Dutch scientist Frank Hoogerbeets has not wavered in his defense of Palestinians' right to remain in their land, criticizing Israel's policy of forced displacement for weeks. His recent remarks have ignited a historical debate on "X" about the nomenclature of "Palestine," asserting its existence long before the establishment of the State of Israel, tracing back to centuries before Christ.
In a tweet yesterday, he stated that “before the existence of the Kingdom of Israel, there was the Kingdom of Egypt, which included Philistia (i.e., Palestine) as named by the ancient Egyptians.” He humorously suggested that perhaps Egyptians should reclaim all Palestinian lands, writing, "Maybe the Egyptians should take it back then?" in an effort to undermine Israeli claims based on the "historical right of the Jewish people to Palestinian lands."
He emphasized that “the establishment of any state through the expulsion of indigenous populations is a crime.” In another tweet, he noted that the ancient Egyptians referred to Palestine as "Peleset" between 1500-1100 BCE, stating, “This is where the name Palestine comes from before any land or kingdom called Israel existed.”
This scientist, who gained widespread attention earlier this year for his prediction of the Turkey earthquake, has faced a wave of criticism from pro-Israel sympathizers due to his pointed critiques of Israeli policy towards Palestinians, which aims at their forced displacement from their lands.
