PA says Jewish history in Jerusalem is “fabricated,” “forged,” “delusional myths,” “lies,” “libels,” “legends,” and “stolen heritage”
The Palestinian Authority:
“[Israeli] plots are being woven against it [Jerusalem] to forge its identity”
“The stones in the ground are fabricated graves planted [by Israel] to prove… an ancient Israeli and Jewish presence”
“The greatest liar is [Israel]… stealing our heritage”
”[Jewish history is] delusional myths and the arrogance of power”
”They [Israel] imagine that by this brute force they can invent a [Jewish] history”
“Their so-called 'Temple' - the greatest crime and forgery in history"
This evening, the 9th of the Jewish month of Av, Jews commemorate the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem, by Babylon in 586 BCE and by Rome in 70 CE.
The Palestinians, hoping to create a state on land in which they have no national or political ancient history, feel threatened by the more than 3000 years of Jewish history which is thoroughly documented. Thousands of archaeological finds, including coins, stamps, Hebrew inscriptions and more, many of which go back to the First Temple period, all are testimony to the thriving Jewish history in the land. Accordingly, denial of Jewish history in the land of Israel and especially in Jerusalem is a central component of PA national - political ideology. It is expressed regularly by PA leader Mahmoud Abbas himself as well as other senior PA officials.
Recently the PA produced a TV filler of Abbas again denying Israel’s history in Jerusalem saying Palestinans must “confront the [Israeli] plots that are being woven against it to forge its identity and to change its character.” While Abbas’ voice is heard, images of Jews visiting the Temple Mount are shown:
Official PA TV Live filler with audio from one of PA Chairman Abbas’ speeches
Shouts: Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!
Abbas: “We are here today – with our nation, our peoples, and all of the Muslims and Christians in our region and the world behind us – in order to save Jerusalem and defend it, and to confront the plots that are being woven against it to forge its identity (image of ultra-Orthodox Jews visiting the Temple Mount –Ed.) and to change its character (image of an ultra-Orthodox Jew reciting prayers at the Western Wall –Ed.), especially after these recent American decisions that violate international law and provoke the sensibilities of all the Muslims and Christians.”
[Official PA TV Live, June 27, 2020]
The PA is constantly reinforcing the libel that Jews have no history in the Land of Israel in general, and in Jerusalem in particular. To explain the thousands of artifacts that are witness to the rich Jewish history, the PA therefore claims that Israel is inventing this history, using various means, including the “fabricating and planting” of fake graves to claim a Jewish presence.
In a TV program about a Palestinian campaign against Israel establishing a public park in the Hinnom Valley south of the Old City of Jerusalem, the PA TV host alleged that Israel has planted fake graves “to prove an ancient Israeli and Jewish presence.” In fact, the earliest Jewish graves at the site date back to the First Temple period nearly 3000 years ago.
Visual: A hill with large white tombstones on it.
Official PA TV host: “In the image there are fabricated graves that the occupation has planted in order to prove that they have an ancient presence in the Hinnom Valley neighborhood (sic., the earliest Jewish graves at the site date back to the Judean Kingdom of the First Temple period nearly 3000 years ago). What you see – the stones in the ground – are fabricated graves that were planted in the past in order to prove that the Hinnom Valley has an ancient Israeli and Jewish presence.”
Wadi Hilweh Information Center Director Jawad Siyam: “Like you said, these are just stones that were placed to take control of the cemetery…
[Official PA TV, July 3, 2020]
Similarly, the PA TV host of a program on religious rulings stated that Israel is “the greatest liar,” one that “steals the Palestinian heritage. This statement was confirmed by the top religious official in the PA, the Supreme Fatwa Council Chairman and PA Mufti Muhammad Hussein, who said Israel pretends it has a heritage in the land, while it is actually “a lie, a forgery, and a libel”:
Official PA TV host: “Regarding lies, the greatest liar is the occupation that is stealing our lands, expelling our residents, and stealing our heritage.”
Palestinian Supreme Fatwa Council Chairman and PA Grand Mufti Muhammad Hussein: “And it is trying to claim that it has a right to this land, has a heritage in this land. And certainly as you noted, all of this is with lies, forgery, libel, and an attempt to overturn the facts, to change the facts.”
