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Arab World to Gingrich: “If Palestinians Are Invented People, Americans Are …”

Categories: Middle East & North Africa, Palestine, U.S.A., Elections, Ethnicity & Race, History, International Relations

Palestinians are “invented” people, who want to destroy Israel, says United States Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich [1]. His comments [2], in an interview with a Jewish television channel, have drawn the anger and ridicule of netizens across the Arab world.

On Twitter, Saudi Mohsen Al Mohsen reacts:

@MolMoHsen [3]: Newt Gingrich: Palestinians Are An ‘Invented’ People [and white Americans are the original settlers of the US sure]

Egyptian Zeinobia, in her blog Egyptian Chronicles, shares a similar point of view. She writes [4]:

By Gingerish’s standards and definition of “Invented people” the Americans are also, after all they are in the end a group of immigrants who came from all over the globe to live in land that from 200 years ago was lived and owned by native Indians !!

Evan Hill, an online producer for Al Jazeera English, who is based in Doha, Qatar, notes:

@evanchill [5]: I wonder if Gingrich would argue that Iraqis, Jordanians, Syrians and Lebanese are similarly just “invented” people

And Anthony Permal, who lives in Dubai, UAE, responds:

@anthonypermal [6]: Dear Gingrich, you say #Palestine is an invented people. Well, Israel didn't exist before 1948 either. #justsaying

Meanwhile, Marc Lynch, who is visiting Kuwait, shares a question from the Kuwaiti Press, which is likely to be asked in the corridors of powers across the Arab world:

@abuaardvark [7]: First question from Kuwaiti press: how can we trust US when Gingrich denies Palestinian identity?

And Selin, a Palestinian, jokes:

@Selintellect [8]: Does Newt Gingrich actually exist? I mean according to him, Palestinians are invented. His name sounds like an invention from Harry Potter..

Nasser Ali Khasawneh, who lives in Dubai, UAE, had earlier predicted:

@Nasserak [9]: If Newt Gingrich is the best GOP has to offer, then Obama will win election in a landslide without campaigning!

The 57th quadrennial United States Presidential Election will be held on November 6, 2012.