For over 70 years, Israel has offered land for peace and a Palestinian state. The Palestinians have rejected all offers.
One thing is clear: If tomorrow Hamas were to lay down its arms and declare peace with Israel, we would have peace immediately.
But another thing is also clear: If tomorrow Israel were to lay down its arms and declare peace with Hamas, there would soon be no Israel.
They were very close with the Oslo accords. But many Palestinians thought that Arafat sold them out because he gave up too much land in the West Bank. Then, the accords fell apart with a very familiar cycle of violence where a Palestinian terrorist attacks Israel and Israel has a heavy handed response. Then, Ariel Sharon took power and it all hit the fan.
And if you look at the maps of the West Bank from the Oslo Accords, you will see why everything fell apart (google it to find the maps showing the actual Palestinian territory v. Israel). Israel has settled huge swaths of the West Bank, carving up the territory and making it so that if you want to go from one part of the West Bank to another, you have to pass through Israeli controlled territory. The Oslo Accords also punted on the issue of the right to return. In fact, all the Oslo Accords did was to let Israel keep everything and forced the Palestinians to accept the scraps.
The settlements that dot the West Bank are increasingly filled with ultra orthodox zealots who are trying to reclaim Judea and Samaria. So, it is all but impossible politically for Israel to give up any of that land Israel does have a legitimate security concerns having the 1968 borders restored because that would leave about a two mile wide strip of land between the border and the ocean which would allow the Palestinians to cut Israel in two in a war. Yet, the settlements chop up West Bank so much that the Palestinians would basically have to live in closed off Bantustans instead of having a livable contiguous land mass. So, saying that the Palestinians could have peace for land is a gross over simplification of the dispute.
There was no such thing as "Palestine" even 100 years ago. This fake Palestinian identity was invented in response to the Jewish efforts to create a homeland in the area.
ah so the area was empty before the establishment of Israel
I didn't say it was empty I said there was no Palestine.
These were Ottoman subjects who didn't consider themselves to be Palestinian.
In reality, the first recorded violence between Arabs and Jews in Palestine was the shooting of an Arab man by a Jewish man in December 1882. A few years later, the Ottomans banned the sale of land to foreigners.
But, as you said, actions have consequences - trying to drive the Arab population out of Palestine to establish a home for the Jewish people is an action that has had consequences.
Meanwhile, in actual reality the terrorism started with the Arabs.
As you said, actions have consequences. Jews moved to Palestine where they weren't wanted - hence the Ottoman prohibition on sales to foreigners. Or does "actions have consequences" only apply to Palestine?
Be consistent and put your emotions aside Sally. No generalizations and no calling out one group w/out calling out the other and considering the history and bigger picture. If you can't even acknowledge Israel's oppression your points are not relevant.
Out of curiosity, what would you like to see Israel do in this current situation?
I’d start with not stealing their land and bulldozing their homes. Hard to know but it might help.
ah so the area was empty before the establishment of Israel
I didn't say it was empty I said there was no Palestine.
These were Ottoman subjects who didn't consider themselves to be Palestinian.
References to the "region of Palestine" go back for more than 3000 years. Mandatory Palestine, the "country" that was partitioned into modern day Israel and Palestine was formed around 1920 - coinciding with the establishment of a Palestinian identity - prior to the establishment of Israel.
USA should offer residence to all gaza strip residents. It is the right thing to do.
History makes me think we won’t.
We turned about Jews fleeing the Holocaust after all.
Jews had to adopt a new mentality after WWII. Never again would they be mass victims of Germans or anyone else. Jews will now fight anyone who attempts to harm them. Anyone living in Gaza is going to find that out the hard way.
I didn't say it was empty I said there was no Palestine.
These were Ottoman subjects who didn't consider themselves to be Palestinian.
References to the "region of Palestine" go back for more than 3000 years. Mandatory Palestine, the "country" that was partitioned into modern day Israel and Palestine was formed around 1920 - coinciding with the establishment of a Palestinian identity - prior to the establishment of Israel.
The British Mandate involved the Jews and the Arabs as they both fought the Ottomans for them.
They both wanted their own state and the British promised them both the same land.