Fake History on the "History Channel"

The History Channel in Israel [channel 42 on `Arutsey Zahav] gets most of its broadcast material from American and British sources, unfortunately. It seems that most comes from the American History Channel. This material --these "historical" films-- reflect the biases and conventional lies of American Establishment and British propaganda. And this includes treatment of Jewish and Israeli historical matters. The problem for us in Israel is that this Anglo-American material is used uncritically, broadcast uncritically, without correction. The films are broadcast with the original English-language narration, plus Hebrew subtitles which do not diverge from the original. A case in point was broadcast this morning 12-17-2006 on the Israeli History Channel.

The film told the story of Allenby's campaign in Israel in 1917-1918, particularly a September 1918 battle.
Lie # 1 - The narration took pains to point out the diverse ethnic and geographic origins of Allenby's forces, British, Indians, Gurkhas, Australians and New Zealanders. However, no mention was made of the Jewish Legion which took part in Allenby's battles for the Land of Israel [called "palestine" in the film]. The Legion was made up of the 38th, 39th, and 40th regiments of Royal Fusiliers and had been recruited among Jews from America, Britain, Canada, Israel and Egypt. This seems to have been a sizable force. Why was it not mentioned in the film? Probably for political reasons in order to efface the memory of the Jewish/Zionist contribution to the British war effort. The film seems to have been American-made however, since the narrator spoke with an American accent. But Americans usually follow the British lead in historical distortions.
Lie # 2 - The narrator claimed that Arabs in "palestine" and Syria, etc., were becoming tired of "Turkish" rule and were inclined to support the British. In fact, many many Arab troops fought in the Ottoman ranks, while only a relative handful fought in the bands of Amir Faysal bin Husayn [Emir Feisal bin Hussein] who was accompanied and aided by TE Lawrence. The Arabs overwhelmingly fought for the Ottoman Empire, which was a Sunni Muslim state, indeed the Ottoman sultan was also called Caliph [khalif ul-Islam]. At that time the Empire had many Arabs in positions of authority, in the diplomatic service, in the Ottoman parliament. These Arabs prominent in the Ottoman government included members of leading Arab Muslim families in what later became the Jewish National Home with the territorial designation of "palestine" which did not exist under the Ottoman state, neither as a name nor as a territorial entity by any other name. The leading Arab "palestinian" families that contributed members to the Ottoman service included the Husseinis [Husaynis] and al-Khalidis of Jerusalem and the Abdul-Hadi family of Sh'khem [Nablus].
Lie # 3 - That there was a territorial entity at that time called "palestine." The previous paragraph describes why this was wrong, although in the West, the name "palestine" was often used for the country along with other names such as "Holy Land," "Judea," "the Land where Jesus Trod," etc.

For more on the territorial-administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire in the Levant before World War I [including names], see the writings of Gid`on Biger [Gidon or Gideon Biger], inter alia.
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Coming: More on Jews in Jerusalem, peace frauds and follies, etc.