++ [ originally posted by Majed ] ++
I disagree. Most Palestinians ARE willing to live side by side. They obviously would prefer to have the whole country like it was before the Zionist movement where Jews emigrated there from all around the world, but they'd be willing to live a NORMAL life with what they have. A life where children aren't shot in the head randomly. a life where they can go to their lands 2 km away without it having to take 7 hours (if they could at all).
I don't think that they want it to be like before the zionist movement. Before that, Palestine was a very poor, sparsely populated place with no discernable government and no potential for growth. Furthermore, disease and illiteracy was rampant.
++ [ originally posted by Majed ] ++
While many poor Palestinian farmers did sell some of their land legally to Israeli's long ago, Israel have built many ILLEGAL settlements everywhere cutting off people from their lands. Nothing much has changed since their ILLEGAL deviding wall continues to be built today.
Call it illegal or legal, it doesn't matter. What is done is done. Jewish immigration to Palestine was legal. And Palestinian terrorist action is illegal.
++ [ originally posted by Majed ] ++
That "driven into the sea" phrase you talk about specificly refers to the words of the Syrian-Egyptian-Jordanian army right before Israel's pre-emptive strike againt Egypt. That's old news now. Funny how you still hold on to this phrase when Israel have been doing this for years. Millions of Palestinians have lost their homes and HAVE BEEN DRIVEN out to neighboring countries, most notabley, Jordan. So, I'd like to ask you,.. the Palestinians won't stop what?! Your words make it sound as if the Palestinians are oppressing with suicide bombings and Israel is "retaliating" with taking more land, destoryong and dividing more villages, and taking even more lives. Ask yourself which one sounds like retaliation out of desperation?!
Actually, I take that phrase from the Palestinian paramilitaries who ravaged the town in Israel where I lived. The terrorist on the Palestinian side would not stop their attacks even if Israel stopped "driving people out of their homes." Besides, it's a recipricol thing, each side justifies it's actions based on the other sides actions. To say that Israel is more at fault simply because they are richer and have a real military is foolish, I think.
++ [ originally posted by Majed ] ++
I firmly believe though that many Israelis (not the gov.) are willing to live in a double state. Most of them have been born after all these settlements have been built. That's what they know as home.
The current Israeli government was elected because the Palestinians refused the very generous offers (IMO) that were made by the previous government. That's not to justify Sharon's war crimes, but still there has to be compromise somewhere...
++ [ originally posted by Majed ] ++
Ian, didn't you say you were in Israel some time..?!!
Yes, I lived in Israel. I was there with a group of different denominations of Christians. Unfortunately, the town in which I lived was the centre of some very serious unrest, and my group was the target of attacks from Palestinians, the Israeli Army, and Jewish parmalitaries.
Being one of the few with a military background (I served with the Australian Royal Army), I had to do what I could to protect my people, until we could leave. My experiences in Israel changed me into a completely different person, and the things I did there are the basis for my current belief in non-violence. I think that if most people truly understood what is going on there, they would not be as quick to condemn the Israelis as they are. Without the Zionist movement, Palestine would be a backward, poor, theocracy. If they ever make peace, the Palestinians will be much better off for having the Jews there. And to deny the Jews their historic homeland would be wrong, IMO. They were forced off their land by Babylonian invasion, and dispersed themselves around the world. They have since been subject to persecution everywhere, that still exists today.
It's a hard thing to say, but the taking of lives has to end. I have taken a human life before, and it's the most terrible thing that anyone can do. Having done that, I feel that I can say that they must all stop killing. Even killing in self defense will solve nothing. If I had it to do all over again, I wish that they would have killed me, instead of my best friend, and then I would not have done the terrible things that I did...