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The twentieth century saw many acts of terrorism perpetrated by people who sought freedom from colonial rule. The Zionist atrocities were different. They were enacted in order to impose alien rule on an indigenous people, in effect to impose the colonial rule of predominantly Western Jews on the Palestinians.
When the founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Abdul Aziz met President Roosevelt on the cruiser USS Quincy in February 1945, they discussed the issue of Palestine. President Roosevelt gave a promise – or rather two promises – to the Saudi King:
– he would never do anything which might prove hostile to the Arabs;
– the US Government would make no change in its basic policy on Palestine without full and prior consultation with both Jews and Arabs.
Immediately after Roosevelt’s death, President Truman ignored these promises and, perhaps more concerned with popularity at home than justice abroad, worked tirelessly for the formation and recognition of the State of Israel – and thus for the dispossession of the Palestinians.
Whatever the reasons for President Truman’s decision to ignore the undertakings of his predecessor, this much is certain. When the State of Israel was declared, the worst fears of the Palestinians were fulfilled.
And the seeds of several wars, the sufferings of millions of refugees and the grim situation we still face today were sown.
