The Biden State Department doesn’t know, or doesn’t want you to know, that the “West Bank” and Gaza were part of the original Mandate for Palestine, set aside for a Jewish national home. Not only that, but between 1949 and 1967, when they were under Jordanian and Egyptian rule, nothing was ever said about how they were occupied “Palestinian” territory. That kind of language only arose as a rhetorical stick to beat Israel with. After the 1967 war, Israel was occupying land to which only Israel, among all the countries of the world, had any legal claim. Find out more about this in The Palestinian Delusion.
“State Department says Israel ‘occupied’ West Bank and Gaza,” Al-Monitor, April 1, 2021:
A State Department spokesman said it is a “historical fact” that Israel occupied the Palestinian Territories in 1967 following a report from the department that retained some Trump administration language on the issue that is closer to Israel’s position.
The US State Department clarified Wednesday that its view is that Israel “occupied” the Palestinian territories. The comments follow a report from the department that retained some Trump administration language indicating a more pro-Israel view from the United States on the issue.
On Tuesday, the State Department released its human rights report for 2020. The section on the West Bank and Gaza did not include the word “occupied” in its title. Under President Barack Obama, the report used the word “occupied” in the section header. However, the department dropped the term from the report title during the administration of President Donald Trump.
Tuesday’s report did say that it “covers the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem territories that Israel occupied during the June 1967 war.” The Israel section also says Israel “occupied” the Golan Heights in 1967, but noted the 2019 US recognition of the formerly Syrian-held territory as Israeli, as well as the 2017 US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Finally, the report said it “is not meant to convey a position on any final status issues,” including on “borders.”
Later that day, the State Department’s Acting Assistant Secretary Lisa Peterson dodged a question on whether the United States views the West Bank and Gaza as occupied, repeating that the report is not a reflection on the “final status” of the areas.
However, on Wednesday, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US view is that Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza. “It is a historical fact that Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights after the 1967 war,” Price said at a press conference.
Price noted the report’s use of the word “occupation” to refer the West Bank as well.
“This has been the long-standing position of previous administrations of both parties over the course of many decades,” he said, adding that both Israel and the Palestinians should avoid doing anything to put a two-state solution “further out of reach.”
Israel took the West Bank from Jordan and the Gaza Strip from Egypt during the June 1967 war. The majority of the population is Palestinian in both areas, though hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers now live in the West Bank. Gaza is controlled internally by the Palestinian military and political organization Hamas, while its borders are subject to an Israeli and Egyptian blockade. Israel also controls the West Bank’s borders. Internally, it is administered in some areas by the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority and by the Israeli military in other parts. The United Nations considers the territories occupied by Israel and the settlements illegal, though Israel disputes this.
Trump changed the US view on Israeli and Palestinian territory considerably. The United States during his administration became the first country to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan and his move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem reversed decades of US recognition of Tel Aviv as Israel’s capital. The move also led several other states to establish embassies in Jerusalem. Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also said in 2019 that Israel’s settlements in the West Bank are “not per se inconsistent with international law,” which was also a departure from the policy of previous US presidents….
Malcolm (South Afric) says
The one thing Biden’s party is proficient in doing ,is destroying facts or empirical evidence, to what ever they wish one to believe.
Jack Holan says
You are spot on
Clifford Fodor says
That’s how he became president.
AvgGal says
Wasn’t Israel attacked in 1967 by several arab countries?
To the victor go the spoils.
Justis says
Old man Biden is senile with severe dementia, Biden and his administration is only recognized by lunatic left radicals, Biden administration doesn’t understand historical facts of the region especially Israeli sovereignty to the land in question
Even if Biden was giving a lesson by a top historian he would forget the conversation shortly thereafter.
mortimer says
Reply to Malcolm: It’s fantasy. In fact, the West Bank was an integral part of Jordan. The Jordanese flag flew over it. Children in school used Jordanian books and sang the Jordanian anthem. They were Jordanians. The flag of the Pallies is the same as the Jordanian flag without the star.
