An Israeli spokesperson and a Palestinian TV presenter got into a twitter fight. Who won?

Published May 26th, 2016 - 03:13 GMT
Israel's Spokesperson for Arabic media, Ofir Gendelman (Youtube)
Israel's Spokesperson for Arabic media, Ofir Gendelman (Youtube)

Ofir Gendelman has an unenviable job. As Israel’s spokesperson for Arab media, he usually finds himself addressing an audience of people far from sympathetic to his views.

And yesterday the Arabic-speaking spox got into an especially public spat, with Palestinian NBC presenter Mohammed Abu Abeed.

The debate started when Abu Abeed – who lives in Dubai and is unable to visit his family’s original home in Haifa – took issue with Gendelman’s treatment of Israeli suffering. Gendelman responded by drawing attention to terrorist attacks faced by Israelis – and made the familiar offer that the time had come for peace between Israel and Palestine.


Muhammad Abu Abeed: Ofir Gendelman talks about ‘the suffering of Israelis’ as if the Palestinians are the ones who occupy them, lay siege to them, and control their movements…

Ofir Gendelman:Over the past 100 years we’ve experienced the ugly terrorist attacks the Palestinians have committed against us. The time has come to make peace, no?

That sparked of a long discussion about the history of Israel: the Nakba, the 1967 war and occupation of the West Bank, and the British role in historic Palestine. Needless to say, the two men had a few disagreements about the nature of the problem.

Abu Abeed: What did the Palestinians commit in 1948 and 1967???????

Gendelman: The first Palestinian massacre towards Jews was committed in 1920. The Palestinians started the war in 1947 with the [rest of the] Arab Countries after they refused Resolution 171.

Abu Abeed: The popular Palestinian revolt against Britain is what opened the door for your migration, and clashes happened leading to the death of 4 Palestinians and 5 Jews.

Gendelman: The land of Israel is our land, it’s been our national territory for thousands of years. Palestinian recognition of our nation is the key to peace.

 

The conversation did not necessarily maintain a consistently high level of intellectual poise and clarity.

 

Abu Abeed: I am still waiting for your response

Gendelman: *I’M* still waiting for your response.

 


Gendelman eventually responded with the government spokesperson equivalent of “FIGHT ME”.

 

I am ready to do an interview with you on live TV where you can ask any question you want and I will respond in detail to all of your questions.

 

But it was Abu Abeed who ended the discussion, leaving Gendelman silent.

Abu Abeed: I wasn’t asking questions searching for information but to remind you that your immigration displaced my family from their homeland and my mother from Haifa, and on the property of my grandfather there is a Jew from Poland.

Gendelman: I’ll remind you that the Arab Leaders of Haifa encouraged them [the Palestinians] to flee despite the appeals of the Jews of Haifa for them to remain. The Arabs started the 47 war. Don’t forget that.

Abu Abeed: What does it mean for me, as a Palestinian forbidden from entering Jerusalem or Haifa, where my mother and other were born from 1996 to now? You ban the Palestinian from his city!


The discussion didn’t continue beyond that point. But both combatants continued to have an invigorating day on Twitter. Abu Abeed argued with an Iraqi about Shia militias, an atheist about religion, and a Muslim about religion, too. 

Gendelman, meanwhile, cheerfully offered wishes for a happy independence day to neighboring Jordan, but found his greetings were not met with enthusiasm.

Our embassy in Amman congratulates the Jordanian people on the occasion of Jordan's 70th Independence Day and wishes them a happy holiday #Jordan70
Omar Habab: f**k you, and f**k whoever opened your embassy in Amman

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