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Several hours after the murderous attack on the Hatuel family of Katif - leaving David Hatuel bereft of his entire family: his pregnant wife and four daughters - PA radio praised the murderous terrorists as "heroic martyrs," and their heinous crime as one of "heroic martyrdom." In its report the next morning, the PA radio referred to the Jewish residents of Gaza as "settlers" and "terrorists" in light of their plans to build a new neighborhood in N'vei Dekalim. The radio mentioned that the victims of the Sunday attack were "settlers," neglecting to note that they were a pregnant woman and four little girls who were shot to death at point-blank range. So reports Dr. Michael Widlanski of Hebrew University
Origins
According to their tradition, the Jewish people originated from the Israelites of the Southern Levant, who had several independent states before being overtaken first by the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and later the Roman Empire, with a large portion of the population being scattered throughout the world. According to the Hebrew Bible, all Israelites were descended from Abraham, who was born in the Sumerian city of Ur, and migrated to Canaan (commonly known as the Land of Israel) with his family. Genetic studies on Jews show that most Jews worldwide do indeed bear a common genetic heritage which originates in the Middle East, and that they bear their strongest resemblance to the peoples of the Fertile Crescent, with only minor contribution from their host populations[17] (historically due to the taboo on intermarriage in Jewish tradition, the low number of converts to Judaism, as well as the general isolations and persecutions of Jews throughout history). According to some Biblical archaeologists, however, Israelite culture did not overtake the region, but rather grew out of Canaanite culture.
The Levant is defined as the geographical region bordering the Mediterranean, roughly between Egypt and Anatolia (modern Turkey). The Southern Levant is roughly encompassed by Palestine, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, along with the the modern sovereign states of Israel, Jordan and the southern part of Lebanon. The Greek term for the area - Coele-Syria[1] - was described as stretching from the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon to cover the entire area south of the river Eleutherus including Judea. The historian Diodorus Siculus indicates Coelo-Syria to also include the Palestinian coasts as far south as Joppa. These terms are used by archaeologists and residents of the region who wish to avoid taking a modern geo-political stance in a region rife with border disputes.
Originally posted by Revolution9
Hi to you!
All of what you say has much truth. The hatred of Israel as a state by the Palestinians is widespread and intense. This is not in doubt.
However we must ask why that is so. It is obvious because suddenly a huge multitude of Jews returned all at once to a land after 2,000 years. These were a people scarred by genocide after the atrocities of WW2. They also moved many Palestinians from their homes forcibly and brutally to make room for the returnees! This is ongoing.
There are legitimate interests and claims on both sides. You know I once wrote to the United Nations and suggested that they bring both Israel and Palestine into the European Union. Crazy? I think it would work. Israel is a very European country and the Palestinians could then benefit alongside Israel from all the rights enjoyed by European citizens. Europe may have failed in many areas but stopping wars between states has thus far proved to be a success. Drawing these two countries into a wider community could start to break the tension and distrust.
But in the end it is upto Israeli and Palestinian people whether it is worth it to continue the fighting and the sacrifices on both sides of their sons and daughters. I don't think it is. Love thy neighbour as thyself! That is the only advice I can give.
Originally posted by Revolution9
reply to post by Sly1one
So you are on the side of Palestine and not Israel? And you believe the Palestinians claim to the Land is more legitimate than the Israeli's?
My own stand is that both the Israeli and the Palestinian claims are legitimate.
The alternative is to forcibly evict all the millions of Jews living there and place the whole of Israel under Palestinian and Arab control. Is that what you would like to see happen now?
Originally posted by Sly1one
Originally posted by Revolution9
reply to post by Sly1one
So you are on the side of Palestine and not Israel? And you believe the Palestinians claim to the Land is more legitimate than the Israeli's?
My own stand is that both the Israeli and the Palestinian claims are legitimate.
The alternative is to forcibly evict all the millions of Jews living there and place the whole of Israel under Palestinian and Arab control. Is that what you would like to see happen now?
What nation would accept being attacked by incompetents, taking defensive positions and then giving the land back? The only reason they keep getting "kicked off their land" is because they stupidly launched attacks they could not win. If Montana attacked Alberta and we repelled them all the way to Great Falls, I would take the land and keep it as a buffer zone...Israel is acting rationally based on their situation.
Actually I would like to see the Israel get over themselves and their self righteous indignation that they are "gods chosen people" and "the land of Israel" was GIVEN to them by god as their rightfull land yada yada...
I'm not on either side really but I can see an obvious social problem here that transends land or border issues.
I guess its just much easier for me to see why the palestinians are pissed off and launching missiles by being kicked out of the land they were occupying even further and further and further... etc...than it is to see why Israel is pissed off no one will acknowledge their self proclaimed awesomeness bestowed upon them by god...
Originally posted by wcitizen
The argument that the Jewish people are entitled to live in Israel because their ancestors allegedly lived there approx 2000 years ago is frankly ridiculous and, imo, not even worth discussing.
Shlomo Sand (pronounced Zand; Hebrew: שלמה זנד) (born 10 September 1946 in Austria) is professor of history at Tel Aviv University
...
the people who were the original Jews living in Israel, contrary to what is official, accepted history, were not exiled following the Bar Kokhba revolt. He has suggested that much of the present day world Jewish population are individuals, and groups, who converted to Judaism at later periods. Additionally, he suggests that the story of the exile was a myth promoted by early Christians to recruit Jews to the new faith. Sand writes that "Christians wanted later generations of Jews to believe that their ancestors had been exiled as a punishment from God."[7] Sand argues that most of the Jews were not exiled by the Romans, and were permitted to remain in the country. He puts the number of those exiled at tens of thousands at most. He further argues that many of the Jews converted to Islam following the Arab conquest, and were assimilated among the conquerors. He concludes that the progenitors of the Palestinian Arabs were Jews.[8]
Originally posted by Revolution9
reply to post by bluemirage5
Well their ancestros did move there back then, joined a little later by the Jewsih returnees. As it stands there are both Israeli and Palestinian people who were born in that land. These are the people of the future. These are the alternatives;
1. Kick out all the Palestinians.
2. Kick out all the Jews.
3. Create two seperate states of Palestine and Israel with ongoing war whilst no border agreements (what is happening now)
4. Create two seperate states of Palestine and Israel with consensus on borders = peace.
5. Live in one state where both share the land and share power.
I will tell you what I think. I want an Israel, I want a Palestine. I want mutually agreed borders and them both to belong to a wider community to temper and balance these two very different peoples. Why? It is the only realistic and peaceful solution that will end the suffering on both sides.