GOLDMANN says
There is no such place as the “west bank”!??? ? It’s called Samaria ,l forgot the other name ?
Brenrod says
The other name is Judea meaning land of the Jews.
Infidel says
I have always wondered one thing. If Judea is the southern part of that area and Samaria the northern part, what are the other parts called? Galilee, Negev and….?
Essentially, in pre-islamic times, when the Hebrews ran it, did they call the entire nation Israel or Palestine or Canaan or something else?
gravenimage says
Infidel, “Canaan” was (originally) the land of the Canaanites, and “Palestine” is the Roman term for the land of the Philistines–a term already archaic when they used it.
Jews never used either term for their own land–save for a brief adoption of “Palestine” in the early-mid 20th century.
jule says
Don’t they know Jordan occupied Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem, demolishing the Jewish Quarter and massacring thousands of Jews? Or that Jordan ILLEGALLY annexed these regions 1950 and put up signs “no Jews allowed’ not even on Temple Mount or any old Jewish site? How can he never have been taught? It factual history. Does he even know Transjordan was given to Saudi for an Arab Muslim Kingdom and that it is more than half of the regio? SOMEONE TEACH THESE HALFWITS. Who Briefs these uneducated politicians?
Infidel says
The PLO was created in 1964. Why didn’t they then ask King Hussein of Jordan and President Nasser of Egypt for the West Bank and Gaza, before the latter started the Six Day War?
Wellington says
Good point, Infidel. And your comment points out something else and that is that Palestinian terror preceded the so-called occupation and not the other way around as it is invariably presented by either the ignorant or the malicious.
gravenimage says
+1
Jack Holan says
Everyone in the PLO would have disappeared had they asked for that kind of possession. In fact, in 1970, the PLO ran for their lives when King Hussein of Jordan unleashed the Bedouin Legion to eradicate them. They had wanted to take over Jordan. They then moved on to Lebanon and wrecked the Pearl of the Middle East until they were forced to move to Tunisia by Israel in 1982. It was their constant bombing of the Internationally recognized Israeli borders and civilian areas that caused the intrusion into Lebanon to force the PLO out In each case Acceptance of the Two States 1947 REJECTED, War of Independence 1948 sided by Palestinian Fedayeen lost, All terrorist activity till and including today, lost! Yet the Media portrays them as victims albeit 100% of Gaza is run by Hamas, 95% of the “West Bank is controlled by the PA. Everyday life is run by the PA unless it involves terrorism or plans to facilitate terrorism.
The West for too long has drank the Kool-Aid served by the PLO and Media about what is happening in the Areas on the ground. Wake people.
commonsense says
JH: Excellent post, indeed.
gravenimage says
Good posts, Infidel, Wellington, and Jack.
Duane Mo tez says
Uhhhhhh…… there’s no such thing as a palestinian…….
Infidel says
Actually, before 1948, Jews living in the British mandate called Palestine were known as Palestinians – both the local ones, as well as the ones who moved in from Europe, buying up property from the local Arabs at above market prices. Notably, the Arabs weren’t, though! They were still known as Arabs, and the Arabs were largely a monolith, even if there may well have been differences b/w Umayyad Arabs living west of the Euphrates in places like Damascus, Cairo, Benghazi and westwards, Abbasid Arabs living in what’s now known as Iraq and the Arabs of the Arabian peninsula
gravenimage says
As a child in the early 1960s I remember Jews saying, “next year in Palestine!”.
Norman Gardner says
Next year in Jerusalem was the original quote
gravenimage says
I heard both, Norman.
Andre says
Yes, but while I do not believe I should be on anyone’s side (but truthfully I try hard not to take Israel’s side) and while I loathe Islamic terrorism, and the Islamic terrorism which no doubt would still be plaguing Israel were it not for all the walls between Israel and the “West Bank” (known as Judah/Judea during Christ’s lifetime), and the walls within the West Bank, and while l do not care for the religious motives for the “Palestinian Struggle” that forms an integral part of the “Palestinian National Charter” drawn up in the days of Yasser Arafat, ..
