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By

Michael Gottlieb

Opinion

The Deeply Insightful Natan Alterman

September 25, 2011 12:00
2 min read

Natan Alterman, one of Israel's all-time great poets and playwrights and among the spiritual guides for the Israeli Labor Zionist Movement, issued this chillingly accurate, concise and prescient warning, that is as true today as it was when he wrote it 41 years ago (translated from the original Hebrew):

"If indeed we (dare) admit to the existence of a Palestinian Arab nation, then it is not only the 'occupied territories' which will be considered to belong to the Palestinians, our presence in which will cause us only bloodshed until our inevitable withdrawal, but ALSO pre-Six Day War Israel will be thought of as a former Arab territory of such Palestinian Arab nation. Indeed, if we admit to the existence of a Palestinian Arab nation, it is hard to believe that even our just protests against terrorism, and our efforts to stimulate support from the nations of the world, will find a sympathetic ear".
(Natan Alterman, "The New Hobby" from "The Triple Cord", February 27th, 1970)

And this according to then-Defense Minister Shimon Peres (also translated):

"Arabs are cultivating separate Palestinian nationalism and the myth of the 'rights of return' for the Palestinian nation - in the territory of Israel and in its place. They do this not to solve the refugee problem, but to destroy the Israeli nationalism and to create a many times larger Jewish problem. Palestinian nationalism is intended to CANCEL THE EXISTENCE of Israel state and not to live side by side with her in peace. It is the most pointed expression for the lack of readiness of all Arab states to recognize the legitimate existence of the Jewish State." ("Tomorrow is Now", 1978, chap. "Peace and Security Infrastructure", pp.215-262)