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In an October 23, 2024 appearance on MTV (Lebanon), Lebanese academic Imad Chamoun stated that Palestinians do not have the right to the land. He pointed out that the Quran does not mention "Palestine" or "Palestinians," but refers to the Israelites and Jews multiple times. Chamoun emphasized that Israel is mentioned 43 times in the Quran, but Palestine is not mentioned at all. He argued that if Palestine had existed, it would have been referenced in the Quran, and that Allah gave the land to the Jews, who were in Israel 2,000 years before Christ and 2,600 years before the Islamic conquests. He asked, "How can this land be anything but Jewish?"
Chamoun also praised Sunni countries that, after failing to destroy Israel, recognized it and made peace with it. He criticized the Lebanese government for legalizing Hizbullah's illegal weapons, calling Hizbullah a terrorist organization. He said that Lebanon should not absolve Hizbullah for its actions and accused the group of collaborating with Iran. Chamoun added that Hizbullah had posted videos threatening Christians, with messages saying, "Take your cross and leave." He cited comments from Hizbullah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, who reportedly said that if Christians didn't like it in Lebanon, they should leave.
Imad Chamoun: "I want the Lebanese state, or the consecutive governments, to be held accountable for legalizing Hizbullah's illegal weapons. Hizbullah is accused worldwide of being a terror [organization]. Are we supposed to absolve these terrorists, and let bygones be bygones? How can we? We have martyrs."
Interviewer: "Are you calling them 'terrorists?'"
Chamoun: "What else are all the countries calling them? How do they designate Hizbullah?"
Interviewer: "But they are your compatriots..."
Chamoun: "Who is?"
Interviewer: "Hizbullah."
Chamoun: "Well, if my compatriot is a collaborator, does being my compatriot nullify his collaboration? They are my compatriots, with Lebanese citizenship, who are collaborators with Iran.
[...]
"Haven't you seen that they are now posting videos that say: 'Just wait. When the war is over, we are coming after you [Christians].' These are my compatriots, who have Lebanese citizenship, and they are saying to us: 'We are not free right now to cut off your heads, but wait for when we're done with Israel, and see what we will do to you.' These are my compatriots. What should I say to them? Should I tell them that they have beautiful eyes? We need to protect ourselves and take precautions, so that they do not get to us and cut off our heads. They are openly threatening us."
Interviewer: "So you are saying that there is no room left for solidarity?"
Chamoun: "No! There can be no solidarity, because we had enough of their persecution. We heard them say too many times: 'Take your cross and leave.'"
Interviewer: "Who said such a thing and where?"
Chamoun: "We received messages to our phones saying: 'Take your cross and leave.' Didn't Hizbullah officials say to us: 'Don't like it? Good luck. You can leave.' Naim Qassem said it.
[...]
"[Hizbullah] planted missile and ammunition depots in every Lebanese village and home. This exposed us to Israeli bombing. When a house with ammunition is bombed, all the missiles fly from that house, which they turn into an arms depot, and the surrounding buildings are burned and destroyed. This is what Hizbullah has done to us since 1982, under the pretext of liberating Jerusalem.
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"They say that they want to support the Palestinian cause, but I would like to ask a parallel question: Do the Palestinians have a right to Palestine to begin with?"
Interviewer: "Say what?"
Chamoun: "Well, the answer is 'no.'"
Interviewer: "What kind of thing is that to say, Imad?"
Chamoun: "If you like an objective and scientific argument, I'll give it to you."
Interviewer: "Go ahead, but what are you even saying? The Palestinians have no right to Palestine?"
Chamoun: "They do not. This is not a political analysis. I will answer you with quotes from the sacred sources.
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"The Noble Quran does not mention 'Palestine' or the 'Palestinians.' However, the same book mentions the Israelites 43 times, and it mentions the Jews nine times. The word 'Israel' is mentioned 43 times, and the word 'Palestine' zero. That's for starters. If Palestine existed, the Noble Quran would have mentioned it.
[...]
"Allah, in the Quran gave this land to the Jews. 'Oh my people! Enter the Holy Land which Allah has decreed for you.' Allah decreed this holy land for them. It is in the Quran, Al-Maidah Chapter, verse 20 [sic].
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"The Jews were in Israel 2,000 years before the presence of the Christians, and 2,600 years prior to the Islamic conquests. So how can this land be anything but Jewish?"
Interviewer: "But... no..."
Chamoun: "Let's continue, with your permission."
Interviewer: "This will eat up all our time. I have other questions."
Chamoun: "Let me tell you what the Bible says. You don't care about the Bible?"
Interviewer: "Don't get me into all these metaphysics. On the contrary, I am..."
Chamoun: "Good. Metaphysics. 'So Abraham went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him... and they set out for the land of Canaan...' Not for the land of Palestine. Okay?
[...]
"The Bible tells us that there were Canaanites when the Jews got there, not Palestinians..."
Interviewer: "But Mr. Imad..."
Chamoun: "I am just trying to tell you that it is a shame. Are you trying to build Lebanon as a country or as a joke?
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"How come you reinvent the myth about throwing Israel into the sea? And that Israel is an occupier and this is not their land... Do you want to build the new future of your children and mine on war and hatred? Or do you want to build it on the acceptance of the other? I would like to salute the Sunnis in the world. After their reckless attempt to throw Israel into the sea, which failed even though all the Arab countries were together in this – which failed even though all the Arab countries were together in this – what did they do then? Egypt – that numbers 100 million Arab Muslims – recognized Israel and made peace with it. The Hashemites in Jordan recognized Israel and made peace with it. This Sunni Islamic maturity led to the point where the UAE, the most civilized country in the world today..."
Interviewer: "They all recognized Israel. We have to move on..."
Chamoun: "So to conclude, I'd say that the Shiite immaturity has destroyed us. Let's see tomorrow, if they learned their lesson like the Sunnis have."
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