Lone Champion of a Good Cause

Like other dictators with a sense of mission, Muammar al-Gaddafi also wrote political and philosophical writings. His book on the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict is a collection of bold theories that take a fact-free approach to history, says Günther Orth.

Less well known than the 1975 Green Book on the subject of good governance à la Gaddafi is the dictator's booklet Isratin – The White Book, which sees itself as the solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The word Isratin is coined from "Israel" and "Filastin" (Arabic for Palestine), while the title of "White Book" refers back to historical White Papers on Palestine. It was brought out in 2003 by a Libyan state publishing house (48 pages in large print) and is now available in 15 languages (including Hebrew) via Gaddafi's homepage.

Exercising the characteristic modesty familiar to readers of the Green Book, Gaddafi points out in the introduction that "no other concept is capable of resolving the problem." Yet those who previously knew Gaddafi as a supporter of militant Palestinian groupings and expect the author to propagate armed struggle against Israel have another think coming. No, no, Gaddafi has nothing but understanding for Zionism!

Implicit recognition of Israel

The author opens Isratin with a slight detour to the Old Testament, to prove that Palestine was historically populated by many different cultures. He writes: "From an historical perspective, therefore, no one has the right to assert that its party can claim the right to one part of Palestine, neither can they lay just claim to any other land, for that would amount to no more than an unsubstantiated claim."

Gaddafi admits that the foundation of a Jewish state was in part a result of European anti-Semitism. Yet even though he writes that Palestine was not necessarily the country in which to form this state, he implicitly calls for the recognition of the existence of the Israeli state in the book – albeit referring throughout to "the so-called state of Israel".

Does Gaddafi actually have anything against Jews? No, one would have to say, on reading this: "The Jews are an unfortunate people. They have suffered greatly at the hands of governments, leaders and other peoples since ancient times." But Gaddafi tells us the reason why: "Because this is the will of God, just as the Koran makes clear in the accounts of Egypt's Pharaoh, and as their treatment at the hands of the rulers from Babylon, Roman emperors, from Titus to Hadrian, and the kings of England, such as Edward I, illustrates. The Jews have been (…) persecuted in every possible fashion at the hands of the Egyptians, the Romans, the English, the Russians, the Babylonians, the Canaanites, and, more recently, at the hands of Hitler." God wanted it that way!

Between the Arabs and the Jews, Gaddafi continues, there is "no enmity". The Jews had always lived "in peace and friendship" with their brother Arabs. Up until 1948, one might add, including in Libya.

Gaddafi's defence of Zionism

Gaddafi then recalls proposals made by the British and other figures from the 1930s, which made suggestions for a single state of Palestine encompassing Muslims, Christians and Jews, and quotes pacifist voices from the Zionist movement of the time who warned against dividing Palestine. Rather surprisingly, he then moves on to the chauvinist statements of the former Mossad director Meir Amit – who rejected any foundation of a Palestinian state as a danger for Israel – going on to adopt the views of various other Israeli hardliners.

An Israeli brigadier is quoted as saying that the potential Palestinian state territory of the West Bank overlooks Israel's vital coastal plain, making another state there an unacceptable threat to Israel. To add to that, Colonel Meir Bail attests a "historical" and "sacred" Israeli right to the West Bank. Here we have Gaddafi defending Zionism!

Mass exodus a "misunderstanding"

Reading on: "The failure to accept the notion of a single state is thus the historical mistake which lies behind today's tragedy. (…) The concept of partition has failed," writes Gaddafi, and one is inclined to agree with him up to this point. However, Gaddafi then takes on the following opinion of a "Zionist strategist and scholar" by the name of Harkabi: "Acceptance by the PLO of a Palestinian state in the West Bank is no more than a tactical posture to settle its account with Israel. (…) Acceptance of a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip merely postpones the continuation of the struggle to a later phase."

So what exactly does the Palestine expert Gaddafi have to offer to the Palestinians, whom he appears to mistrust? Why, quite simply: "A single state for Palestinians and Jews – Isratine". This would also entail the right to return for Palestinian refugees, although Gaddafi considers the exodus of Palestinians from their country in 1948 an overreaction and a misunderstanding: He refers to "the lie" that Jews forcibly expelled Arabs from their villages.

In this context, Gaddafi even expressly denies the well-documented massacre of Deir Yassin. However, the writer concludes: "This is positive – it will assist us in solving the problem. The Jews, therefore, do not hate the Palestinians. They do not want to expel the Palestinians from their land, Palestine. They did not decide to massacre them, as the rumours suggest. (…) In fact, it was non-Palestinian Arabs who attacked Palestine and declared war on the Jews."

Gaddafi's romantic visions

In the final part of his theses, the expert bathes the situation in the Middle East in a highly romantic light. He claims that the Israelis and Palestinians have grown accustomed to one another and are of mutual benefit. Once again, he adopts a quote from a gentleman he refers to as a "Zionist":

"Each year the two groups assimilate more and more. On one side, this assimilation is realised by means of Jewish settlement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; on the other, (…) assimilation is driven further by the massive expansion in Arab labour in all areas of Israel." Land-grabbing and pitiful wages, the author would have us believe, are now brotherly love. Gaddafi kindly explains to the Israelis and Palestinians that they are actually the best of friends. Now all they need is a single state.

Yet Gaddafi is not only a romantic; he also has youthful verve: "We should not listen to the voices of the old guard, with their World War II mentality; we should listen to the voice of the young, the generation of globalisation, the generation of the future. It is the old mentality that stands behind the present tragedy."

The White Book concludes: "Since 1967 the situation has been that of a single Israeli-Palestinian state. Even the attacks by fedayeen were mounted from outside the borders of that state. (…) This is a clear example of the success of a single assimilated state – Isratine."

And this book is a clear example that Gaddafi writes with no reference to facts, but feels compelled to offer pithy "final historical solutions" for problems even outside his own kingdom. Over the years he has published political essays on subjects as wide-ranging as Korea, Kurdistan, Kashmir, the UN and Turkey's accession to the EU (Gaddafi's view: Turkey should not join the EU as it would Islamicise Europe!). He has also blessed the reading public with a slim volume of "stories". The fact that nobody takes his ideas seriously does not seem to bother Gaddafi.

Günter Orth

Dr. Günter Orth is a scholar of Islam Studies and a literary translator from Arabic to German.

Translated from the German by Katy Derbyshire

NB: Quotes are taken from the English online version.

Editor: Lewis Gropp/Qantara.de

Qantara.de

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