Israeli biotech Cellect is developing stem cell technology that may extend individual human life far beyond what currently can be conceived. And a new international study forecasts Israeli life-expectancy to rise to 84.4 by 2040, giving Israel a world ranking of 7 (currently 13).
https://www.youtube.com/embed/kG4Nmx_vVf0?rel=0
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/434231

New heart center doubles treatment capacity. A $10 million cutting-edge heart center has been dedicated at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem. The center more than doubles the department’s capacity to treat heart patients with 32 extra cardiac beds, 11 post-catherization beds and 11 intensive care private rooms.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/10-million-heart-center-dedicated-at-jerusalems-hadassah-hospital/

Successful 2nd heart op for Syrian baby. I wrote previously (31st Dec) about a seriously ill baby boy, born to Syrian refugees in Cyprus being flown to Israel for emergency heart surgery. He is now making a good and steady recovery in Israel’s Sheba Hospital after a second heart operation.
https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/seriously-ill-syrian-baby-recovering-after-major-heart-surgery-in-israel/

Stay healthy, the Israeli way. This video highlights seven ways that Israelis exercise to stay fit and healthy.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/GohnTcfXisg?rel=0

Think positively to beat cancer. I reported previously (24th July) that Israel Technion researchers have proved that positive emotions have the ability to shrink tumors. Here is another couple of articles about their research.
https://www.israel21c.org/can-positive-emotions-shrink-cancer-tumors/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05283-5

Smartphone urine tests. (TY Hazel) I reported previously (22 April) on Israeli start-up Healthy.io that allows patients to test their urine at home, using a smartphone camera. Patients with kidney disease (for example) can closely monitor their condition. Siemens Healthineers is now partnering Healthy.io to provide testing kits.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-siemens-healthineers-healthy-io/siemens-healthineers-partners-with-healthy-io-for-smartphone-based-urine-testing-idUSKCN1MX1SE https://healthy.io/

ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Support for families of a cancer patient. Israel Cancer Support Network (ICSN) offers cancer patients and their families the support they need to meet the challenges of suffering through painful cancer treatments. ICSN and its 2,000 volunteers have helped over 11,000 families from giving lifts to helping to access top doctors.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/spotlight/giving-cancer-patients-hope-is-as-valuable-as-giving-them-medicine/

Bedouin woman joins Israeli police rescue unit. I’ve included articles previously (see here) about Bedouin Muslim women integrating into Israeli society. Now Rana Jaboua, a resident of the Bedouin Negev village of al-Fara’a has become the first female Bedouin in Israel to join the Israel Police Rescue team.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/first-israeli-bedouin-woman-joins-police-rescue-unit/2018/10/23/

Israeli Arab woman goes to Stanford. Israeli Arab Mira Shalah gained her BSc at the University of Haifa and her PhD in Computer Science at Israel’s Technion Institute. She is now doing post-doctorate research into Computational Geometry at Stanford University, California. http://web.stanford.edu/~mshalah/home
https://www.graduate.technion.ac.il/Theses/Abstracts.asp?Id=29921

IDF helps Jordanian flood rescue. The Israel Defense Forces sent its elite 699 search-and-rescue unit to Jordan to assist the rescue operation after a tour bus was hit by flash flood near the Dead Sea. They deployed rescue equipment, established a ground command team and illuminated the area from the air.
http://www.bicom.org.uk/news/israeli-team-joins-jordanian-forces-flash-flood-rescue-operation/
https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Israel-sends-elite-rescue-unit-to-Jordan-after-flood-kills-at-least-14-570347

Israeli embassy in Rwanda. Israel is to open an embassy in the central African state of Rwanda in its capital, Kigali. Although the two countries have maintained diplomatic relations for years, previous contacts have been held via the Israeli Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/10/15/deepening-diplomatic-partnership-with-africa-israel-to-open-rwanda-embassy/

