Palestinians slam Gingrich as "ignorant"

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.

Last Updated 2:18 p.m. ET

JERUSALEM - Palestinian officials are reacting with dismay to Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich's statement that they are an "invented" people.

The Jewish Channel on Friday released excerpts of an interview in which the former House Speaker said Palestinians were not a people because - unlike Israelis - they never had a state.

"Remember, there was no Palestine as a state," Gingrich said. "It was part of the Ottoman Empire.

"I think we have invented the Palestinian people, who are in fact Arabs and who are historically part of the Arab community, and they had a chance to go to many places, and for a variety of political reasons, we have sustained this war against Israel now since the 1940s. It's tragic."

Palestinian official Nabil Abu Rdeneh on Saturday described Gingrich's comments as "unfortunate" and called him "ignorant".

The Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, demanded Gingrich "review history."

"From the beginning, our people have been determined to stay on their land," Fayyad said in comments carried by the Palestinian news agency Wafa. "This, certainly, is denying historical truths."

Gingrich's statements struck at the heart of Palestinian sensitivities about the righteousness of their national struggle.

Palestinians never had their own state — they were ruled by the Ottoman Empire for hundreds of years, like most of the Arab world. When the Ottoman Empire collapsed in the aftermath of World War I, the British, then a global colonial power, took control of the area, then known as British Mandate Palestine.

During that time, Jews, Muslims and Christians living on the land were identified as "Palestinian."

Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi said Gingrich had "lost touch with reality." She said his statements were "a cheap way to win (the) pro-Israel vote."

A spokesman for the militant Hamas rulers of the Palestinian Gaza Strip called Gingrich's statements "shameful and disgraceful."

"These statements ... show genuine hostility toward Palestinians," said spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.

Palestinians bristle at the implication that they were generic Arabs with no specific attachment to the land that Zionist Jews coveted. Using the word "Palestinians" is a way for them to emphasize their claims.

Palestinians are culturally Arabs — they speak Arabic and their culture is broadly shared by other Arabs who live in the eastern Mediterranean.

But they, for the most part, identify themselves as Palestinians, just as the Lebanese, Jordanians and Syrians also identify themselves with a specific national identity.

For Palestinians, their identity was hewed over decades of fighting against another nationalist struggle over the same land — that of Zionist Jews.

During the war surrounding the Jewish state's creation in 1948, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled, or were forced to flee their homes.

Gingrich's reasoning was popular in the decades following Israel's creation, although that argument has since fallen out of favor among mainstream Israelis.

Israeli officials were not immediately available on the Jewish Sabbath for comment.

On Saturday afternoon the Gingrich campaign issued a statement regarding the "invented" comment.

"Gingrich supports a negotiated peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, which will necessarily include agreement between Israel and the Palestinians over the borders of a Palestinian state," Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond said. "However, to understand what is being proposed and negotiated you have to understand decades of complex history - which is exactly what Gingrich was referencing during the recent interview with Jewish TV."

In the interview, Gingrich also said President Barack Obama's effort to treat Palestinians as the same as the Israelis is "favoring the terrorists."

31 Photos

Newt Gingrich on the campaign trail

[michigal1]

Every Gingrich supporter should watch the following video. I'm not a RP supporter nor do I belong to the the John Birch Society, but the video is still damning regarding Newt's 'conservative' credentials: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWPz1Qdq1uI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[pravdanews]

once we remove obama next year...i can assure Israel that we will double our effort to help you and eliminate these radicals throwbacks. hold on Israel...obama is weak and no more

[Overruled1]

Just look at Gingrich during the interview, doesn't he just look like a wise, honorable, and ethical candidate?
His aura is emanating from his body...

A facade. He's getting is 30 pieces of silver. Hopefully a rope to go with it.

[africa1273]

You all are incorrect,although you cant go back in time this is just another case of the nation state process. Israel is wrong for dropping bombs and Palestinians are wrong for their crazed notions for the destruction of another people. The conflict remains and will remain that these are white Jews not Jews and Palestinians not Arabs. We are all misplaced because of borders that are constantly imposed by those who have the military might. If you dont pay a man in some way to leave what is his and he is removed from it and you get it then you have taken by force or stole it,no matter what.Start your conversation from that point. Since those in power like making borders this area should be a people free zone. The world does not revolve around these to peoples,states,countries,nations or whatever term you want to give them and for europeans,westerners, and arabs they seem to be the beginning to bring about the great Utpopia. What a bunch of Crap. Both are Idiots because they will always use weapons to speak to one another and they both understand death. All three religions speak to ordering others how to live and or face the consequences of a loving God. That is not God. Have a great today Everyone

[JakeClayton]

Let's start with the fact that what Gingrich said is true. For all the complaints by the Palestinians and their devoted allies on the left in America and the press worldwide,it is difficult to take this manufactured outrage seriously. For all those complainers, what's the the historical basis of your complaint. In years past a number of PLO reps made the same point. If you can't refute Gingrich's statement, then look in the mirror and tell yourself that what Gingrich said is true and the truth will set you free. Don't be afraid of the truth!

