The Canadian-Israeli Corey Gil-Shuster, accompanied by an Arabic-speaking female interpreter, most likely an Israeli Arab, went to several Arab cities in Israel and the West Bank to ask Palestinians he met at random two questions. First, could they name an important Palestinian alive now or in the recent past. Second, could they name a famous Palestinian in history, from ancient times to “before 1900.” The results were enlightening.
View the “Ask A Palestinian” undertaking above or here.
I will first provide my own transcript of the interviews, and then discuss their significance.
Interview #1. Amr from Nablus, a young bearded man, asked to name an “important Palestinian,” after some thought, says “Yasser Arafat,” the founder of the terror group PLO. He then is asked if he can think of anyone else. He tries to think of someone, anyone, but in vain, and he finally replies: “There are many important people, but I can’t remember everybody.” Asked if he can name any important Palestinian in the past, before 1900, he says “I’m sure there is, of course there is. But I just can’t remember.”
Interview #2. A middle-aged woman in Qibya, inside a store. Asked to name an important Palestinian, she says “Abu Ammar,” the kunya and nom de guerre of Yassir Arafat. Asked about anyone from ancient history, she answers “We don’t know anyone before Abu Ammar.”
Interview #3. A girl, Sajida, in Ramallah, names as important Palestinians “the governor of Ramallah and Al Bifreh” (no names given). Asked to name a Palestinian from ancient history, she grimaces and looks puzzled by the very question. She remains silent.
Interview #4. In Ramallah, a husky man in his early 30s, identified as “Armando,” asked to name an important Palestinian of the present, says “Maybe Mahmoud Darwish” (a deceased Palestinian poet/propagandist). Asked about a Palestinian in ancient history, Armando thinks and finally answers “Salal al Din” — “he conquered Jerusalem.” Saladin was not a Palestinian, not even an Arab, but a Kurd. However, he is not corrected by the interviewer. Then he says: “All Palestinians have an impact, whether it’s before the 1900s, during them, after them, even a Palestinian child has an impact, has an importance. The word Palestine and Palestinian has a weight which means patience, it means be patient. The ones I am most interested in are the marytrs.” In Islam, the name “martyr” is given to those who die while fighting a jihad against the Infidels. The terrorists who murder Israelis and are killed during their attacks are “martyrs.”
Interview #5. In Bethlehem, two girls in their 20s are asked to name an important Palestinian. One answers “Mahmoud Darwish.” The other girl says brightly: “‘Ghassan Kanafani.” Kanafani was a writer, and a terrorist, who was involved with the PFLP and helped plan the attack carried out by three Japanese Red Army terrorists who murdered 25 passengers, including 17 Puerto Rican pilgrims, at the Ben Gurion airport in Lod on May 30, 1972. He was assassinated by the Mossad on July 8, 1972.
Then, when asked to name a Palestinian from the past, “before 1900,” one girl says “I can’t remember right now,” and the other says “I don’t know.”
Interview #6. In Hebron, a man with his face hidden at his request is asked to name an important Palestinian in recent history. He gives only two names: Yasser Arafat and Ahmad Yassin, the founder of the terror group Hamas. He then adds: “There are many Palestinian leaders, the best ones die. But I know this: the good one die, or are killed, or become martyrs.” Asked to name a Palestinian from before 1900, he answered “I don’t know.”
Interview #7. Three girls in Ramallah are asked to name an important Palestinian. In unison, they name Mahmoud Abbas, and one of them adds “Dr. Mohammed Shtayyeh, the prime minister.” Any famous Palestinians from the past? One says “Yasser Arafat, of course.” And then the girls add: “There was also Sheikh… he was killed by the Jews in Gaza. There was also Saddam Hussein.” Another chimes in: “ Saddam Hussein was not Palestinian. He was Algerian.” They are both corrected by the interpreter: “He was Iraqi.” They agree, making sounds that indicate that Sheikh Yassin was exactly whom they had it mind when they said “Sheikh….” Then they are asked “What about 200 years ago, 300 years ago?” Silence.
