Quote:
Originally Posted by SkinnyPupp
It's debated whether a united kingdom of Israel existed. I guess it depends on how literally you want to take the bible. I've seen it argued (from Jewish people, not just anti-Semites, although they love this) that Judaism forbids them from having a nation state until the coming of the Messiah. Which of course is never going to happen, right? 
That's where Zionism comes from, and was supported by Britain early on, supporting their migration into the territory, and eventually United Nations setting up borders.
Many countries, including Canada and the US (minus 4 years under Trump), are in favor of setting up a Palestinian state under the 1967 borders (so give them back the West Bank and East Jerusalem along with Gaza).
You can see how the borders changed from post WW1 migration, to the original UN plan, to 1967. |
I think it's also worth highlighting that not only are the Palestinians being squeezed geographically, but because the Israelis literally control every part of their country, they are on a path back to the stone age from a financial and systemic standpoint with massive unemployment, unreliable food/water/power/fuel, etc.
I will be the first to say I did not have nearly the appreciation for the conditions that the Palestinians have lived in for the last years until this conflict gave me a reason to read and learn a bit more - it's pretty tough to see this and you can definitely see how this kind of world they live in gives rise to extremists because it probably feels pretty "we're on a one way ticket to nothing, so what have we got to lose?"
Which is of course, a terrible recipe for desperate, poorly thought out actions. It's awful, and 100% unacceptable for Hamas to murder innocent Israeli civillians and they are rightly condemned for it. But I also feel strongly that this is being used as a launchpad for the Israelis to take equally or more despicable actions that they've "wanted" to do for years, and this provides them cover to do. And that is what we all need to stand up against.
-Mark