Don't Know Much About History

Our boy Newt Gingrich is quite the historian. Fresh from accepting a six figure "historical consulting fee" from Freddie Mac (Don't call it lobbying!), Newt delved into his vast knowledge of Middle East culture to state that the Palestinians are an "invented people who are, in fact, Arabs". What gave it away, Newt? Was it the flowing robes and the kaffiyehs or the fact that they speak Arabic?

Newt continued. As we all know, Arabs have an "enormous desire to destroy Israel" and therefore any Israeli - Palestinian peace process is "delusional". Way to set up potential President Gingrich as a non-partisan, even-handed broker of peace in the Middle East there, Newt!

Let's compare the actual histories of Palestine and America. In the 1200s, European crusaders conquered Jerusalem and killed off nearly all its inhabitants. In the 1500s and 1600s, Europeans invaded America and killed off nearly all its native inhabitants. The Turks drove the Crusaders out and for 700 years, Arabs, Christians and Jews lived together in what all three claim as the Holy Land. Regardless of their religion or language, all three could claim that they were Palestinians. After all, they were living in Palestine. What should they call themselves, some "invented" term like Eskimos? Any resident of the Western Hemisphere whose bloodline originated elsewhere claims the "invented" classification of "American".

More to the point, Palestinian and American history tell us that varying ethnicities can live together in relative peace. Problems arise when a third party, be it crusaders, conquistadores, or GOP candidates stir the pot of native rivalry to their own advantage. Israeli - Palestinian peace is "delusional" only if third party powers make it so. Common Israelis and Palestinians (or whatever "invented" term Newt would have us call them) would much prefer to live in peace rather than looking over their shoulders for the next rocket attack.

Just don't accept blankets from those nice visitors from overseas until you get your smallpox vaccination, Palestinians. The Indians didn't get vaccinated and look what happened to them.