Dr. Marouf Al-Dawalibi, may Allah have mercy upon him (who was advisor to King Faisal), recounted an important conversation in his memoirs between the King, may Allah have mercy upon him, and French President Charles de Gaulle.
Part of the conversation went as follows:
De Gaulle said, “Your Majesty, people are talking arrogantly, (that) you want to throw Israel into the sea. (But) This Israel has become a reality. And no one in the world accepts the perpetuation (and existence) of this reality.”
The King replied, “Your Excellency, the President, I am astonished by your words! Hitler occupied Paris, and his occupation became a reality. All of France surrendered except for you. You withdrew with the British army and continued to work to resist the reality until you overcame (became victorious over) it (victorious over Hitler). Neither you nor France surrendered to the reality.”
(King Faisal continued:) “Nor did your nation surrender, so I am astonished that you are now asking me to accept the status quo, and woe to you, Your Excellency, when the weak are occupied by the powerful, they (the powerful) then demand the golden rule of General de Gaulle, which is: ‘Occupation becomes legitimate when it becomes a reality’ .”
De Gaulle was astonished by King Faisal’s quick wit and changed his tone.
He said: “Your Majesty, the Jews say that Palestine is their original homeland, and their greatest forefather, Israel, was born there.”
King Faisal replied: “Your Excellency, the President, I admire you because you are a religious man who believes in your religion, and you undoubtedly read the Bible. Have you not read that the Jews came from Egypt as invaders? They burned cities and killed men, women, and children.”
“So how can you say that Palestine is their country, when it belongs to the Arab Canaanites, and the Jews are colonizers? And you want to reinstate the colonization that Israel achieved 4,000 years ago? Why don’t you also reinstate the colonization of France by Rome, which occurred only 3,000 years ago? Are we going to redraw the world map for the benefit of the Jews, but not for the benefit of Rome?”
“We Arabs spent 200 years in southern France, whereas the Jews only lived in Palestine for 70 years, and then they were expelled.”
De Gaulle said, “But they say their father was born there.”
King Faisal replied, “Strange! You now have 150 embassies in Paris, and most ambassadors have children born in Paris.
So if these children become heads of state and demand their birthright in Paris, poor Paris, I wonder who it will belong to?!”
De Gaulle fell silent, rang the bell to summon his Prime Minister Pompidou, who was sitting outside with Prince Sultan and Rashad Foraun.
De Gaulle said (to his Prime Minister), “Now I understand the Palestinian cause. Stop the arms exports to Israel,” and Israel at that time was fighting with French, not American, weapons.
– Memoirs of Dr. Marouf Al-Dawalibi.
[Taken from the Twitter account of Shaikh Abdul Azeez bin Abdullah Al-Faalih @ALfalehaaa]
Additional notes:
1. King Faisal bin Abdul Azeez Aal-Saud (1905-1975) was the third King of Saudi Arabia, reigning from 1964 until his assassination in 1975. He implemented various modernization reforms, expanding education, healthcare, and infrastructure. King Faisal also played a key role in promoting Islamic solidarity and opposing colonialism. He was a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and a vocal critic of the Israeli occupation. His leadership and vision helped shape Saudi Arabia into the modern nation it is today, earning him the title “The Reformer.”
2. Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970) was a French general, statesman, and writer who played a pivotal role in shaping modern France. He led the Free French Forces against Nazi Germany and Hitler during WWII. As President of France (1959-1969), he founded the Fifth Republic, promoting national sovereignty and independence. De Gaulle was also a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights, criticizing Israeli occupation and championing self-determination. His legacy embodies French resistance, leadership, and a commitment to justice and human rights.
(Translated by Mohammed bin Thajammul Hussain Manna.)
Saheehus-Seerah 