Palestinians VS. Israilis

[Spam-King]

has any one got a good site that relates to any info on how the war started and all. (Or you can tell me)

iv tried google but couldnt really find what I was looking for

[ruthie]

http://www.is-pal.net/
haven't relly checked the site much, myself...but I'll keep looking

[Rat Faced]

1st there was the Word...

[Spam-King]

???

[whiterook-2]

in a nut shell....
after WWII the USA didn't want an invasion of jewish refugees, so we thought it best to convince the Jewish people they needed a place to chill until we figured a place for them... and the middle east was a good a place as any.... after all, who would care if there was a jewish refugee camp in the middle of a bunch of sand dunes. anyway... that camp got pretty big.

[Guillaume]

You've never heard of Theodor Herzl and Sionism before have you?
The idea of getting the lands of their ancestor back was discussed by the jews way before WWII and the Shoah.

[Biggles]

The Balfour Declaration of 1917 is also worth a look at.

Between 1918 and 1935 about 200,000 Jews had bought property in Palestine with little or no difficulties with the local population. Thanks to a Mr. Hitler about 400,000 Jewish rufugees landed in Palestine between 1935 and 1939 when, on the request of the Palestinians, the British stopped any more refugees entering Palestine.

These refugees were often completely penniless with everything they owned stolen by the Nazis. They had little option but to try and make a go of things in Palestine. Between 1940 and 1948 relations between the Palestinians and the Jews became increasingly hostile with both sides forming terrorist groups and blowing up the other - and the British soldiers who were administering the region on the behalf of the UN. The Jewish Stern Gang being particular exponents of the latter. Nearly 100 British soldiers were killed at the King David Hotel bombing. In 1948 the British said "sod this" and left. The resultant war between the two sides saw the formation of the Israeli state and Palestinians fleeing their villages and towns. It is this exodus that is referred to in the "right to return" which Arafat would not concede. Many Palestinian families keep their front door keys as proof of their ownership of their houses (although this is symbolic rather than practical as many if not all have long since been demolished to make way for modern developments.

Subsequent wars in the 50s, 60s and 70s (some started by the Arabs some by the Israelis) has resulted in further encroachment of Palestinian/Jordanian territory - notably Gaza and the West Bank.

The generally held view in most circles (including Egypt and Jordan) is that Israel has a right to exist but that the borders as at 1967 should be observed. This would return the West Bank and Gaza, and Jerusalem would be effectively neutral. This would be a workable plan as it would give both sides viable States with access to the Mediteranean Sea. The difficulty is that about 300,000 Israelis have settled in Gaza and the West Bank and do not want to give up the land they have taken. (See Arafat thread for maps of the region). On a recent visit to Washinton Sharron appeared to get Bush to agree that Israel could keep a fair amount of the West Bank - this unilateral approach will cut little ice in the ME and is unlikely to get any peace negotiations going unless there are reciprocal concessions to compensate. For example, the biggest and most secular West Bank settlement is Ariel. If this became part of Israel perhaps some partial right to return might be observed. However, movement either way on these issues is unlikely.

I hope that this (very) potted history helps throw a little light on things and is not too dry.

[Spam-King]

thanks for the info

[summond_skull]

I think they are fighting for a city in between Palistian and Israel. To be honest I think its a pointless war and the death of Yasser Arafat will hopefully improve situations between the two countries.

[Biggles]

I think they are fighting for a city in between Palistian and Israel. To be honest I think its a pointless war and the death of Yasser Arafat will hopefully improve situations between the two countries.

I think the difficulty, rather, is that you cannot get a wafer thin mint between Israel and Palestine - let alone find room for a city.