How many times have we heard that Israel “occupied “Palestine for 60 years or more [now that it is 2009, 60 years ago was 1949; and 1967 was 42 years ago]. To rejectionist Palestinians, of course it is true that Israel “occupied” Palestine for 60 years or more, since to them, Israel proper is part of “occupied” Palestine. Israel didn’t even rule the West Bank or Gaza for nearly as long. Israel ruled them for at least 27 years [since Israel gave up most of Gaza and Jericho in 1994], 28 years [when Israel made most Palestinians in the West Bank under PA control], 31 years [when Israel gave up Hebron] or 38 years [when Israel disengaged from the remaining parts of Gaza and expelled all the Jewish communities there in the false hope of achieving peace] or perhaps for 42 years, since Israel does rule parts of the West Bank [the PA exerts sovereign control of the West Bank as well]. Is that 60 years? Not even close!

The ones who believe that Israel “occupied” “Palestine” for sixty years are the following

• Ones who believe that Israel has no right to exist
• Ones who can’t do math properly and who didn’t calculate
• Naive people who don’t have a very good understanding of the conflict

If it was a little less and someone was rounding it up, I’d understand. [though I would prefer to be exact]. But it’s not a little less. It’s a lot less. It’s at most 18 years less.

Getting the exact figures of how long this so-called “occupation” [it had legality behind it, but that is perhaps another story] would involve some math equations. Some people may not bother to do them and just buy into it. After all, it was so long ago; right?

Those who do calculate it know it wasn’t anywhere close to 60 years. It was at most 42 years. It’s scary that President Obama even seemed to believe it, as he said the following in his Cairo speech:

On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people, Muslims and Christians, have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than 60 years they have endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighbouring lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations large and small that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own. 

First off, this is misleading and omits basic facts. But lets not go into them. Here, Obama says that the Palestinians wanted a state for more than 60 years. 60 years ago was 1949, as I mentioned before in this column. It was when the 1948 war ended. Jordan illegally took the West Bank while Egypt illegally took Gaza. No one was demanding either of those nations to give up those territories for any Palestinian state. That no one includes the Arab inhabitants and the Arab terror groups, one of which [the Fedayeen] ended up being controlled by Egypt when it illegally held Gaza, and another one of which [the PLO], was founded by the Soviets and Arab nations including Egypt in 1964. That was still when Egypt illegally held Gaza. In fact, Gamal Nassar, then-Egyptian dictator, was one of the biggest founders of the PLO. The founding of the PLO was 45 years ago. Article 24 of the 1964 charter, which was made 45 years ago, even stated the following:

This Organization does not exercise any territorial sovereignty over the West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, on the Gaza Strip or in the Himmah Area. Its activities will be on the national popular level in the liberational, organizational, political and financial fields.

So 45 years ago, the PLO even claimed that the Palestinians had no claim to Gaza or the West Bank. Of course, the PLO revised its charter in 1968. Like the 1964 charter, it still called for Israel’s destruction. Unlike the 1964 one, it didn’t say that the Palestinians have no claim to Gaza or the West Bank. So it was 41 years ago when the PLO suddenly changed its charter in order to not say that the Palestinians have no claim to Gaza or the West Bank. So it was even way before 60 years when the PLO said that the Palestinians have no claim to the West Bank or Gaza.

Regardless of what you think about Israel’s goals or the legality of any Israeli claim of the territories or what you think about the conflict, saying that Israel “occupied” “Palestine” for 60 years is like saying that the American revolution was 900 years ago. Of course, having that mentality of well, it was so long ago is ridiculous. It can also work for the claim that the American revolution happened 900 years ago because, like 900 years ago, none of us were born when the American revolution really happened. History is all about dates and time. So saying that Israel “occupied” the territories for 60 years or more is a big error. History says otherwise, as shown here in this column and as shown by actual calculation. Since the year is 2009, Israel’s “occupation” lasted for more than 60 years only to those who want to see Israel destroyed, which would be horrible [to say the least]. Israel has as much right to exist as any country.