Chinese VP visits Israel. China’s Vice-President Wang Qishan made an important visit to Israel. After meetings with Israel’s President and Prime Minister, he addressed the fourth meeting of the Israel-China Joint Committee on Innovation Cooperation. He also signed eight joint science and technology agreements.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/global/china/netanyahu-welcomes-chinese-vice-president-wang-qishan-at-foreign-ministry-avriel-hall/2018/10/24/ http://www.jewishpress.com/news/global/china/prime-minister-chinese-vp-chair-fourth-meeting-of-israel-china-joint-committe-on-innovation-cooperation/2018/10/24/

Thank you for helping save Thai boys. (TY Hazel) Thailand’s Ambassador to Israel Penprapa Vongkovit, thanked Israel’s Maxtech for its communication technology used in the rescue of the Thai boys earlier this year. She also thanked Israel for “its special navy team and specialized diving helmets to assist the operation.”
https://www.jpost.com/International/Thai-Ambassador-thanks-Israeli-company-for-aid-in-rescue-of-Thai-boys-570129

Guatemala’s new Ambassador. The Friends of Zion Museum hosted newly-confirmed Guatemalan Ambassador to Israel Mario Bucaro following his official presentation to President Reuven Rivlin. Guatemala has been a strong supporter of Israel in the United Nations in recent years and moved its embassy to Jerusalem.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Friends-of-Zion-hosts-event-to-honor-Guatemalas-new-ambassador-to-Israel-570356

Israeli PM visits Oman. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, made a “not so secret” visit to the Gulf nation of Oman – the first by an Israeli leader in 22 years. He discussed the peace process with Sultan Qaboos bin Said. See the extra-ordinary video of the event on the official Oman TV channel.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-dramatic-sign-of-warming-ties-netanyahu-makes-secret-visit-to-oman/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEY3pISouJg

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Rent an Israeli space lab. For a tiny fraction of the development budget for a new treatment, you can now rent one of the orbiting “minilabs” of Israel’s SpacePharma for up to six months. Clients run experiments in zero gravity by remote control from Earth. SpacePharma has two tiny milk-carton size minilabs already in operation.
https://www.israel21c.org/rocket-launched-minilabs-enable-pharma-rd-in-zero-gravity/

Using AI to find a job. Israeli-founded startup Stellares helps tech companies find talented workers using Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Tel Aviv R&D center has developed a questionnaire plus an algorithm that crawls the web and matches a candidate’s digital footprint with the job specification and company’s ethos.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/tech-job-matching-startup-raises-3-5-million/

1-hour delivery with AI and robots. Israel’s CommonSense Robotics has launched a service that enables even small retailers to offer one-hour, on-demand grocery deliveries to consumers. Robots at CSR warehouses in urban areas use Artificial Intelligence to retrieve produce for humans to pack. Robots then dispatch orders.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/253718
https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/15/commonsense-robotics/
https://www.cs-robotics.com/ https://www.youtube.com/embed/d34INdmwyIo?rel=0

Tel Aviv & Chicago pair up to innovate. Tel Aviv University is partnering with the University of Chicago, University of Illinois and Northwestern University to establish the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) in central Chicago. The DPI will focus on research and innovation into cyber security, AI, big data and food security.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Tel-Aviv-and-Chicago-pairing-up-to-advance-research-and-innovation-570182 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j0Xfm8M4Yw&t=157

Punjab seeks Israeli help to recycle water. (TY Hazel) Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh held extensive talks in Jerusalem with Israel’s Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Yuval Steinitz, on the issue of water management to boost water conservation in Punjab. Four Memorandum of Understanding were signed.
http://www.punjabnewsline.com/news/-punjab-cm-seeks-israels-cooperation-in-recycling-of-sewerage-water-in-major-cities-6044 http://nocamels.com/2018/10/india-punjab-israel-agriculture-water-tech/

SodaStream’s “holy turtle” cleans sea of plastic waste. Israel’s SodaStream (now part of PepsiCo) has launched “Holy Turtle” – a 300m contraption that recovers plastic waste from open waters. During the 4-day pilot, the device captured tons of waste floating in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Roatán, Honduras.
http://nocamels.com/2018/10/sodastream-holy-turtle-environment-honduras/

