After centuries of discrimination and persecution in both the Middle East and in Europe, it is no wonder that European Jews felt the need for a homeland where they could feel that they were safe and free of enjoy normal lives. The was ample reason that Many of those Jewish people wanted to return to their biblical homeland and create their own nation. But the way that they have gone about it is the source of lack of peace today.

“Possession is 5/10 of the law.” Islamic people have owned and property in Palestine for many centuries. If THE Jewish settlers and/or the United Nations had purchased the land and property from the Palestinian people Israel would be at peace with its neighbors today. But they did not buy much of that land and property. Israeli settlers took much of bit and forced its owners off by force. Zionist terrorists lead by Menachem Begin played a large role in such action.

In doing so, Israel has caused its lack of peace with the Arab world. Palestinian people forced of their land and out of Israel has reason to feel great anger toward the usurping Israelis and to want what was theirs returned to them. And surrounding Arab nations had reason to side with Palestinian refugee. – both in sympathy and due to the added costs of trying to absorb ad care for those refugee’s.

After the 1967 War Israel hung on to the West Bank. Ever since it has forced many more Palestinians off their own land in that area and destroyed the homes of many. It has continued to build Israeli settlements on that land forcefully taken and occupied, alienating may more Palestinians and Arabs. Further, violently aggressive actions by Israeli settlers continue to persecute remaining Palestinian inhabitants of the West Bank without actions of the Israeli government to prosecute the offenders. And, Israeli law still treats Palestinians remaining in Israel as second class citizens.
Further Israeli military actions in Gaze in response to the Hamas attack were brutal inhumane , stupid, and out of proportion. The Israeli reaction played right into he hands of Hamas. Hamas’s intent was to create a new generation of Israeli haters. With the Israeli response, they succeeded.

So long as these conditions persist, there will ALWAYS we Palestinian and Arab animus toward Israel. But, there remains a path toward peace in the Middle East, but it will require intense and decisive action by many nation sates. I will outline a course of action in the next piece.