.. yet even so, we all need to understand that neither the Balfour Declaration of (1917?) nor the United Nations Resolution of 1947 took into account that there were both Christian and non-Christian Arabs living in the territory before the territory was given to the Jews as their national homeland, and a new state called Israel was created.
This is Britain and the United Nations’ mess – it always has been, and always will be.
I could easily say, “Time for the Arabs to move on and move out” but that is an audacity and always remains an audacity on the part of anyone who is always taking sides. It’s the same as saying, “Time for the white farmers in South Africa to move on and move off their land” just because indigenous African people want them off the land.
Fair is fair, and the Arabs in the territory (called the West Bank and Gaza strip) have a right to govern themselves, regardless of religious persuasion or anything else.
So who wants to fix the Balfour Declaration and the United Nations mess? Certainly not me. I know I can’t. Right now it’s a fight between a group of people who declare “God has no Son” and another group of people who declare “Allah has no Son”.
“And it happened, when Joshua was beside Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked. And, behold, there stood a Man in front of him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, Are You for us, or for our foes? And He said, No, but I have come as the Commander of the army of the LORD. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth. And he worshiped and said to Him, What does my Lord say to His servant?” Joshua 5:13-14
gravenimage says
Andre wrote:
Yes, but while I do not believe I should be on anyone’s side
…………………………..
Really? So you wouldn’t want to be on the side of the Allies, when you could be on the side of the Fascists?
More:
This is Britain and the United Nations’ mess – it always has been, and always will be.
…………………………..
So the vibrant, democratic state of Isreal is a “mess”? Do you consider violent Muslims like Hamas and Hizb’allah prefereable?
More:
Right now it’s a fight between a group of people who declare “God has no Son” and another group of people who declare “Allah has no Son”.
…………………………..
Ludicrous false moral equivalency. Christians have full freedom and rights in Israel–but they are threatened, persecuted, and abused in Dar-al-Islam.
Norman Gardner says
Arab Christians have been persecuted by Muslims and many have moved away as a result. Bethlehem was mostly Christian until a few years ago , now they are less than 20 % of the population in Bethlehem. Not only in Judea and Samaria but the Christian population in Iraq has been decimated as well as other Arab Muslim nations.
Andre says
It’s not only Christians in the Middle East anymore. Ever heard of “Tommy Robinson” in the U.K? The West is already in the same gradual Islamic takeover that befell Lebanon and towns like Bethlehem.
I don’t know who, among the people posting comments here believe in Jesus and who do not, but it’s time for Christians to wake up to the fact the Commander of the LORD’s army (Jesus) has not given His army the privilege of hating those who hate them. We can despise all lies and hold false prophets and their teachings in contempt, but we are not given the option of hating those who believe lies and hate us, hating them in return for their hatred, no matter how vile their deeds.
When everyone is hating everybody and the hatred is escalating everywhere (which is what we are all seeing simply because it’s running parallel to our turn to sojourn on the planet), then this is only going to eventually lead to a massive, all out war between all the various groups, with people in the same groups fighting one another but also united against other groups – and that’s when the prophesied world empire will rise to power, because there’s always only one victor at the end of any war and only one group is going to be the ultimate victor. – and that’s when we must be prepared to go either with the flow, or be beheaded while we are praying for our enemies who are beheading us, just as Christ did 2,000 years ago and like Stephen did, a little later (though the method of killing Christ and the method of killing Stephen was not the same, and the method of killing us will not be the same, either).
I don’t claim to understand or interpret all Biblical prophecy correctly, but I do believe an inference can be made from the opening verses of Revelation 20 that all those who refuse to receive ‘the mark’ (whatever that may be) are going to be beheaded one day – and that includes all Christians who refuse that mark, without exception. Right now there’s only one group of people who still practice beheading.