Israeli tech used in Florida rescue missions. I reported previously (10 Mar)on Israel’s Edgybees whose First Response app saved lives after Hurricane Irma and the California wildfires. Edgybees’ Augmented Reality (AR) system was used recently during Hurricane Michael, by response teams in Florida and Missouri.
http://nocamels.com/2018/10/israel-startup-florida-hurricane-michael/

Alexa – vacuum seal my strawberries. Israel’s Silo Kitchen is developing an Alexa-controlled food vacuum container system that extends food-life up to 5-times. Silo aimed to raise $80,000 on Kickstarter but after just 10 days it had pledges worth over half a million dollars. Very informative video.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3748070,00.html
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/simplifyfreshness/your-remarkably-simple-one-touch-connected-vacuum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF6TnyBl5QU

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

New Jersey Governor’s first Israel mission. New Jersey Governor Philip Dunton Murphy visited Israel on his first commercial mission to strengthen economic and technological ties between his state and the State of Israel. A new agreement was signed that aims to triple the current $1 billion annual trade between the two states.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-jersey-israel-sign-accord-to-boost-tech-economic-cooperation/
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/us-news/ny/new-jersey-governor-welcomed-on-first-mission-to-israel-plants-tree-in-jerusalem/2018/10/23/

OBE for Israeli businessman. Israel’s Haim Shani, who chairs the UK Israel Tech Hub, is to be appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). British Ambassador to Israel, David Quarrey said, “Haim has helped transform the tech partnership between the two countries.”
https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/israeli-businessman-to-be-given-obe-by-the-queen-for-his-economic-diplomacy/

Top multinationals invest in Israeli fund. Israel’s Team8 (formed from ex-IDF security unit 8200) has setup a second $85 million fund for technologies and startups focused on big data and artificial intelligence. It has attracted 14 multinationals including Walmart, Softbank, Airbus, Microsoft, Moody’s, Cisco and Barclays.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3748243,00.html

Best Israeli workplaces. Google is still the best company to work for in Israel, with Facebook second as per last year. But Microsoft jumped ten places to 3rd, displacing Intel which dropped to 7th. The Dun & Bradstreet list analyzes wages, benefits, career development, support provided, employment stability, and wellness.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3748431,00.html

Tech salaries keep rising. High demand for Israeli tech talent continues to push up local wages. The average pay for software professionals in Israel in the third quarter of 2018 increased by 6% year-to-year. Algorithm developers are the highest paid, but data scientists had the biggest pay rise (15%).
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3748076,00.html

CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Open houses and busy streets. (TY Sharon) Jerusalem’s annual Batim MaBefnim, (Houses from Within) are free open houses, with over 100 options in all parts of the city. This article highlights the Art Museum in Heichal Shlomo, Beit Kadima, the Miffal, Hansen House and especially Villa Mamilla.
http://rjstreets.com/2018/10/24/jerusalem-open-houses-and-busy-streets/

Come aboard for Eurovision. Tens of thousands are set to visit Tel Aviv in May for the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. To address the increased demand for accommodation, the Tel Aviv Municipality has hired a cruise ship with 500 cabins, which will dock near Tel Aviv and provide low-cost beds for many of the visitors.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Tel-Aviv-organizing-cruise-ship-hotel-for-Eurovision-570103

Israel’s 95-year-old skydiver. Walter Bingham, broadcaster on Arutz Sheva (Israel National Radio) waited until the grand age of 95 before he took to the air for his first skydiving experience. From 13,000 feet, he witnessed some amazing views of the Holy Land.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-meet-israels-95-year-old-skydiver/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/dVMnUSoLJw4?rel=0

Youth Olympics Israeli medal winners. At the Youth Olympic games in Buenos Aires, swimmer Anastasya Gorbenko won gold in the women’s 200m individual medley while Denis Loktev won bronze in the men’s 200m freestyle. Yonatan Fridman and Noa Kazdo Yakar won the acrobatic gymnastics mixed pair silver medal.
https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/israels-youth-olympic-team-brings-home-three-medals/
https://www.buenosaires2018.com/results/en/swimming/results-women-s-200m-individual-medley-fnl-000100-.htm?lng=en

