This situation in the Gaza strip has made me do some research of my own. And for the first time in my life I think I am making a stand for myself on one side of this middle eastern mess...I'm with Palestine.
I know, I know- I can already feel the eyebrows raising and the stare downs. But from what I have read- you have two peoples- Israelis and Palestinians. After WWII the US felt bad about the fact that many of the Jews said the reason they had no safe harbor is because they had no homeland- no area which they could support or defend. So the US looked around the globe and said here- Take this lot of desert.
We ignored the fact that there were some other people living on that plot of land at the time. But lets face it- that's never really phased the US before (hi pilgrims and Indians).
Palestinians were living there- some chose to leave, many were forced out. Israel took its country and borders very seriously. Many Palestinians were like "Dude- you cannot create a country on our country! This one is ours!" And nobody listened. Palestinians were forced out to neighboring Arab countries where they were not accepted because there are so many of them. Middle Eastern people are very tribal- nobody wants the Palestinians coming in and out numbering a tribe to make a new Palestine. So they live in horrific refugee camps- pissed off- for the last 60 years.
To me, this is the equivalent to moving a big part of Texas on Massachusetts and now calling us Texas. Boston Cream Pie, Lobster, Seafood dinners will all be replaced with Pork rinds, beef, and lard. The red sox will be gone and the patriots replaced with the cowboys. The drawl and twang will replace the dropping of the "r". You are only accepted here if you are Texan. Current residents will be displaced and no other state will accept them- so they will live in camps as a forgotten and wandering people. This would suck. We would resent the new Texas, not recognize it, hate it and everything it stands for, rebel against it, and in general become a real pain in it's ass.
Israel took many steps over the past several decades to expand their territory all the while forcing more and more Palestinians out. Then they took Jerusalem and made it their capital- forcing more Palestinians out. Then the Palestinians got together and decided to do a free and democratic election (something that GW Bush took a MAJOR victory lap on). And who did they elect? A terrorist funded organization called Hamas who promised to get them more land and resources. And what did the US do? We created and EMBARGO on them because we didn't like who they elected in their free and democratic elections. So the past years have been miserable for them without trade, money or funding. And we wonder why they are pissed off? REALLY?
In this past battle as Israel applied pressure- the Hamas leaders responded with rockets over to Israel- killing 4 Israelis. THe response? A shitshow, being called a mini-Holocaust, in the Gaza strip- killing hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including children.
My issue- the Palestinians cannot catch a damn break. We know they can't because we make sure of it. Israel is a very civilized, educated, well organized country in theory- with excellent military resources. I cannot imagine that they would want this kind of bloodshed to continue- but now they seem to be enjoying it. It seems to me that a country made up of people who were trying to escape persecution and extinction for their beliefs- should not turn around and do the same thing to another group of people!
There is only so much desert. And if the Israelis cannot figure out a way to share- and give the Palestinians some peace and a country to call their own the same way Israel needed it- I say Israel is in the wrong and doesn't deserve what they got.
To persecute a group of people, create no win situations, make them destitute, and in general treat them like they don't matter- will do nothing but breed centuries of contempt, ill will, and desperation to do whatever means necessary to get more, be more, and have more. We cannot continue to both create our own worst enemies and punish them.
