Interview with Hartmut Lenhard – History of Israel: Disturbance factor in the self -image of the nation

Mr. Lenhard, you have translated a book with “the birth of the Palestinian refugee problem” that was published in English in 1988. As the historian Philipp Lenhard writes in his afterword, the study by the Israeli historian Benny Morris is the most precise review of the exodus of around 700,000 Arab Palestinians from 1947 to 1949. Why did nobody come up with the idea of transferring the book into German?

In German politics of the 1980s, the flight and expulsion of the Palestinians were a hot iron. On the one hand, they tried to meet special responsibility towards Israel as a Jewish state and did not officially recognize the Palestinian exemption organization (PLO), on the other hand, supported Palestinian refugees through the UN organizations. In addition, the third generation of the Red Army Group (RAF), which worked with Palestinian terrorist groups, dominated the public perception. From 1989, German unity then displaced many foreign policy issues from the focus of attention. This also applies to the Middle East conflict, which the general public has been pursued by the general public in these years.

In 2004 Benny Morris revised his book. Among other things, he added a chapter that deals with the idea of “population transfer” in Zionist thinking. However, the new edition did not encounter public interest in this country either.

On the one hand, this could be justified in the author’s person. Morris was and is controversial because of his meticulous, uncompromising historiography and his political attitude in both Israel and among Palestinians. This may have contributed to concern in German publishers to be involved in unwanted political controversy with the publication of such a book. On the other hand, Morris’ study is not a broad -effective non -fiction book, but a comprehensive, scientific specialist book. Morris is methodologically reflected, presupposes historically educated readers and – despite all criticism of the approach of the Israeli military and political decisions – is determined by the necessity and legality of the state of Israel. Historical works, on the other hand, that delegitimize Israel’s existence, sell better in this country. For many Israel critics, the fact that Jews have their own, defensive state is a disruptive factor-because their world view is based on seeing Jews as weak, dependent and defenseless. Conversely, Morris’ work is also a nuisance for some unreflected Israel friend because it destroys its illusion of a morally superior state.

Interview

Hartmut Lenhard Studied Evangelical theology and German studies and received his doctorate in Evangelical theology at the University of Bonn in 1976. He worked in teacher training for 30 years and has been a long-time member of several educational and training commissions of the Evangelical Church. Since 2012 he has been operating in the Forum Jews/Christians in Nordhorn (Lower Saxony). He is the author of numerous religious education publications.

Let’s go into more detail about Morris’s dispute. After the book was published in 1988, he was attacked by two sides because he was both the Zionist narrative refutedaccording to the Arab exodus “voluntarily”, as well as the Arabic, as a result behind the expulsions of the Palestinians, had a systematic plan of the Zionists. Has the picture of Morris changed in certain milieus since then? Has Israeli society now accepted as a democratic its knowledge?

In my impression, Benny Morris still sits between the chairs today. He deliberately does not get it from one side or the other and continues to see himself – despite all the attacks – as a critical, left historian who believes in the value of the sources and history, so to speak, its IRA a studio to reconstruct. He keeps contradictory of official Israeli politics as well as Palestinian activists. So far, however, nobody has been able to invalidate the core of his findings. As for Israeli society, it seems doubtful to me whether a broad examination of Morris’ work has really taken place. Perhaps the image of a constant “spiky in the meat” of Israeli self -determination fits better here.

In December, a lecture by Morris at the University of Leipzig was canceled in response to anti -Zionist protests. The activists accused Morris of racism and mainly referred to an interview that he had given the Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” in 2004. In it, among other things, he describes the Israeli citizens who are ethnically Arabic as “ticking time bombs”. In what relationship do you see this interview with Morris’ research?

Morris has commented on the embarrassing process in Leipzig several times. There is nothing to add. The formulations of the 2004 interview in question reflect the disturbance that the second intifada terrorist acts triggered in many Israelis. The feeling that every Arab in Israel could be a potential terrorist and wear a bomb was virulent at the time – including Morris. Trust in a compromising and agreed counterpart was lost. In my opinion, Morris’ own research lie on a different level, namely that of careful study of sources and an interpretation, which includes a wide variety of aspects and perspectives in the reconstruction of history.

“The refugee problem is still a crucial obstacle to understanding between Israel and the Palestinians.”

One of Morri’s most important findings is that the exodus of the Palestinians is due to many different causes. This includes the fear of the war, concrete instructions from local villages and politicians, but also violent displacements in many villages. Morris sums up that one could also speak of “displacement” overall, since the Palestinians were prevented from returning.

Her note that Morris consider the term “displacement” for the exodus to be appropriate, refers to his conclusion at the end of his analysis. As a reason for his assessment, he states that “the return of refugees was sought to prevent at all costs”. However, the German -language edition also contains a current interview with Morris, in which he relativizes his previous conclusion and believes that the term “displacement” is an “inappropriate name for the most what took place in 1948”. Most of the people had fled the war and its cruelty and only “maybe ten or 20 percent” were expelled. Even though the refugee Arabs were increasingly not allowed to return from June 1948, he no longer considers the term “displacement” to be suitable as a naming of the entire process. As far as the Zionist movement is concerned, you have actually thought about relocations in a future state of Israel, but you have not developed a political program for the expulsion of the Arabs.

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What is the relevance of the refugee problem in your opinion for the Middle East conflict?

There is no question that the refugee problem is still a crucial obstacle to any understanding between Israel and the Palestinians. The negotiations in Camp David between Ehud Barak and Jassir Arafat and in 2008 between Ehud Olmert and Mahmud Abbas also failed. And the United Nations (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, editor’s note) is just as little interested in a solution as the Arab states, instead they perpetuate it. The all-or-not-principle still dominates the behavior of many participants. The Gaza War of the Palestinian side and its sympathizers are interpreted as a repetition of the Nakba (Arabic for catastrophe, misfortune, editor’s note)-the name of the Palestinians for the Exodus 1947–1949. Israel is even accused of a “genocide”. Conversely, Israel is emphasized by the government of Israel that there is a legitimate defense war against a fanatical enemy who committed a genocidal massacre on October 7, 2023. And this war must be led to the complete destruction of the terrorist groups.

What hopes do you combine that the book is now accessible to a German -speaking readership?

Morris’ analysis warns against the selective news of the respective protagonists of the current war events, fake news on social media and lurid pseudo -truths, which in the present discourse, for example with the keywords “colonialism” and “apartheid”, take unchecked and loudly in the choir of the supposed experts. In this respect, his book is a prime example of a sober, fact -based and differentiated conflict work.

Benny Morris: The birth of the Palestinian refugee problem. A new view. From the English by Hartmut Lenhard. Hentrich & Hentrich, 826 p., Br., € 39.