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MK Azmi Bishara: ""Return Palestine to us and take your democracy with you. We Arabs are not interested in it."
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| By israelinsider staff and partners December 18, 2005 |
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Arab Member of Knesset Azmi Bishara, speaking at a Beirut book fair, said that Israel is the 20th century's greatest robbery, carried out in broad daylight. "I will never recognize Zionism even if all Arabs do," he said. "I will never concede Palestine. The battle is still long."
Bishara, who recently launched his campaign to seek an additional term in Israel's parliament, left for Lebanon five days ago without receiving permission from the Interior Ministry, Yedioth Aharonoth reported Sunday. His harsh anti-Israel message at the fair was quoted by Lebanese newspaper As -Safir: "The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is not a demographic dispute, but a national one," he said. "It's not the problem of 1.2 million Palestinians living in Israel. They are like all Arabs, only with Israeli citizenship forced upon them."
"We are the original residents of Palestine, not those who came from Poland and Russia," the MK added. He alsoaddressed himself directly to Israelis: "Return Palestine to us and take your democracy with you. We Arabs are not interested in it." His remarks were received by the Lebanese with tumultuous applause.
Bishara criticized nations in the region that sought warming ties with Israel: "Why does one of the Arab countries provide a home for (Foreign Minister) Silvan Shalom, while the army destroys homes in Palestine on a daily basis?" he said, referring to the foreign minister's recent visit to Tunisia, where Shalom was born. "If you want to surrender, do it, but don't force us to give in."
Bishara, who has since returned to Israel, told Yedioth that his speech was "about Zionism and citizenship." He denied saying "anything new" and confirmed that "I've spoken like this in the Knesset."
He has on previous occasions had his parliamentary immunity lifted to allow for indictment on opinions deemed treasonous. Yet Arab voters continually return him and his Balad party to Knesset.
Indeed, Bishara has a long history of pandering to anti-Israeli sentiments among Arab citizens and has repeatedly spoken out against Israel in neighboring countries.
An inveterate Jew-baiter, Bishara in 2004 called beloved Israeli poet Naomi Shemer a "racist."
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