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The Canadian-Israeli Corey Gil-Shuster, accompanied by an Arabic-speaking female interpreter, most likely an Israeli Arab, went to several Arab cities in Israel and the West Bank to ask Palestinians he met at random two questions. First, could they name an important Palestinian alive now or in the recent past. Second, could they name a famous Palestinian in history, from ancient times to “before 1900.” The results were enlightening.
View the “Ask A Palestinian” undertaking above or here.
I will first provide my own transcript of the interviews, and then discuss their significance.
Interview #1. Amr from Nablus, a young bearded man, asked to name an “important Palestinian,” after some thought, says “Yasser Arafat,” the founder of the terror group PLO. He then is asked if he can think of anyone else. He tries to think of someone, anyone, but in vain, and he finally replies: “There are many important people, but I can’t remember everybody.” Asked if he can name any important Palestinian in the past, before 1900, he says “I’m sure there is, of course there is. But I just can’t remember.”
Interview #2. A middle-aged woman in Qibya, inside a store. Asked to name an important Palestinian, she says “Abu Ammar,” the kunya and nom de guerre of Yassir Arafat. Asked about anyone from ancient history, she answers “We don’t know anyone before Abu Ammar.”
Interview #3. A girl, Sajida, in Ramallah, names as important Palestinians “the governor of Ramallah and Al Bifreh” (no names given). Asked to name a Palestinian from ancient history, she grimaces and looks puzzled by the very question. She remains silent.
Interview #4. In Ramallah, a husky man in his early 30s, identified as “Armando,” asked to name an important Palestinian of the present, says “Maybe Mahmoud Darwish” (a deceased Palestinian poet/propagandist). Asked about a Palestinian in ancient history, Armando thinks and finally answers “Salal al Din” — “he conquered Jerusalem.” Saladin was not a Palestinian, not even an Arab, but a Kurd. However, he is not corrected by the interviewer. Then he says: “All Palestinians have an impact, whether it’s before the 1900s, during them, after them, even a Palestinian child has an impact, has an importance. The word Palestine and Palestinian has a weight which means patience, it means be patient. The ones I am most interested in are the marytrs.” In Islam, the name “martyr” is given to those who die while fighting a jihad against the Infidels. The terrorists who murder Israelis and are killed during their attacks are “martyrs.”
Interview #5. In Bethlehem, two girls in their 20s are asked to name an important Palestinian. One answers “Mahmoud Darwish.” The other girl says brightly: “‘Ghassan Kanafani.” Kanafani was a writer, and a terrorist, who was involved with the PFLP and helped plan the attack carried out by three Japanese Red Army terrorists who murdered 25 passengers, including 17 Puerto Rican pilgrims, at the Ben Gurion airport in Lod on May 30, 1972. He was assassinated by the Mossad on July 8, 1972.
Then, when asked to name a Palestinian from the past, “before 1900,” one girl says “I can’t remember right now,” and the other says “I don’t know.”
Interview #6. In Hebron, a man with his face hidden at his request is asked to name an important Palestinian in recent history. He gives only two names: Yasser Arafat and Ahmad Yassin, the founder of the terror group Hamas. He then adds: “There are many Palestinian leaders, the best ones die. But I know this: the good one die, or are killed, or become martyrs.” Asked to name a Palestinian from before 1900, he answered “I don’t know.”
Interview #7. Three girls in Ramallah are asked to name an important Palestinian. In unison, they name Mahmoud Abbas, and one of them adds “Dr. Mohammed Shtayyeh, the prime minister.” Any famous Palestinians from the past? One says “Yasser Arafat, of course.” And then the girls add: “There was also Sheikh… he was killed by the Jews in Gaza. There was also Saddam Hussein.” Another chimes in: “ Saddam Hussein was not Palestinian. He was Algerian.” They are both corrected by the interpreter: “He was Iraqi.” They agree, making sounds that indicate that Sheikh Yassin was exactly whom they had it mind when they said “Sheikh….” Then they are asked “What about 200 years ago, 300 years ago?” Silence.
Interview #8. A husky man of indeterminate age is asked: “Name an important Palestinian in history. Name a person who is important to you. Name a Palestinian who was important to everyone.” He answers: “Abd al Qader el Husseini was good, Izz Ad-Din Al -Qassem was good. Abu Jihad (Khalil Al-Wazir) was good. He was a Palestinian leader in the PLO. Yasser Arafat was good.” Asked to name someone famous in Palestinian history before 1900, he replies: “That’s all I remember. I’m sorry, they didn’t teach us much.”
Interview #9. A middle-aged man in Bethlehem is asked about famous Palestinians. He also names Yasser Arafat. Asked about Palestinians before 1900, he can’t think of anyone important. But when the interviewer asks him ”What about Jesus?,” he brightens up and replies: “Yes, Jesus.” Interviewer: “He was a Palestinian?” “Yes, he was a Palestinian.”
Interview #10. A girl in Ramallah, asked to name an important Palestinian, responds: “Yasser Arafat.” And someone before 1900? “I don’t know.”
Interview #11. Two women in Ramallah: “Name an important Palestinian.” The older woman answers: “Abu Ammar. Ahmad Yassin, Marwan Barghouti.” Asked about Palestinians in history, she thinks, tries to recall a name, finally answers: “There were a lot of rebels, fighters, resistance, but I can’t really remember right now.”
Interview #12. A well-dressed, well-coiffed man, 40ish, in Bethlehem: “Name an important Palestinian in history.” He can’t think of anyone. What about in ancient times? “Husseini. I forget the first name.” “In the 1930s?,” asks the interviewer. He replies: “Yes, I think so.” The interviewer then says: “He means Haj Amin el Husseini.” The man replies: “Yes.” Then he is asked: “What about earlier? Anyone important? From a long time ago?” He answers: “O my God. It’s not in my mind right now. But I think all through the history of Palestine, we have many many leaders.” The interviewer then asks: “Not just a leader, anyone important. From a long time ago.” Silence.
The “Ask a Palestinian” results require a commentary, which will be posted here later today.