Interview #8. A husky man of indeterminate age is asked: “Name an important Palestinian in history. Name a person who is important to you. Name a Palestinian who was important to everyone.” He answers: “Abd al Qader el Husseini was good, Izz Ad-Din Al -Qassem was good. Abu Jihad (Khalil Al-Wazir) was good. He was a Palestinian leader in the PLO. Yasser Arafat was good.” Asked to name someone famous in Palestinian history before 1900, he replies: “That’s all I remember. I’m sorry, they didn’t teach us much.”
Interview #9. A middle-aged man in Bethlehem is asked about famous Palestinians. He also names Yasser Arafat. Asked about Palestinians before 1900, he can’t think of anyone important. But when the interviewer asks him ”What about Jesus?,” he brightens up and replies: “Yes, Jesus.” Interviewer: “He was a Palestinian?” “Yes, he was a Palestinian.”
Interview #10. A girl in Ramallah, asked to name an important Palestinian, responds: “Yasser Arafat.” And someone before 1900? “I don’t know.”
Interview #11. Two women in Ramallah: “Name an important Palestinian.” The older woman answers: “Abu Ammar. Ahmad Yassin, Marwan Barghouti.” Asked about Palestinians in history, she thinks, tries to recall a name, finally answers: “There were a lot of rebels, fighters, resistance, but I can’t really remember right now.”
Interview #12. A well-dressed, well-coiffed man, 40ish, in Bethlehem: “Name an important Palestinian in history.” He can’t think of anyone. What about in ancient times? “Husseini. I forget the first name.” “In the 1930s?,” asks the interviewer. He replies: “Yes, I think so.” The interviewer then says: “He means Haj Amin el Husseini.” The man replies: “Yes.” Then he is asked: “What about earlier? Anyone important? From a long time ago?” He answers: “O my God. It’s not in my mind right now. But I think all through the history of Palestine, we have many many leaders.” The interviewer then asks: “Not just a leader, anyone important. From a long time ago.” Silence.
The “Ask a Palestinian” results require a commentary, which will be posted here later today.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Couldn’t they at least appropriate some of the surrounding Arabs, and name, say Abd-el Malik, who captured Jerusalem & built the Dome of the Rock? Saladin was a good attempt: actually, both Arabs & Turks claim him as well. I remember decades ago in India, when I had a Jordanian neighbor: he denied that Saladin was Kurd
The Jesus one was hilarious, given that he was a Jew. Israelis would be even more justified in claiming him
Of course, Palestinians are an invented people. Even taking just islamic history of that area, under the Umayyads, they were a part of Syria, or ash-Sham: the entire area west of the Euphrates, not today’s Syrian boundaries. Under Saladin, they were a part of the united sultanate of Egypt & Syria, which had capitals in both Damascus & Cairo. Under the Ottomans too, Jerusalem was directly controlled from Istanbul
somehistory says
All of those responding to the questions, answer with the results of dirtying of the brains with lies.
yassar arafat was pure scum. and triple ugly. Terrorists are “infamous,” not famous and “important.”
And, there is no such thing as being a palistenian from ancient times, even if that label is accepted as legit in this sicko, *modern* age.
Jesus doesn’t “qualify” as He told the Truth, didn’t murder anyone, and was born of a young Jew, named Mary. Jesus was a True *martyr,* in that He died…was murdered… because He was hated for telling the Truth, not because He was killing others.
Those people asked these questions, are some of the most confused people on earth. And that’s saying a lot with all of the confusing things being taught to the young….and old.
Paul R. says
Also, Arafat was an Egyptian.
Bexarkat says
Nothing ever stopped Arabs occupying Eretz Israel from inventing history.
Wellington says
Proving again that ignorant ideologies and beliefs, so very often rooted in vileness, regularly ignore facts and truth.
Always has been this way and always will be because when facts and truth are optional for a belief system, then that belief system should never be taken seriously by serious persons.
gravenimage says
+1
FYI says
Ask a Palestinian…
What does allah in the koran say about who has the right to live in the Land of Israel?
“Oh my People!Go into the Holy Land which allah has ordained for you”
koran 5:21
so allah accepts the Holy land is rightfully the Land of the Jews.allah ordained the Holy Land for the Jews.
Wellington says
But I believe, FYI, this is all based on the supreme condition that the Jews accept Allah and, as well, that Mohammed is the last and greatest of the prophets.
FYI says
Yes -but of course Jews cannot accept allah :as what allah teaches in the koran is contrary to the teachings of the TORAH -despite allah’s fraudulent claim to be the inspiration behind the TORAH{giving it to Moses koran 2:87,authenticating it koran 3:3}and even giving permission for muhamed to question it koran 10;94}
The thing about the TORAH is that it is the written form of the Laws of Moses:Jesus Christ confirms these Laws and explains that they are based on Two chief commandments[Matthew 22 v 37-40}whose meaning is the Golden Rule{Matthew 7 v 21}
In theory the TORAH is the common denominator between the Biblical religions{Judaism,Christianity} and islam..
But the Two Chief commandments do not exist{are not even possible}in islam and the Golden Rule is non-existant as non-muslims are classified as ‘the WORST of created beings’
allah completely misunderstands the TORAH’s purpose and meaning!
At the heart of the Bible is the PRESENCE of the 2 chief Laws and the the Golden Rule.
At the heart of islam is the ABSENCE of the 2 chief Laws and the impossibility of the Golden Rule.
So neither Jews nor Christians{whose pentateuch is of course =the TORAH}can ever accept allah
Wellington says
Agreed, FYI. Islam abominates the Golden Rule, i.e., only to be applied to fellow Muslims and not all of humanity, as it also abominates the Judeo-Christian deity by way of its menacing and freedom-crushing Allah.
gravenimage says
FYI, Islam says that Jews “corrupted” the Torah [“Torat”] (and that Christians corrupted the Gospels [“Injeel”], and that these scriptures were once as savage as the Qur’an. Of course, this is baseless. but it is what Islam teaches.
PRCS says
They can’t answer the famous “ancient” Palestinian question because the term “Palestinian people” is a recent invention.
Palestinian culture is not theirs, Arab culture is..
gravenimage says
Spot on, PRCS. A Soviet invention during the mid-late 1960s.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
As a comparison, Pakistanis, when asked, cite all muslim invaders of India as famous Pakistanis, in that they preceded the Pakis when it came to waging jihad against Hindus. It’s amazing that the Palis can’t move along those lines, although some tried, citing Saladin & Saddam
gravenimage says
Thanks, Infidel. This does not surprise.
Keith O says
I found this to be both enlightening and a little disturbing as it demonstrates that the dumbing down of a population isn’t limited to a single country.
I saw a similar thing on You Tube where the reporter asked American youth (20s)? simple questions like, how many states in America, how many quarters in a dollar, who the vice president is, (some thought it was Joe) and the classic, where is the cycling event, “the tour de France held”.
The results were scary.
One young lass could detail everything about the Kardashian family, down to the shoe size, but nothing about the real world.
gravenimage says
Ask A Palestinian
………………………………
An important Palestinian? I know–Yasser Arafat! And uh…..uh…….uh…..lessee……..uh……….y’know……..Jihad terrorists….
And the problem with finding historical Palestinian figures is that “Palestine” has never existed.
PRCS says
Waay off topic here:
Lived in Hayward from ’80 to ’92. Saw a disturbing news article about Frank Sommerville–one of my favorite KTVU anchors.
WTH happened?
࿗Infidel࿘ says
They could have cheated and named the Umayyad rulers of Damascus, like Abd-el Malik, who build the al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. They did try claiming Saladin. They did come close w/ Haj Amin al-Husseini
Or, like I suggested in the next thread on this topic, they could have claimed not Jesus, who was a Jew, but their own invention “Isa”, who was never crucified. I’m guessing that he was based in “Palestine”?
VictorMc says
You would get similar ‘answers’ if you set up stall outside ANY American university and ask them about their own historical figures. It has been done many many times. The stupidity level is almost beyond belief.
Real education left us years and years ago we are left with morons on phones and so-called pop ‘music.’. Beware of these people for they will soon be in ‘government.’