Gingrich has always had this problem with political correctness and the truth. He says things that are quite obviously true, but the left doesn't like the truth he's speaking about, so they feign outrage. if the press was interested in accuracy, each article would clearly state that "what Gingrich said was true, but . . . , " and then add whatever explanation or qualification of why the particular point shouldn't be spoken.

[Truther1]

What that NWO puppet said id true HA? ok Clayton if you are all about truth, lets see what you could possibly say about this if your all stand up and speak only truth which you already LIED!
How is isreal legit? How is any land theirs, these people are the russian khazahrs, what are you forgetting true history and strengthening lies by isreal and my own U.S. terrorist regime gov't These people are called imposters for a dam good reason, these people are the descendants of Cain as they know, think and believe themselves, so jakeclayton lets address the most illegitimate people on the planet that have been non existent since 70 to 95 a.d. These liars emerged from whats now Georgia Russia in the 1700s THE KHAZAHRS and lets address all the arcaeological artifacts jews have been caught placing for their own strengthening of their lies to the world like the star of david, that is totally made up and was never mentioned in any ancient text or connected to king david in any way or mention, how did isreal get all their very illegal nukes being in that area? This is the grossest U.N. treay violation I have ever seen taking into consideration the massive lies and genocide by isreal.
Tim in Montana STOP TELLING LIES YOU PEOPLE MAKE ME SICK!!!

[OnTheCrown]

There is terrorism on both sides. Gingrich is reckless. I hope he never becomes president.

[mhstreet]

Herman Cain is OUT. Now, Newt Gingrich is OUT. What an ass! The U.S. and British finished their job in 1945 with the liberation of the death camps. It didn't come with an infinite "extended warranty". If you can't get along with other people, you will be annihilated Mr."I Know History"! That's history, pure and simple. Why don't you talk about the thanks the Jews gave the British for saving them from the Death Camps, by blowing them to smithereens at the King David Hotel in 1947. Menachem Begin never went to Britain for the rest of his life, as he was a wanted terrorist. Oh yeah, "Mr. History". You're history now Dumb Ass. Go Ron Paul!

[txdude1]

Oh Well, You can't get much more racist that Newt Gingrich these days.

He's using exactly the same argument that racist in America used against African Americans for decades.

There not really Americans, there just as black as the rest of the Africans which is what they are. They had a chance to beck to Africa and hey chose not to do so.

Same old bigoted Racism that anyone over the age of 40 has heard a million times before.

Keep it up Newt. You're showing us all exactly what you are. Just another Racist Hater.

[aatayyab1]

Via such statements, Newt is hurting Israel itself.

[Broadstrokes]

What is commonly referred to as Palestine is a geographic region. Within the region are people who migrated there - just as Americans move to California, but also as a result of wars and countless incidents where it became an invasion corridor. The Palestinians were heavily conscripted by the Romans in building the earthen ramp up to Masada.
One cannot approach the Palestinian issue without reservation. The hot button is always alight. Israel deserves to live in peace and harmony with its neighbors The Palestinians must be able to control terror networks on their own, as a move toward sovereign status.

[hmpierson]

TistheSeason says:

"The Israelis could do their part, as well, but aren't interested."

ISrael withdrew from Gaza in 2005. There was no blockade until several years later, when the Palestinians proved they were more interest in conflict than building a nation.

So where's the "peace dividend" for withdrawing from Gaza? All it did was make it possible for the Palestinians to fire rockets at Israel.

Palestinians are responsible for their own problems.

[joule18]

On this subject Gingrich is right. He definitely has been reading the relevant literature on the subject. The Islamist-Jihadists who call themselves PA/Hamas are trying to cover up their sins. The world can get similar information on the subject through Pat Condell's Youtube commentaries entitled "The great Palestinian lie" and "Useful Idiots for Palestine."