The Truth about Israel and Palestine

Source: [link to www.gzyn.com]

The 'troublesome facts' about Israel and Palestine A brief overview of Israel and an opinion on the Palestinian situation By Stephen Carlin

""Israel is the very embodiment of Jewish continuity: It is the only nation on earth that inhabits the same land, bears the same name, speaks the same language, and worships the same God that it did 3,000 years ago. You dig the soil and you find pottery from Davidic times, coins from Bar Kokhba, and 2,000-year-old scrolls written in a script remarkably like the one that today advertises ice cream at the corner candy store." Charles Krauthammer - The Weekly Standard, May 11, 1998


The world seems to hate the state of Israel, and indeed seems to hate every living Jew. We constantly hear vitriolic propaganda spewed forth from the media in Arab nations, vowing that Israel must be destroyed (and including the United States in their threats more times than not). Sadly, we hear the same anti-Israeli rhetoric parroted by otherwise intelligent persons here in the American media and on the Internet. Jews are often blamed for everything from Communism to Pornography; indeed it seems that the guilt of every human evil is placed squarely at the feet of the Israelis. Adolf Hitler’s spirit is certainly alive and well.

I constantly see bulletins on Myspace, and articles in the news about how ’big bully Israel’ is constantly picking on ’poor little Palestine’. I repeatedly hear mindless drivel about how Israel is an ’artificial state which shouldn’t even exist’. Now, I do not begrudge people their opinions, after all, everyone has a right to their own beliefs. I only ask that every person’s beliefs be based on FACT, not a bunch of ignorant hogwash.

The fact is that nations are forged through military might. When a country becomes too weak to defend its borders, it quickly collapses and its wealth is plundered by outside invaders. This is neither ’right’ nor ’wrong’ it simply is the way things are. Currently, two groups are vying for control of the same small territory; the Arabs and the Jews. Both groups claim that they have a ’right’ to own the land, but it is the State of Israel who has the military might to hold and control it.

As to the issue of who has a ’right’ to own the land; the Jewish peoples have had the longest continuous presence in the area, starting with Abraham (who lived in what was then called Canaan) in approximately 1800 BC. The Jewish Patriarchs; Abraham, Yitzhak (Isaac), and Israel (Jacob) are buried in Hebron at Ma’arat HaMachpela or ’the tomb of the patriarchs’.

The Jewish peoples first became a nation in 1300 BC after the Exodus from Egypt. The Israelis have had a presence in that area ever since, even though different foreign governments have held power there over the centuries.
From 1300-587 BC the Jewish people lived and prospered in Israel. Then in 587 BC the Babylonians invaded and destroyed the Jewish temple. The Jews were exiled to what is now modern-day Iraq. This continued until the Persians conquered Babylon in 538 BC, and the Jews returned to their homeland. The Persians allowed the Jews to operated as a member state, a status which continued through the Hellenistic (Greek) age (from 333-63 BC).

In 63 BC the Roman Empire destroyed the 2nd temple and renamed all the countryside to remove the Jewish monikers. Israel was re-named Palestine. For nearly 600 years the Jews were enslaved under the Roman and Byzantine Empires.
Then, in 636 AD, the Arab Empire was established. The ’Dome of the Rock’ was built on the site of the destroyed Jewish Temple.

In 1099 the Crusaders liberated Jerusalem, along with most of Israel. For the next 200 years many Jews returned to the Holy City and surrounding Palestine. Jews and Muslims lived in relative peace from 1291-1917 through the Mamluk, Ottoman (during whose rule the Old City walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt), and into the British Empires.

Then came the rise of the Eugenics movement and the world wide anti-Semitism which it caused. Jews were considered to be a sub-human species by persons in Europe, America and the Arab world. Millions of refugees fled their homes in Germany in Europe, to find many nations (including the United States) unwilling to take them in. In desperation, many Jews returned to Palestine, and the British Empire recognized Israel’s right to their traditional homeland via ’The Palestine Mandate’.

On May 14th, 1948 Israel became a sovereign nation; and almost immediately the combined armies of the Arab nations attacked, starting the 1948 War of Independence. Israel successfully defended itself, despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered. The Arab nations did not give up; however. Three more times they attacked causing the 1956 Sinai War, the 1967 Six Day War, and the 1973 Yom Kippur War, all of which Israel won.

Israel has since ceded the territory gained in these DEFENSIVE wars, an event unprecedented in history, and has repeatedly shown its willingness to live in peace with its neighbors.

So, since Palestine wasn’t even formed until the Roman Empire, whom do you think has the more valid claim to the land of Israel? Furthermore; the Palestinian people are like spoiled little nasty children who go around kicking the shins of a larger child, until the attacked child stomps the snot out of it. Then the little brats cry and whine to the United Nations, who usually plays Nanny and stops any meaningful Israeli military action.

Palestinians and their HAMAS terrorist government, constantly lob munitions into Israel, killing and maiming innocent citizens (both Muslim and Jew) with no regard for human life. When Israeli forces react to the threat and take military action, they then surround their terrorist bases with civilians, using them as a human shield. Inevitably, some are killed and the bodies are then cavorted about as a media spectacle in the never ending anti-Israel propaganda campaign.

I am so sick and tired of all the negative press Israel undeservedly receives. I am fed up with all the anti-Semites masquerading as Patriotic Americans, and with all the pro-Palestinian propaganda they spew. Do yourselves a favor, friends. Take the time to actually do a little research into the history and plight of the Jewish people. Go and visit Israel, and enjoy their beautiful and peaceful nation. Then go to a Muslim dominated nation and see how popular you are as an American there. "

Source: [link to www.gzyn.com]