During a December 2011 interview with the Jewish Channel, then Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said, “I think we have an
invented Palestinian people who are, in fact, Arabs and historically part of the Arab community, and they had the chance to go many places.” Gingrich then defended this statement during the December 10 Republican debate, arguing, “Somebody ought to have the courage to tell the
truth. These people are terrorists.” While Gingrich’s comments were met with audience applause during the debate and later praised by some in right-wing circles, they also drew plenty of negative criticism—and not just from Palestinians. The outcry came from both conservative and liberal Americans, while many in the international community, including Jews and Arabs, also took umbrage at Gingrich’s statements.
A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric