Saudi Writer Abdulhameed Al-Ghobain: Palestine Was Never An Independent State; The Palestinian Cause Is An Illusion; Arabs, Leaders Use Emotional Slogans That Have Nothing To Do With Reality

Saudi writer Abdulhameed Al-Ghobain said in a May 21, 2020 show on Etejah TV (Iraq) that there was never an independent Palestinian state, since the territory had previously been under the authority of the Ottoman Empire, followed by the British. He pointed out that most of the Arab countries were established in the beginning of the 20th century - some as late as the 1970s - and that the Arabs, Arab League, and Palestinians had refused to establish an independent Palestinian state when Israel was established in the late 1940s. In addition, Al-Ghobain said that he has come to the conclusion that the Palestinian cause is an illusion and that it has never been a real and just cause. He also criticized the Arabs and Arab leaders for using emotion-based slogans that have nothing to do with reality.

Abdulhameed Al-Ghobain: "What is the meaning of 'occupation'? That's like when the U.S. invaded Iraq. That is considered occupation. But there wasn't a recognized existing Palestinian state. It belonged to the Ottoman occupation, or rather the Ottoman state, and then to the British." 

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"When were the Arab states really established? It was at the beginning of the previous century. We must admit that some of them weren't established until the 1970's. Israel was established as a state in 1947. There was a call for establishing a Palestinian state. The Palestinians, the Arabs, and even the Arab League refused to recognize that there should be a Palestinian state. Maybe if a [Palestinian state] had been established, the situation would be different. So for us to be waiting all these years, destroying our Arab nation, destroying our economies, and not achieving anything, for the sake of an illusion... to tell you the truth, I arrived at the conclusion that this cause has not been a real and just cause at any point in history. If it were a real and just cause, then we would have..." 

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"First of all, we would know full well that generally speaking, the Arab and Islamic peoples are emotional. They are driven by emotion. You cannot separate this from the reality... When Gamal Abdel Nasser raised the slogans of pan-Arabism and the liberation of Palestine... And then Saddam Hussein... It was nothing but slogans, just like the slogans of the [Muslim] Brotherhood today, with all due respect. They are just talking in slogans, emotional words that have nothing to do with reality. When we look at things, we must be realistic."