They Speak For Themselves

There is a principle in law that certain facts essentially constitute proof. It is called “res ipsa loquitur,” and it relates to negligence and accidents, but the concept is not unique. Some statements or acts do, in fact, speak for themselves, and no additional commentary is required. For this reason I present a series of quotations without explanation. They Speak For Themselves. To wit:

Lord Arthur James Balfour: “His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” Letter from the Foreign Secretary to Lord Rothschild, November 2, 1917.

Haj Amin al-Husseini: "Kill the Jews wherever you find them. This pleases God, history, and religion." Mufti of Jerusalem (Appointed by the British High Commissioner in May 1921), March 1, 1944.

Harry Truman: “This Government has been informed that a Jewish state has been proclaimed in Palestine, and recognition has been requested by the provisional Government thereof.

“The United States recognizes the provisional government as the de facto authority of the new state of Israel.” May 14, 1948.

United Nations: The General Assembly, Acting in discharge of its functions under Article 4 of the Charter and rule 125 of its rules of procedure, 1. Decides that Israel is a peace-loving State which accepts the obligations contained in the Charter and is able and willing to carry out those obligations; 2. Decides to admit Israel to membership in the United Nations.  May 11, 1949.

Winston Churchill: “... you ought to let the Jews have Jerusalem; it is they who made it famous.” Letter to Anthony Eden's private secretary, Evelyn Shuckburgh, February 18, 1955.

Wikipedia: “The Temple Mount ... is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a [Jewish] religious site for thousands of years.

Muhammad: “[Allah] gave you that (which) He gave not to any (other) of (His) creatures.

“O my people! Go into the holy land which Allah hath ordained for you.” Qur'an, Sûrah V: 20, 21. Speaking of Moses leading his people into the holy land.

Professor Abdul Hadi Palazzi: “After reviewing the most relevant Qur’anic passages in this connection, one easily concludes that, as no one wishes to deny Muslims complete sovereignty over Mecca, from an Islamic point of view there is no sound theological reason to deny Jews the same rights over Jerusalem.” Professor Abdul Hadi Palazzi, Director of the Istituto Culturale della Comunita Islamica Italiana (Cultural Institute of the Italian Islamic Community) in Rome, October 3, 2013.

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: "The Israeli occupation authorities … imagine that by this brute force they can invent a [Jewish] history, establish claims and erase solid religious and historical facts." Palestinian Authority TV, January 17, 2014.

Yasser Arafat: "We plan to eliminate the state of Israel and establish a purely Palestinian state. We will make life unbearable for Jews by psychological warfare and population explosion. We Palestinians will take over everything, including all of Jerusalem." Stockholm, Sweden, 1996.

We will not bend or fail until the blood of every last Jew from the youngest child to the oldest elder is spilt to redeem our land! Stockholm, Sweden, January 30, 1996.

Peace for us means the destruction of Israel. We are preparing for an all-out war, a war which will last for generations… We shall not rest until the day when we return to our home, and until we destroy Israel. Quoted in The Times, UK (5 August 1980).

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: “They have invented a myth that Jews were massacred and place this above God, religions and the prophets.” The World without Zionism, 2005.

Israel "must be wiped out from the map of the world." Quoting Ayatollah Khomeini, Cited on CNN.com, Thursday, October 27, 2005.

“We do not accept or officially recognise [sic] Israel. They are occupiers and illegitimate.” September 12, 2007.

David Ben-Gurion: "No city in the world, not even Athens or Rome, ever played as great a role in the life of a nation for so long a time, as Jerusalem has done in the life of the Jewish people."

John F. Kennedy: "Israel was not created in order to disappear - Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom." President of the United States

Gerald Ford: "Americans and Israelis have both been inspired by moral aims. Indeed, my commitment to the security and to the future of Israel is based upon basic morality as well as enlightened self-interest. Our role in supporting Israel honors our own heritage." President of the United States

George W. Bush: "The United States and Israel have enjoyed a friendship built on mutual respect and commitment to democratic principles. Our continuing search for peace in the Middle East begins with a recognition that the ties uniting our two countries can never be broken." President of the United States

William J. Clinton: "American and Israel share a special bond. Our relationship is unique among all nations. Like America, Israel is a strong democracy, a symbol of freedom, and an oasis of liberty, a home to the oppressed and persecuted." President of the United States

Recep Tayip Erdogan: "Everyone should unconditionally accept that Israel is an indespensable element of the Middle Eastern mosaic." Prime Minister of Turkey

Barak H. Obama: It is “undeniable that the Palestinian people – Muslims and Christians – have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than sixty years they have endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighboring 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 ...” President of the United States, June 4, 2009

Muhammad: "We [Allah] gave the Book [Torah] to the Israelites and bestowed on them wisdom and prophethood. We provided them with wholesome things and exalted them above the nations." Qur'an, Sûrah 45:17

“And We said unto the Children of Israel after him: Dwell in the land ...” Qur'an, Sûrah 17:104.

The reader will note that there are disagreements – often violent – among the authors of these statements. The relationship between Israel and its neighbors in a subject of great interest and comment. Hence the verbal, as well as military conflict. And political and economic issues are also involved. There are innumerable statements about Israel and the nations that surround it and they express a wide variety of views. The determination of their correctness is up to you.

Next episode: “Suppose” – On the art of thinking.