Israel’s Alon Day wins NASCAR Euro again. Israel’s Alon Day had an impressive start to finish win at Belgium’s Circuit Zolder on the last day of the season to win the Euro NASCAR championship for the second consecutive year. Day’s seventh victory this year matches the record for the most wins in a season.
https://autoweek.com/article/nascar/alon-day-captures-second-whelen-nascar-euro-championship-circuit-zolder

THE JEWISH STATE

Look what they’ve done to the synagogue. (TY Erez) The ancient synagogue at Ein Keshatot in the Golan is now open to the public, nearly 1200 years after it was destroyed by an earthquake. 15 years of reconstruction involved 3D laser scanning technology and the numbering and positioning of each displaced brick.
https://hike-israel.com/2018/09/29/ein-kshatot/

US-Israeli stamps for Hanukah. (TY Sharon) US Ambassador David Friedman and Israel Cultural Minister Ayoub Kara, unveiled new Hanukah stamps at the American Center in Jerusalem. A parallel ceremony held in the Touro Synagogue in Rhode Island was live-streamed to the Jerusalem location.
https://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=37&ARTICLE_ID=109180
https://www.youtube.com/embed/5ARTAlmi7TY?rel=0

http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/10/24/bolivia-promoting-another-anti-israel-event-at-un-security-council/

Bolivian ambassador invites Randa Siniora, a known supporter of the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, to ‎address the Security Council • “Circus of Bolivian hypocrisy continues,” Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon says.

The Bolivian mission to the United Nations, which ‎holds the Security Council presidency this ‎month‎, ‎announced Tuesday that it plans to host another anti-‎Israel event at the forum.‎

Bolivian Ambassador to the U.N. Sacha Sergio ‎Llorenti Soliz has invited Randa Siniora, director ‎of the Ramallah-based Women’s Center for Legal Aid ‎and Counselling and former director of Al-Haq – both ‎groups that promote anti-Israel lawfare and support ‎the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement – to ‎address the Security Council.‎

Al-Haq’s delegitimization campaign against Israel ‎is especially virulent, and past ‎officials in the organization have been convicted of ‎affiliation with the Popular Front for the ‎Liberation of Palestine, designated by Israel as a ‎terrorist group.‎

Soliz was also the driving force behind inviting ‎Hagai El-Ad, director of the human rights group B’Tselem to ‎address the Security Council.‎

http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/10/24/report-jordanian-mps-demand-review-of-peace-treaty-%e2%80%8ewith-israel-%e2%80%8e/

In wake of a decision to void clauses in 1994 peace deal leasing borderlands to Israel, hawkish lawmakers urge King Abdullah to exit treaty altogether • Security around Israeli Embassy in Amman increased ahead of a mass anti-Israel march planned for Friday.

Members of the Jordanian Parliament on Tuesday demanded a special session be held to review the 1994 peace treaty with Israel, and some hawkish lawmakers urged King Abdullah to cancel the agreement altogether, local media reported.

The move followed an announcement by Abdullah on Sunday that he has decided ‎to pull out of clauses in the ‎agreement that allow Israel to lease two small areas – ‎Baqura, known as Naharayim in Hebrew, in the northern Jordan Valley, and Ghamr in ‎the south – from the Jordanians for 25 years. ‎

The leases expire next year and the deadline for ‎renewing them is Thursday.‎

Naharayim, a small parcel of land also called the “Isle of Peace,” has become the center of recent friction between the longtime peace partners.

The 1994 peace treaty, signed between then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Abdullah’s father, King Hussein, is vastly unpopular in Jordan, where ‎‎pro-Palestinian sentiment is widespread.

