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Originally posted by AmericanDaughter
Good for them!
So what
It's Their land .
Originally posted by AlreadyGone
Historically and archeologically, Israel has a right to that land. But you want to deal in the here and now...in 1967 they didn't have East Jerusalem and the West Bank. They were attacked on 3 sides by Syria, Jordan, and Egypt, and their intent was the destruction of Israel. Israel counter-attacked and took that land. Right or wrong, the situation would not be happening now if not for this attack by the Arab states.
Israel also took the Sinai Penninsula and the Golan Heights. Since the war of 1973, Israel has traded land for peace beginning in 1977...retreating from the Sanai, they have also given up the Gaza Strip. Yet, they are still threatened and attacked on a daily basis.
The Palestinians are descended from the Philistines and have also lived in the area for thousands of years... and lost this land to Israel some 5000 years ago. After the Despora, Palestine was left to the Palestinians and Arabs, no one wanted it. It was junk land, a wasteland...abandoned by it's geographical neighbors and also why the British gave it to the Jews. They took it and made the land fruitful again. The Palestinians have tried repeatedly to establish a homeland through Jordan, Syria, and Egypt...all said no. The only thing these countries disliked more than Palestinians were the Jews/Israelis. So then and even now, the Palestinains are a bargaining chip for the Arab states.
So, Israel has a legitamate claim by 1967 War to this land. They certainly have a right to use it as a bargaining chip, which they may be doing now with continued construction. They play a good hand of poker.
Lastly, let's speculate...what if israel gave up the West bank and Palestine was established? Woule israel finally live in peace? Probably not. If Israel was disbanded and the entire land was given over to the Arabs, would Jihad and Islamic Radicalism stop? Probably not.
Like it or not, Israel is like a dike against a flood of Islamic Jihad and the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Unless you want to grow a beard, were burkas, give up bathing suits at the beach, pepperoni pizzas, rock and roll, the right to express your own ideas no matter how extreme or perverse, like to criticize religion and the government....we need israel.