[Official PA TV, Fatwa, June 19, 2020]
Palestinian Media Watch has exposed that PA Chairman Abbas for years has been promoting the lie that Jews have no history in Jerusalem, claiming it a “delusional myth”:
Abbas: "The Israeli occupation authorities are rushing, in an unprecedented way -using the most despicable and dangerous means - to carry out what they consider to be the final battle in their war to erase and remove the Islamic-Christian Arab character of East Jerusalem... continuing their efforts to achieve their final goal of Judaizing Jerusalem, acting in several ways. These include, first, their attempt to change the facts of Jerusalem's landscape in every detail, and replace it with a different landscape whose purpose is to serve delusional myths and the arrogance of power. They imagine that by this brute force they can invent a [Jewish] history, establish claims and erase solid religious and historical facts."
[Official PA TV, Jan. 17, 2014]
As stated, the attempt to convince their people that Jews have no history in the land is not new but goes back to the beginning of the PA period. A few years ago, official PA TV summed up the PA fabrications about Jewish history in Jerusalem:
"The story of the Temple is nothing but a collection of legends and myths for political reasons. They [Jews] have set Palestine and Jerusalem as their goal, and have used the myths in the service of their declared goals of occupation and imperialism. In the spirit of the delusions and legends, they try to get rid of the Al-Aqsa [Mosque] and establish their so-called 'Temple' - the greatest crime and forgery in history."
[Official PA TV, Aug. 1, 2015]
Likewise, the PA as a rule refers to the Jewish Temples as “the alleged Temple,” denying there ever was one.
Additional notes:
The Israeli NGO Emek Shaveh writes about the Hinnom Valley/Wadi Rababa, in which the PA cliams Israel is planting "fabricated graves":
“The entire area served for burials over thousands of years. Its eastern, lower end is identified with Akeldama in the Christian tradition.
The area contains many tombs excavated into the rocks, where dozens of people were buried over different periods. Burial styles and other findings allow us to date the earliest ones to the end of the Judean Kingdom (7-8th Century BCE), and show continuous burials up to the Byzantine period (4-7th Centuries CE). Along the road that runs from Abu Tur to the valley one can see a number of graves from the Judean kingdom. Additional graves from that period are found in privately-owned land belonging to residents of Abu-Tur.” For more information, see https://alt-arch.org/en/wadi_rababa/
The excerpt of Abbas’ speech used in the PA TV filler is from a speech Abbas held at an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey on Dec. 13, 2017.
The Trump peace plan – US President Donald Trump announced his Israel–Palestinian peace plan "Peace to Prosperity" – commonly known as “the deal of the century” - on Jan. 28, 2020. Main points of the plan: 1- Israeli sovereignty would be applied to the Jordan Valley and all Israeli towns and cities in the West Bank. 2- Jerusalem, including all its holy sites, would remain under Israeli sovereignty with accommodations made to enable access for Palestinians. 3- The remainder of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and part of what is currently Israeli land in the Negev, the Galilee, and Jerusalem - creating a territory almost equal in size to the West Bank and Gaza Strip - would form the Palestinian state, with its capital in neighborhoods in East Jerusalem that are outside of Israel's security wall. 4- The Palestinian state would be demilitarized, with Israel responsible for external security and controlling all airspace. 5- All Palestinian prisoners except murderers, and those who attempted or conspired to murder would be released. 6- Palestinians in refugee camps would be absorbed into their host countries and, subject to certain limitations, into the Palestinian state. 7- Before becoming a state, the Palestinians would have to carry out extensive reform of their laws and institutions, including implementing a new governing system; granting its people due process and basic human rights and freedoms; end all incitement to and incentivizing of terror; end all glorification of terror and martyrdom; disarm Hamas; and adopt a culture promoting peace. The goal of the plan is to create a Palestinian state beside Israel, living in peace and security. The implementation would be facilitated through extensive international investment.
Muhammad Hussein also serves as Deputy Secretary-General and acting Secretary-General of the PLO Popular National Conference of Jerusalem.