Skip to content
  • Image
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Podcasts
  • Email
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • News
  • Features
  • Comment
  • Store
The Arab Daily News

The Arab Daily News

Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem

  • About
    • About
    • Our Writers
    • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
    • Book Store
    • Contact
    • Submit Book Reviews, Press Releases
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Corrections Policy
    • Profile on Ray Hanania
    • Submit Press Release
  • Features
    • Food
    • Book Review
    • Humor
    • Movies
    • Travel
  • Arab Stores Targeted
  • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Heritage America resources
    • Directory
      • Groups & Organizations
      • Mosques, Churches
      • Restaurants
      • 2008 & 2014 Arab Media Directories
    • National Arab Heritage Month
    • Video: Chicago Arab History
    • Video: Photo Array of Chicago Arabs
    • Overview of Arabs in America
    • Hanania standup comedy
    • Arabs on the Titanic
    • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
    • Arab News Ray Hanania Radio
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • Podcast Info
    • Hanania Podcast intro
    • Live Arab Radio
  • Your Views
  • Hanania on Tiktok
  • Toggle search form
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12 American Arabs
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd American Arabs
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action American Arabs
  • Citgo Gas Station and Quik Mart at 3759 W. Chicago Ave in Chicago ordered closed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot because a street gang member with an AK-47 killed someone in front of the store. Only Arab and Muslim stores are being closed by the Mayor
    When Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot targeted Arab businesses in 2021 and 2022 Activism
  • Hussam al-Mayman, The Mayman Show, podcast Arab News
    Arab News launches third season of The Mayman Show podcast Arab News
  • State Rep. Cyril Nichols interviewed on live Arab American radio in Detroit with host Ray Hanania Friday Dec. 9, 2022
    Nichols discusses need to improve Arab-Black relations in Chicagoland American Arabs
  • Voting sticker issued to voters in Cook County elections in 2016. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Gov. Pritzker Announces Six Appointments to Boards and Commissions — no Arabs included American Arabs
  • Closure notice posted on the doors and windows of Arab American businesses during Mayor Lori Lightfoot's closure of Arab owned stores in June - Sept. 2021. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Pritzker again ignores needs of Arab businesses in latest appointments Activism
  • Arab American Democratic Club (AADC) official candidate endorsements for the November 8, 2022 General elections.
    Arab American Democratic Club issues endorsements for Nov. 8, 2022 Cook County Illinois elections Activism
  • Arab Democrats urge NO VOTE on Gov. J.B. Pritzker re-election bid Activism
  • Assyrian American GOP issues endorsements in Nov, 8, 2022 elections
    Assyrian American GOP group endorses candidates in Illinois Activism
  • Abdullah Hammoud, elected Mayor of Dearborn Nov. 2, 2021. Photo courtesy of Abdullah Hammoud Facebook Page
    AHRC’s 2022 Spirit of Humanity Gala a Great Success American Arabs
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts Arab World
  • Rep. Cyril Nichols to be feted by supporters at fundraiser Saturday Oct. 22 Activism
  • Stand up For Human Rights website, United Nations
    UN experts condemn Israel’s ‘sadistic’ punitive measures against French-Palestinian rights defender Salah Hammouri Activism
Palestinian Refugees from 1948 and 1967 have never received justice in Israel or in the American court system. Photo courtesy of the United Nations

50 years of failed strategy is nothing to commemorate

Posted on June 5, 2017June 5, 2017 By rayhanania No Comments on 50 years of failed strategy is nothing to commemorate
SHARE ...
          
 
  

  • Tweet

50 years of failed strategy is nothing to commemorate

June 5, 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of Israel’s premeditated attack against loudmouthed Arab neighbors in a war that had never really ended from 1948. Rather than using strategic thinking and creative actions to defeat Israel or force Israel to accept the legitimacy of Palestinian Nationalism and Statehood, Arabs and especially Palestinian activists have responded with emotion, anger and failed strategies. Now, 50 years later, we’re still where we started. No forward movement for Palestine while Israel reinforces its stranglehold.

Published in the Arab News May 31, 2017

By Ray Hanania

The most important thing about remembering the 1967 war — in which Israel launched a “pre-emptive strike” against Egypt, Syria and Jordan — is not that it was 50 years ago. But that is what we will mistakenly focus on. What is important is how we got there and why nothing has changed.

The war, often called “The Six-Day War” because it only took Israel six days to destroy the myth of “Arab nationalism,” should symbolize something more important for today’s new generation of Arabs. The war, which destroyed Palestinian national aspirations and the myth of Arab empowerment, should be a reminder that Arabs need to change.

The concept of change has focused on Israel withdrawing from occupied lands, but that is misguided, and has been the weak foundation of Arab strategy toward Israel. The focus should not be on what Israel did, but what Arabs failed to do.

I was only 13 when the war broke out. By then, my father’s family had been expelled at gunpoint by Israel’s terrorist occupation in 1948. They were forced to flee to Jordan, where they sat in a refugee camp until my father George and his older brother Moses could help bring them to Chicago.

Palestinian Refugees from 1948 and 1967 have never received justice in Israel or in the American court system. Photo courtesy of the United Nations
Palestinian Refugees from 1948 and 1967 have never received justice in Israel or in the American court system. Photo courtesy of the United Nations

In 1967, my mother’s family experienced the brutality of Israel’s military occupation, the human degradation it inflicted on Christians and Muslims, and the humiliation not of losing the war, but of being treated like animals by Israeli soldiers and later the terrorist settler movement. The Israelis were not the issue though. We were the issue. We festered in our suffering. The continued failure to achieve justice fueled our anger.

Our leaders fanned that anger into hatred. And hatred undermined any possibility of defeating Israel, forcing us to live as “victims” who would strike out in anger in meaningless acts of violence and resistance that often forced us to abandon our humanity and engage in terrorism against civilians, even little children. Israel exploited our suffering, anger and hate, and the more it did so, the more it excelled toward its goals.

In 1967 there were no settlements. Today there are more than 168; they are racist because they are built only for Jews, they exclude Christians and Muslims, and they are constructed on land taken from them. The population of this racist settlement movement is more than 450,000, including 200,000 living in settlements that hug East Jerusalem.

====================================

In 1967 there were no settlements. Today there are more than 168; they are racist because they are built only for Jews, they exclude Christians and Muslims, and they are constructed on land taken from them.

====================================

Israel is strategic in everything it does. It annexed East Jerusalem in 1980, 13 years after occupying it. It classified those in racist settlements such as Gilo as Israeli citizens, changing the label from occupied territories to “Israeli lands.” Israel is good at manipulating public perceptions, redefining terms and planning.

They have one philosophy: Take what you can get then slowly change it. Arabs have one philosophy too: Take all or nothing. Of course, we have nothing. We have rejected everything.

Jews started with small settlements in the late 19th century, expanded them to bigger cities in the 20th century then accepted half the state, as proposed by the UN in 1947. They knew the partition plan was ridiculous, but instead of rejecting it they embraced it, because they were confident that whatever they take they can grow. In accepting half the state, they fought and seized 50 percent more.

Palestinians can change and do the same thing as the Israelis. They can accept whatever land is abandoned by Israel, and have faith and confidence that in the long run they will expand and take over the rest. The Israelis know that. They recognize that if the Palestinians ever establish a state, it will grow and eventually absorb Israel. The sheer weight of Arab demographics in peace would suffocate Israeli nationalism.

June 8, 1967, USS LIBERTY mess deck becomes a hospital. Photo courtesy the USS Liberty Association
June 8, 1967, USS LIBERTY mess deck becomes a hospital. Photo courtesy the USS Liberty Association

But Palestinians have no faith in themselves. They only have their suffering, victimization and anger. Sadly, some Palestinians have found gratification in that suffering, building institutions that champion conflict and extremism rather than realistic solutions, and that feed emotions and clamor for all or nothing.

They want to turn the clock back to 1947 or even before, and have one democratic state where they say Christians, Muslims and Jews will be equal. But they cannot, so they create an industry for their suffering and commemorate their tragedy.

Palestinians must break free from this mental bondage and define a new future based on growth and confidence that we can achieve this. Otherwise we will pass along to the next generation of Palestinians and Arabs another commemoration of 75 years, then 100. By then, will Palestine exist anywhere outside our angry memories?

(Ray Hanania is an award-winning Palestinian-American former journalist and political columnist. Email him at rghanania@gmail.com.)

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
rayhanania
rayhanania
Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster at The Arab Daily News
RAY HANANIA — Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster

Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.

Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).

Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.

Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.

His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.

Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.

Click here to send Ray Hanania email.

Follow RayHanania on Gettr.com, the uncensored Twitter Ray Hanania on Gettr, the new Twitter
rayhanania
Latest posts by rayhanania (see all)
  • Israeli-push behind effort to ban Tiktok in the United States - January 19, 2023
  • Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12 - January 18, 2023
  • CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd - January 12, 2023

  • Tweet

SHARE ...
          
 
  
 
          
 
 Tweet 
Arab News, Bloggers, Commentary, Israel, Middle East, Opinion, Palestine & Jordan, Ray Hanania Tags:1967 War, 50 year commemoration, Israel, June 5, Occupied Gaza, Occupied Jerusalem, Occupied West Bank, Palestine

Post navigation

Previous Post: Ethics Corrects Mistakes to End 50 yr. USA Govt. Cover-Up USS Liberty Incident
Next Post: APN Statement Marking 50 Years of Israel Occupation

Related Posts

  • Jerusalem map
    Israel’s Donald John Trump Station and Wailing Walls Arab World
  • Mansour Tadros, who died on March 28, 2020. Photo courtesy of the Tadros family
    Community mourns passing of Mansour Tadros American Arabs
  • A glimmer of hope in a Trump presidency American Arabs
  • Syrian Refugees, We Will Be Back, After Awhile Abdennour Toumi
  • World Globe of Middle East region, and Iran. Photo courtesy fo Pixabay.com. pixabay.com/fr/photos/iran/
    The Islamic Republic of Iran: Forty Years Later Abdennour Toumi
  • Breathing in a new life in 2015 and Exhaling 2014 with a Deep Sigh Arab World

More Related Articles

Palestinian group banned by Israel performs protest show Arab World
Holding Obama, Netanyahu and Mashaal Accountable American Arabs
In the Country of Others by author Leila Slimani. Courtesy Penguin Books Leila Slimani releases new book, In The Country of Others American Arabs
Children celebrate Ramadan Eid in Gaza with food vendor. Photo courtesy of Mohammed Asad Palestinian children celebrate Ramadan Eid in besieged Gaza Strip Arab World
H.E. Ambassador Salah Sarhan, Chief Representative to the League of Arab States in Washington D.C. (Photo credit: Samia AbdelWahed, courtesy of PR News Wire Arab League celebrates Arab women American Arabs
Michigan Accident Attorney Joumana Kayrouz helps place the corner stone for the new Youth Hub Center she is funding in Batroun, Lebanon with Gebran Bassil, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants. Photo courtesy of Joumana Kayrouz Youth Hub Center to open in Lebanon with support from Joumana Kayrouz American Arabs

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Tiktok.com/@RayHanania
    Israeli-push behind effort to ban Tiktok in the United States
    January 19, 2023
  • Ghassan Rubeiz
    To what extent is Hezbollah responsible for the current crisis in Lebanon?
    January 17, 2023
  • Image from Rashid-al-Din Hamadani's "A Compendium of Chronicles. Image courtesy of Wikipedia
    Why allow religious extremists to re-define Islam in the West?
    January 10, 2023
  • CAIR Executive Director and co-founder Nihad Awad
    This Thanksgiving, let’s use our Blessings for good
    November 23, 2022
  • NEWS
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12
    January 18, 2023
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd
    January 12, 2023
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action
    January 11, 2023
  • Citgo Gas Station and Quik Mart at 3759 W. Chicago Ave in Chicago ordered closed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot because a street gang member with an AK-47 killed someone in front of the store. Only Arab and Muslim stores are being closed by the Mayor
    When Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot targeted Arab businesses in 2021 and 2022
    January 4, 2023
  • NEWSWIRE
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12
    January 18, 2023
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd
    January 12, 2023
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action
    January 11, 2023
  • Stand up For Human Rights website, United Nations
    UN experts condemn Israel’s ‘sadistic’ punitive measures against French-Palestinian rights defender Salah Hammouri
    October 19, 2022

Creative Commons License
All work on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

  • 08-09-21-Ziyad-Sices-Ad.jpg
  • 08-09-21-Ziyad-Ad-Pantry-essentials.jpg
  • ZiyadBrandLogo-2016BlackRedBackgrnd.jpg
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    October 24, 2022
  • Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib, book cover. Photo courtesy of Cune Press
    Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib
    November 1, 2021
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • Hussam al-Mayman, The Mayman Show, podcast Arab News
    Arab News launches third season of The Mayman Show podcast
    December 15, 2022
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    October 24, 2022
  • Comedian Ramy Youssef courtesy of his Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ramysfaceboo/
    “Ramy” cable series melds Arab world reality with every day American life
    October 22, 2022
  • The Ray Hanania Radio Show Live Wed 5 PM EST in Detroit, Washington DC, Ontario and on Thursday in Chicago. Watch the program live at Facebook.com/ArabNews
    Second Season of “The Ray Hanania Show” Arab American radio launches April 6
    April 4, 2022
  • American Arab CHamber President HassanNijem accepts the Proclamation from Chicago Ald. Roderick Sawyer at the Chamber dinner March 30, 2022
    Chicagoland celebrates Arab American Heritage Month
    March 31, 2022
  • New-iTunes-1400-x-1400-The-Ray-Hanania-Show-Podcast-Icon-300-x-300.jpg
  • Podcast-iTunes-Logo-Chi-City-Hall-1985.jpg
  • terroristbookcover-300-x-300.jpg
  • powerpr300x300ad.jpg
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png
Arab News Newspaper Logo
Read the Arab News, the leading English language newspaper in the MIddle East

Follow Ray Hanania at Gab.com, MeWe.com and IDobbinate.com, the alternatives to Facebook and Twitter Censorship.

Click here to get information on The Ray Hanania Radio Show and its podcasts

Copyright © 2023 The Arab Daily News.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme