Azmi Bishara - A Palestinian when it suits him

There is a video floating around Youtube of Azmi Bishara, a man wanted in Israel for treason and espionage on behalf of Hizballah, professing that there never was a Palestinian nation.

The video can be viewed here.

In the video, Bishara appears to shock the Israeli co-panelists and the host himself by his words. For those who don't understand hebrew, it goes to the effect of:

"The Palestinian nation is a colonial invention. When were there Palestinians? There never was such a nation.

I think there is an Arab Nation, I never turned to be a Palestinian Nationalist, despite of my decisive struggle against the Occupation.

I think that until the end of the 19TH century, Palestine was the South of Great Syria."


If a Jewish person were to say that, they'd be labelled extremists or dillusional. As for Azmi Bishara, he just tried to sweep this under the rug.

Here is how he opened a column in the LA Times on May 3, 2007

"I AM A PALESTINIAN from Nazareth, a citizen of Israel and was, until last month, a member of the Israeli parliament."

But wait a second.. I thought you said Palestinian was a colonial invention. Are you willing to accept a colonial term Mr. Bishara?

It's funny when words come back to bite.