Jihad Watch does it’s job well by making people aware of what Islam is, and reporting truthfully on the activities of those who regard themselves as the soldiers of Allah, but as far as Christians are concerned, 2,000 years ago Jesus gave us instructions regarding our own attitudes, and those instructions are not a request.
Most of the people here fall into the same trap I do before I pull myself out again: Allowing the injustice of all this to eat us up inside. Instead of trusting in Jesus and resigning ourselves to the extra-Biblical but very wise phrase (cliche), “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”, I often wind up allowing all this to eat me up inside, make me angry, and producing the same hatred in my mind/heart for others that they have for me.
But Christians are still not given the option by the Commander of the LORD’s army (the Commander-in-Chief of Christians) to lower ourselves to the level of those who hate us by hating them in return, no matter how dastardly their deeds. Nor are we told to choose sides between one group of occupants of the ancient land of Judah who declare “God has no Son” and another group of occupants who declare “Allah has no Son”, just because one group’s ways have been evil and the other group’s far more civilized (but though always understandable, not perfect).
gravenimage says
True, Norman.
gravenimage says
Andre, your idea that opposing the evil of Jihad involves lowering ourselves to the level of Jihadists is quite mistaken.
Let love be genuine. Hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
–Romans 12:9
Andre says
So the reason there is no peace between Israel and the Palestinians who live in the West Bank and Gaza is because there is no political mess? Diplomats have been working for decades trying to reach a solution – especially about who owns Jerusalem for decades because there’s no mess?
Honestly, first the Romans (our forefathers) created this situation, by destroying Jerusalem and kicking all the Jews out of Judea. Then the Arabs, then the Persians, then the Ottoman Turks, then the British, then the U.N
What does God say to Christians about it?
We know what God is saying by learning a lesson from the Commander of the LORD’s army (like Joshua did) and by believing what Jesus said, and actually listening to Him.
1. By saying “No, but I have come as the Commander of the army of the LORD”, the Commander of the LORD’S army was saying that he was neither on Israel’s side not on their foes’ side, but on God’s side only.
So Joshua abandoned implying by his question that the Commander of the LORD’s army ought to be on Israel’s side, and instead fell down and worshiped, asking the Commander of the LORD’s army to teach Joshua – Joshua immediately dropped his “know-it-all spiritually correct” attitude in order to open his ears to what the Commander of the LORD’s army had to say.
2,000 years ago Jesus gave some instructions to those who follow HIM:
“But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
“Therefore go and teach ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Mat 28:19
He did not tell us to choose which groups of people to hate, and which to love:
“You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, so that you may become sons of your Father in Heaven. For He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax-collectors do so? Therefore be perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” Mat 5:43-48
The Samaritans were considered spiritually unclean by the Jewish priests in Jesus’ day, so when asked “Who is my neighbor?” (when Jesus said His followers are to love our neighbor as ourselves), He gave the parable of the good Samaritan (which tells us that the very person we regard as spiritually unclean – that one is our neighbor, who we are to love).
It’s the same Jesus who 2,000 years ago said,
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is left to you desolate. For I say to you, YOU SHALL NOT SEE ME FROM NOW ON UNTIL you say (of Jesus), “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Mat 23:37-39
“For everyone, “whoever shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without preaching?
And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
As it is written, “How beautiful the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things!” But not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” Then faith is of hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. (Rom 10:13-21)
The Commander of the LORD’s army does not think like we do.
The Commander of the LORD’s army (Jesus) has given us only certain instructions, and the Commander of the LORD’s army is on the side of these people only:
“The Lord is not slow concerning His promise, as some count slowness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
So if we desired only the salvation of those whose faith teaches them to hate, we cannot hate them, and we cannot take sides. It’s not our business, unless we are Israeli Jews living in Israel or Muslim (or Christian) Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza. The rest of the world’s Christians ought to listen to the Commander of the LORD’s army ONLY, and not take sides.
gravenimage says
Andre wrote:
So the reason there is no peace between Israel and the Palestinians who live in the West Bank and Gaza is because there is no political mess? Diplomats have been working for decades trying to reach a solution – especially about who owns Jerusalem for decades because there’s no mess?
