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Originally Posted by oppoten The trouble is that Zionism is a modern political entity, little more than a century old. As such it has no historical claim to anything. The Zionists' arrival in the region created divisions that did not previously exist (or existed to a much lesser extent)

The Arab world is not in a compromising mood. It's likely, Mr. Horowitz, that your plan is rational and logical, but the fate of nations is not decided by rational logic. Nations never concede; they fight. You won't get anything by peaceful means or compromise. You can, perhaps, get something, but only by the force of your arms. We shall try to defeat you. I am not sure we'll succeed, but we'll try. We were able to drive out the Crusaders, but on the other hand we lost Spain and Persia. It may be that we shall lose Palestine. But it's too late to talk of peaceful solutions.

We must surely learn, from both our past and present history, how careful we must be not to provoke the anger of the native people by doing them wrong, how we should be cautious in our dealings with a foreign people among whom we returned to live, to handle these people with love and respect and, needless to say, with justice and good judgment. And what do our brothers do? Exactly the opposite! They were slaves in their Diasporas, and suddenly they find themselves with unlimited freedom, wild freedom that only a country like Turkey [the Ottoman Empire] can offer. This sudden change has planted despotic tendencies in their hearts, as always happens to former slaves ['eved ki yimlokh ? when a slave becomes king ? Proverbs 30:22]. They deal with the Arabs with hostility and cruelty, trespass unjustly, beat them shamefully for no sufficient reason, and even boast about their actions. There is no one to stop the flood and put an end to this despicable and dangerous tendency. Our brothers indeed were right when they said that the Arab only respects he who exhibits bravery and courage. But when these people feel that the law is on their rival's side and, even more so, if they are right to think their rival's actions are unjust and oppressive, then, even if they are silent and endlessly reserved, they keep their anger in their hearts. And these people will be revengeful like no other.

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Originally Posted by Cherry7 The idea that we move people on mass back to a place their distant ancestors lived with special rights is mad. Unless you believe in the man in the sky. But people should have the freedom to live where they want. The idea that you create a "Jewish" state or a state just for one race is inhuman. It is the Nazi germ. It allows for Israel to care for its children while killing others. People as in Europe and the USA should be citizens regardless of their race or religion. All people in that region should be citizens in a secular Israel / Palestine.

The state, it says, ?will be based on the principles of liberty, justice and peace as conceived by the Prophets of Israel; will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of religion, race, or sex; will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, education and culture; will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and will loyally uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter?.

Arabs that live within the borders of the State of Israel are full citizens. Notwithstanding discrimination, much as the same in the US or in the EU, for reason of their minority status.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_citizens_of_Israel

Truth be known, neither party is really advancing any real sharing of their respective homelands as both sides want it all. Both sides offer something that the other side sees as unacceptable -- it has been that way since the UN partition resolution in November 1947. Had the Palestinians and Arab world had accepted that resolution, as the Jews in Israel would have, the Palestinians would control much more land than they do now including control of the surrounding lands to the envisioned International Territory of Jerusalem too. Jerusalem was mandated to be a shared International District with guaranteed access to Jew, Christian and Muslim alike in peace.

Deciding their own destiny

The Palestinian People, particularly; the leadership of Hamas, Gazan Marxist factions like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the PA of the West Bank territories, have chosen the path of terrorism and open warfare since 1947.

Israel in defense of the above acts became an oppressive government ruling the Arab territories conquered in the wars that followed -- wars initiated by both sides in defense or in some perceived liberation of territory.

Be careful what you ask for you may just get it ...

Like I said before: the strongman has always controlled the "Holy Lands" throughout antiquity. If the US didn't aid and supply the Israelis it would open the door to the Chinese, Indians or Russians to do so -- China, India or Russia would be happy to have a strongman proxy in the "Holy Land" too ...

The Middle East is a land of half-truths that evolve over hundreds of years.

It's also the epicentre of the Apocalypse if you buy that story