Palestinian Lies Debunked: The Airline Hoax

Eretz Israel Airways: The Zionist Aviation Legacy the World Should Remember

In today’s era of misinformation, it has become increasingly common to see desperate attempts to rewrite history — especially when it comes to the land of Israel and the Jewish people’s undeniable connection to it. One of the latest absurdities? The claim that a pre-state airline was a “Palestinian” enterprise — conveniently omitting its real name, purpose, and origin: Eretz Israel Airways.

Let’s set the record straight.

Palestine Was Never a Sovereign State

To begin, it’s crucial to understand a historical fact that is often distorted or ignored: there has never been a sovereign state called “Palestine.” The term “Palestina” was imposed by Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century CE, after crushing the Bar Kochba Revolt (132–135 CE). His goal? To erase the Jewish identity from Judea — the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people — and humiliate the defeated nation by renaming the land after their historic enemies, the Philistines.

Despite centuries of foreign conquest — from Romans to Byzantines, from Ottomans to the British — there remained a continuous Jewish presence in the land. The 20th century saw a resurgence of that presence, this time aligned with the Zionist dream of rebuilding the Jewish homeland. That dream was not just spiritual — it was practical, visionary, and deeply rooted in historical truth.

The Truth About “Palestinian Airways”

In 1934, during the British Mandate period, Palestinian Airways Ltd — later known as Eretz Israel Airways — was founded. This was not an “Arab Palestinian” initiative, as some falsely claim today. It was a Zionist-driven aviation company, established by the Jewish Agency and supported by institutions like the Histadrut. Its aim was to serve the growing Jewish Yishuv (community) in the land of Israel and to advance infrastructure essential for the Jewish state’s future.

Let’s be clear: the term “Palestine” in the company name reflected the geopolitical terminology imposed by the British at the time — not a national identity. The airline’s real identity was firmly rooted in Zionism. Its Hebrew name, Netivei Avir Eretz Yisrael (“Airways of the Land of Israel”), proudly expressed the Jewish people’s connection to their historic homeland.

Planes bore Hebrew inscriptions. The passengers were primarily Jewish. The operators, mechanics, and business owners were Jewish. This was an airline built for and by the Jewish people, at a time when they were laying the physical and political groundwork for what would become the modern State of Israel.

Historical Amnesia or Deliberate Distortion?

We’ve seen this pattern before. Recently, old coins from the Mandate era bearing the Hebrew phrase Eretz Yisrael (“Land of Israel”) were falsely presented as evidence of a “Palestinian” national history — with proponents conveniently ignoring the Hebrew text. Now, the same revisionists are claiming ownership of a Zionist aviation milestone.

These claims aren’t just historically inaccurate — they are part of a broader campaign to delegitimize Israel and erase the Jewish people’s indigenous, ancestral, and legal ties to the land.

Legacy of a Zionist Dream

Although Eretz Israel Airways ceased operations around 1940 due to World War II and British restrictions, its pioneering spirit laid the foundation for Israel’s future in aviation. That legacy lived on in El Al, Israel’s national airline, founded shortly after the state’s independence in 1948. What began as a small, Jewish-owned airline became a symbol of Jewish resilience, innovation, and sovereignty.

A Call for Truth and Coexistence

History matters. And truth matters even more.

Instead of revising Jewish history to fabricate a narrative, perhaps it’s time for those attempting to rewrite the past to look toward a future of peace and coexistence — one that begins with honesty. The Jewish people have returned to their land, not as colonizers, but as a people reuniting with their ancient homeland. That story is one of courage, perseverance, and fact.

You cannot erase history. You can only choose whether to acknowledge it — and whether to build a future on truth or fiction.