…………………
I question the idea that the modern creation of Israel–a civilized, democratic state–is a “mess”.
Of course the presense of murderous Muslims is a mess.
More:
So if we desired only the salvation of those whose faith teaches them to hate, we cannot hate them, and we cannot take sides. It’s not our business, unless we are Israeli Jews living in Israel or Muslim (or Christian) Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza.
…………………
What utter rot. The idea that Christianity demands that Christians make no distiction between aggressors and victims is completely false.
And Muslims target Christians, as well–is Andre here saying that they have no right to “take sides” between their fellow Christians and those who want to slaughter them? *Good grief*.
commonsense says
GI has piercing intelligence and endless patience, always ready and able to argue cogently and skewer, when appropriate, the natterings of those who display ignorance, hypocrisy, and fanaticism. Her response here to “Andre” is typically excellent.
gravenimage says
Thank you so much, commonsense. This means a lot to me coming from you.
Walter Sieruk says
Joe Biden, no doubt instructed his administration to official come out with that totally falsehood and lie of a statement. Therefor Biden is blatant liar.
For all of the land including the Golan Heights and the West Bank all belongs to the Jewish people and likewise the land belongs to the State of Israel.
This has been proven by archaeology, history and the Bible, as found in First Kings 4:20,21, 24,25. 8:55, 56.
President imposter Biden is an outright liar.
somehistory says
The Land of Israel…given to the sons of Israel…a.k.a. Jacob, renamed Israel by God, Who gave them the land thousands of years ago, was “stolen” by mozlem hordes.
Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, had been promised that his “seed” would take possession of the land.
Moses was shown the land shortly before his death, being told that the sons of Israel would inhabit the land as their own property…given to them by God They lived there for thousands of years….and only left due to being overrun by hordes intent on murdering them all.
The people of Babylon fought Israel and took the land for some 70 years…but God saw to it that it was returned to the Jews…the sons of Israel.
Had the mozlems been content…hahaha…with that fact, there would not be the false, lying claims now, that Israel is an “occupier.”
It only matters in the small scheme of things…secular, mundane matters of life…what any “president” or state department says about this situation. The Land of Israel was given by God to the sons of Israel…Jacob, grandson of Abraham through Isaac…and only HE, God, can take it away.
Rob says
It’s clear that the Dems now want to eradicate any vestige of the Trump administration. The Jared Kuchner Plan to link Gaza with the West Bank via a tunnel was the first innovation in the dispute since the 70s. Where’s Biden’s counter plan?
Israel has demonstrated goodwill over the post 1967 territories. Sinai has been returned to Egypt and Gaza to the Palestinians. Sinai is working, Gaza most certainly is not.
gravenimage says
Biden State Department says it’s a ‘historical fact’ that Israel occupied the ‘Palestinian Territories’ in 1967
The Biden State Department doesn’t know, or doesn’t want you to know, that the “West Bank” and Gaza were part of the original Mandate for Palestine, set aside for a Jewish national home. Not only that, but between 1949 and 1967, when they were under Jordanian and Egyptian rule, nothing was ever said about how they were occupied “Palestinian” territory. That kind of language only arose as a rhetorical stick to beat Israel with. After the 1967 war
……………….
All true. The Biden administration hopes that no one knows *these* historical facts.
Nabi says
All over the world the ‘democratic’ countries are giving land to aboriginals often naively accepting claims that the aboriginals once owned that particular spot. Given such blind acceptance, it’s hard to see how they can logically deny any Jewish claim.
gravenimage says
The “woke” consider Jewish people to be “white”, and not native to anywhere at all.
Stun says
How is Gaza occupied when it’s run by arabs? What a fake news.
gravenimage says
Yes–Israel pulled out of Gaza 15 years ago.
James Lincoln says
Yes, gravenimage.
And it never should have happened…
gravenimage says
Also agree, James. Many hopeful Israelis had the idea that if they unilaterally ceded Gaza that Muslims would be grateful and there would be peace.
I was still learning about Islam at the time, but I realized that Gaza would just be used as base from which to attack Israel.
tgusa says
No American with a thinking brain pays any attention to the fake president biden and his so-called administration and neither should any other countries. The dems could make some money selling commemorative presidential drool cups to all his supporters.
vcragain says
‘drool’ seems to me to be a word that completely describes that fool who was ‘prez’ the prior 4 years, and is now just waiting to be arrested….the WHOLE WORLD breathed a huge sigh of relief when he lost this last election…what on earth is the matter with all of you – you seem unable to recognize a man who has spent his ENTIRE life cheating, lying & despoiling EVERYTHNG he ever got near ! I just wonder how many of you would actually like your young daughters to get near him ? Yuck, Yuck, Yuck !!!
wpm says
vcragain
What are you talking about ? Is Trump getting arrest for what 4 years of investigations on false rumors and heresay ?”The world breathed a huge sigh of relief when he lost the last election”. Yes now we have Biden the Islamic appeaser in change sending boat loads of money to terrorist states and terror agencies all over the world. A massive border crisis come one come all from all over the world to Americas southern border. WE have Biden the first American elected house plant who could not order his own lunch off a menu without help from his handlers. We have a President who runs a country off of cue cards supply by communist handlers. Yes I feel a whole lot safer with basement Joe and crazy Joker legs up Harris running the show. Would you like your daughters to advance their careers like Harris advance her,s Yuck!
Infidel says
vcragain
Check your white privilege at the door: Europe, Canada, New Zealand and UK don’t constitute the ‘Whole World’. A number of countries were very happy and friendly w/ Trump, and are already sorry that he’s gone – Brazil, Israel, India, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Ukraine, Philippines, and any number of others. These countries are everything – White, Brown, Yellow and a lot in b/w
As for your allusion to his remarks about Ivanka years ago when she was a model – about how he would have dated her had she not been his daughter – while not every man is comfortable dating far younger women, some are. I’m in my 50s and wouldn’t look at any women under 30 for that. But there are those who are, and as long as they’re not marrying minors, they’re fine. Even if one may find it weird that such dates are the age of their kids
Also, if I had a daughter, I’d be more comfortable leaving her w/ Trump than w/ Biden, Andrew Cuomo, Eric Schneiderman, Al Franken and most other Dems that I can think of
Chris says
What are you doing here vcragain? Spitting your hate at us, wich is counterproductive, won’t change our minds abour the stolen elections.
gravenimage says
vcragain *used to be an Anti-Jihadist*. Lately, though, all she does is castigate conservatives and politicians trying to protect citizens from terrorism. Very disturbing.
gravenimage says
I have asked vcragain before why she thinks that handing the Mullahs fistfuls of money, paying the “Palestinians” to murder Israelis, and inviting in hordes of ravening Muslims–all things that President Trump curbed–are good things.
Of course, she has never answered, and I doubt that she will now.
And she is sneering about this–just bizarre.
Eric Rearden says
This is no surprise.
wpm says
vcragain
What are you talking about ? Is Trump getting arrest for what 4 years of investigations on false rumors and heresay ?”The world breathed a huge sigh of relief when he lost the last election”. Yes now we have Biden the Islamic appeaser in change sending boat loads of money to terrorist states and terror agencies all over the world. A massive border crisis come one come all from all over the world to Americas southern border. WE have Biden the first American elected house plant who could not order his own lunch off a menu without help from his handlers. We have a President who runs a country off of cue cards supply by communist handlers. Yes I feel a whole lot safer with basement Joe and crazy Joker legs up Harris running the show. Would you like your daughters to advance their careers like Harris advance her,s Yuck!