Reply to Moshe Shemesh 2003 attempt to revise record of Genocidal Nazi Shuqayri (Shukeiri Shukairy)

Submitted by Ely (United States), Jun 24, 2020 at 11:20

Ahmad al-Shuqayri / Shukeiri / Shukairy (ash-Shuqayri) is best known for his statement ahead of the 1967 six day war to "throw the Jews into the sea." 1 2

Moshe Shemesh published an extensive piece and attempts to refute it the way as it was accepted for decades. By Arabs and Jews.

Yet, he didn't convince much why Shukairy didn't deny it when it was published in French paper before the six-day-war, at the Arab hype and excitement before defeat.

The phrases throwing someone ONTO or INTO the sea which Shukairy is so well known for VS shipping someone BY sea which Shukairy later on tried to revise, are heaven and Earth. How did he reconcile the two?

He also tries to sugarcoat Shuqayri that his statement was in the context of hype in Arab street.

More over, the same author/professor who wrote so much on Arab-Palestinians and their history, apparently onitted his (Nov. 30.1962) Nazi Tacuara salute which got Shukairy booted from the UN (end of 1962). That at least according to Google's result to search as follows: 'Your search - "moshe shemesh" "tacuara" - did not match any book results.' Or a Google search inside his extensive book on their politics between 1959-1974, neither "Tacuara," nor "Argentina" has returned any results but plenty for "Shuqayri." And has even a full chapter about him. Nor could one find anything about the scandalous Shuqayri attack on Uruguay's Enrique-Fabregat (Dec.1961) stating he was supposedly a Jew and therefor can not claim to represent his county Urugay, but he, represents therefor, Israel. Enough said.

Still, even Shemesh concluded Shuqayri's June-1967 statement as follows: "his statement 'in my estimate none of them would remain alive' obviously sounded like the intention to destroy or liquidate the Jews and that their fate was sealed. It certainly lent credibility to the claim that he had called for throwing the Jews into the sea." And academic's summary of his research: "Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that it is clear from his statement that his aim was to annihilate the Jews when he said 'I think none of them will remain alive', thus there would be no question of thei future survival".

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Moshe Shemeh in 'Israel Studies', 2003, p.78

EVALUATION
The version in the Lebanese newspaper al-Yawm gives the impression of being closer to the truth than the doctored one in Shuqayri's memories. Although radical, the statement does not appear to imply that he intended to throw the Jews who "remained in Filastin," into the sea "if any remained." His intention was that they would be deported overseas, by ship, to their countries of origin, in other words, by the same way they came to Israel. At the same time, his statement "in my estimate none of them would remain alive" obviously sounded like the intention to destroy or liquidate the Jews and that their fate was sealed. It certainly lent credibility to the claim that he had called for throwing the Jews into the sea.

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From academics' summary of his piece:

Abstracts 11 [BGU.AC.IL]

Did Shuqayri Call to Throw the Jews into the Sea?
Moshe Shemesh
On the eve of the Six Days War, Ahmad al-Shuqayri, the PLO Chairman in the
years 1964-1967, made a statement in Amman that implied throwing the Jews of
Israel into the sea following the successful occupation of Israel by the Arab armies.
According to Shuqayri, Israeli propaganda defamed his alleged statement as indication or proof of the Arabs' hostility towards Israel thus justifying her military offensive on 5 June 1967. Western and Arab researchers also used this declaration against Shuqayri himself after the war.
Shuqayri categorically denied this allegation but failed to convince. He argued that 'This was one of the biggest lies the Zionist propaganda had spread'. Helena
Cobban wrote in her book The Palestinian Liberation Organization: People, Power and Politics(1984): 'For his part, Shuqayri was remembered in later years, even by many Palestinians as the man who gave the Palestinians a bad name by threatening to throw the Jews into the sea'.
The origin of this allegation was a statement Shuqayri made in Amman on 2 June 1967, and which was published by the Lebanese newspaper al-Yom, on 3 June 1967.
According to the newspaper, Shuqayri was asked at a press conference 'What would happen to the inhabitants of Israel if the Arabs won the war?'. To this Shuqayri replied: 'We will endeavor to help them and ease their departure [from Israel] through the sea to the countries from which they came [to Israel]'. To the question what would be the destiny of the Israelis who were born in Israel, Shuqayri answered:
'All those who will remain alive [of the Israelis who were born in Israel] will stay in Filastin, but I think none of them will remain alive'.
The study concludes that Shuqayri's statement was indeed an expression of extreme enmity towards Israel, but it did not imply throwing 'the Jews who remain in Filastin, if any will remain', into the sea. His intention was that those who remained alive would be deported to the countries of their origin, in ships via the sea, the same way they had arrived in Israel. Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that it is clear from his statement that his aim was to annihilate the Jews when he said 'I think none of them will remain alive', thus there would be no question of their future survival.
https://in.bgu.ac.il/bgi/iyunim/english/abstracts11.pdf

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A Look at the Palestine Liberation Organization - The New York Times
Nov 13, 1974
Credit...The New York Times Archives
[November 13, 1974, Page 16]

Background — The Palestine Liberation Organization was founded in East Jerusalem in 1964 to act as the political representative of Palestinian Arabs. The organization started with a fighting force of its own, and after the June war of 1967, it became the umbrella for the diverse guerrilla groups operating against Israel. Their strength estimated at 10,000.
The original chairman was Ahmed Shukairy, whose threats to drive Israel into the sea—reinforced by atrocities against civilians—did much to shape the view abroad that the organization was purely terrorist. His polemics apparently cost him the support of the Egyptians as they groped for a peaceful settlement after the war in 1967, and Mr. Shukairy resigned in December of that year.
Structure—Officially the headquarters of the P.L.O. is in Damascus, but the real center of operations is in Beirut. The principal administrative organ is an Executive Committee of 13 members, six of whom represent guerrilla groups, the rest being unaffiliated professionals and intellectuals, A 43‐member Central Council acts as a consultative body for the Executive Committee, the chairman of which is Yasir Arafat of Al Fatah (Conquest)...
https://www.nytimes.com/1974/11/13/archives/a-look-at-the-palestine-liberation-organization-the-umbrella.html

P.L.O., Set Back in Lebanon, Told by Allies to Compromise
By Henry Tanner Special to The New York Times
Dec 10, 1976 · ... its first chief, Ahmed Shukairy, a firebrand orator who was forever exhorting the Arabs to throw the Jews into the sea.
https://www.nytimes.com/1976/12/10/archives/plo-set-back-in-lebanon-told-by-allies-to-compromise-guerrilla.html

Opinion | FOREIGN AFFAIRS; The Lessons of Hate - The New York Times
Apr 10, 1988 · Ahmed Shukairy, then the Palestinians' leader, preached holy war at the Great Mosque ... the Friday before the war began, promising to "throw the Jews into the sea..
https://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/10/opinion/foreign-affairs-the-lessons-of-hate.html

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