We recently received this e-mail which has been circulating around the internet. It asks some important questions that we thought you might like to know the answers to. We printed a condensed version of the original letter below. "If you are so sure that Palestine, the country, goes back through most of recorded history I expect you to be able to answer a few basic questions about that country:
When was it founded and by whom? What were its borders? What was its capital? What were its major cities? What constituted the basis of its economy? What was its form of government? Can you name at least one Palestinian leader before Arafat?
"Since there is no such country today, what caused its demise and when did it occur?" - Yashiko Sagamori
Was Palestine ever recognized by a country whose existence, at that time or now, leaves no room for interpretation? What was the language of the country of Palestine? What was the prevalent religion of the country of Palestine? What was the name of its currency? And, finally, since there is no such country today, what caused its demise and when did it occur?
If you are lamenting the low sinking of a once proud nation. Please tell me, when exactly was that nation proud and what was it so proud of?"
This letter was written by Yashiko Sagamori on Nov. 6, 2002.
Now for the answers:
1.) When was it founded and by whom?
Palestine was founded by the League of Nations in 1922 and governorship was mandated to Great Britain. Prior to that Palestine was a part of the Ottoman Empire for over 400 years. After its defeat by the Allies in World War I, the Ottoman Empire was carved up by the Allies into what is now the modern Middle East.
Roughly the same as modern day Israel plus the West Bank and Gaza strip. Keep in mind that almost all of the Middle East was part of the Ottoman Empire which was carved up into new countries after WWI.
3.) What was its capital?
Jerusalem
4.) What were its major cities?
Bethlehem, Nablus, Jenin, Haifa, Beersheba, Hebron, Gaza, Jaffa, Nazareth, Khan Yunis, Ramallah, Qalqilya, Ramle and Tulkarem.
5.) What constituted the basis of its economy?
Agriculture. Many Palestinians are farmers and harvest olive and citrus trees. Olive oil is the main export.
6.) What was its form of government?
British mandate. A Palestine National Congress was formed and routinely sent delegations to Great Britain demanding independence.
7.) Can you name at least one Palestinian leader before Arafat?
Musa Kazim Pasha al-Husseini was president of the Palestinian National Congress until his death in 1934. Ahmed Shukeiry was the head of the PLO before Arafat.
8.) Was Palestine ever recognized by a country whose existence, at that time or now, leaves no room for interpretation?
That is a good question. Palestine was promised by the Brits to two different people - the Zionists who wanted to establish a Jewish homeland there and also to the Palestinians. They eventually penned a letter known as the Balfour Declaration on November 2, 1917, which supported creating a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine with the following condition, "it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine."
9.) What was the language of the country of Palestine? Arabic and Hebrew
Islam, a sizable minority of Christians and many Jewish communities. A survey was done showing the distribution of Palestinian and Jewish districts in Palestine in 1945
11.) What was the name of its currency?
The currency was the Palestine Pound and it was written in Arabic, Hebrew and English. The Palestinian Pound is equal to 1000 mils and was roughly equivalent to the British Pound. Type in "Palestine" on eBay and you will see actual coins for sale similar to the one above.
12.) And, finally, since there is no such country today, what caused its demise and when did it occur?
The demise occurred 55 years ago. On May 15, 1948 when Israel was founded on 78% of the land of Palestine. Jordan then took control of the West Bank and Egypt took over the Gaza Strip. In 1967, Israel invaded the neighboring Arab countries and took control of the remaining 22% of Palestinian lands in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. The Palestinians in those areas have been living under Israeli military occupation until today and still hope for an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
There are many excellent books written on the subject. You can see them by visiting the American Task Force on Palestine's