‎‎Activists and politicians have been vocal against a ‎‎renewal of the lease clauses, which they say is ‎‎”humiliating” and perpetuates “‎Israeli occupation” ‎of Jordanian territory.‎

Dr. Alex Grobman is a historian and author of The Palestinian Right To Israel (Balfour Books, 2010). He co-authored “Denying History: Who Says The Holocaust Never Happened And Why Do They Say It?” (University of California Press, 2000). His newest book is License to Murder: The Enduring Threat of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

“Naila and the Uprising,” a controversial film produced by Just Vision, is about the role ostensibly played by Palestinian Arab women in the first intifada. According to the producers, who are “a team of human rights advocates, journalists, and filmmakers,” their goal “is to contribute to fostering peace and an end to the occupation by rendering Palestinian and Israeli grassroots leaders more visible, valued and influential in their efforts.”

In reality, the film is another attempt to defame Israel as the aggressor and an occupier of Arab lands. In contrast, the objective of the article below is to briefly outline the role of Palestinian Arab women as suicide bombers, and their position during the first intifada.

Women have been involved in terrorist activities in a number of countries including Algiers, Germany, Italy, Sri Lanka, Chechnya, Nigeria, West Africa, Lebanon, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Peru, Jordan, Pakistan, Japan, Syria, Russia and Turkey. Terrorist organizations, including ISIS, began using women once they realized they were far better able to evade detection than men.

Palestinian Arabs believed women would be less likely to be stopped at checkpoints or be subjected to meticulous security searches, and their participation increased the ability of terrorist organizations to succeed in mounting an attack. [1] In an attempt to deceive the Israeli military, some terrorists initially used fake ID cards, particularly Red Crescent ID’s. [2]

The young terrorists did whatever is required “to blend in” to get near to as many people as possible to blow them up or maim them. From a description of the first intifada:

http://q4j-middle-east.com

Herb Keinon and Khaled Abu Toameh reported in the October 21, 2018 Jerusalem Post on King Abdullah II of Jordan’s decision to downgrade its peace treaty with Israel.

More specifically, this decision involves Jordan wanting to…“opt out of annexes from its 1994 peace treaty with Israel that leased two border areas that historically were difficult to delineate…the king’s decision followed a request from government activists not to renew the agreement and to revoke Israeli ownership from Jordanian land.” Israel had been using the areas for agricultural purposes. The report further explained that…

“Abdullah is in a vice. While he needs the peace treaty with Israel for the security of his regime, he has domestic Islamic elements to deal with and at times placate. He is also dealing with Syrian crisis, which has not only inundated his country with refugees, but also put Iran perilously close. The language Abdullah used in announcing the move–Jordanian land, Jordanian interests–is a bone thrown to the Islamists.”

In reality, I doubt that Islamists care much about the “Jordanian” aspect to this issue.

What Islamists do care about is the land being in the hands of folks from their perceived Dar al-Harb (realm of war)–not Dar ul-Islam…especially those of the Arabs’ despised kilab yahud ilk–“Jew dogs.”

http://www.mythsandfacts.org/article_view.asp?articleID=348

There is no age-old Palestinian people. Most so-called Palestinians are relative newcomers to the Land of Israel.

Palestine is ‘not a state’
White House National Security Advisor John Bolton

The Palestinians claim that they are an ancient and indigenous people fails to stand up to historic scrutiny. Most Palestinian Arabs were newcomers to British Mandate Palestine. Until the 1967 Six-Day War made it expedient for Arabs to create a Palestinian peoplehood, local Arabs simply considered themselves part of the ‘great Arab nation’ or ‘southern Syrians.’

Palestinian Arabs cast themselves as a native people in “Palestine” – like the Aborigines in Australia or Native Americans in America. They portray the Jews as European imperialists and colonizers. This is simply untrue. Until the Jews began returning to the Land of Israel in increasing numbers from the late 19th century to the turn of the 20th, the area called Palestine was a God-forsaken backwash that belonged to the Ottoman Empire, based in Turkey.

What caused the collapse of Palestinian society? In addition to serious cleavages dating to Ottoman times that existed in local Arab society, it was the absence of an alternative Arab infrastructure after the British pulled out of Mandate Palestine. Because Palestinian Arab society had been so dependent on British civil administration and social services, Britain’s departure left Arab civil servants jobless. As a result, most social services and civil administration ceased to function in the Arab sector, disrupting the flow of essential commodities such as food and fuel, which added to their hardships and uncertainties.