It is utterly flabergasting to listen to anyone, be they liberals or conservatives, who thinks there is a quick solution to this conflict.

The support the Palestinians receive from non-muslims has absolutely nothing to do with the ability of the Palestinians to behave themselves, govern themselves well, or establish a Western style democracy. Consider the two compelling stories of the combatants:

First you have a story of absolute triumph and redemption.  This is the story of the repatriation of the Jewish people to their long lost homeland- the place of their origin and their holiest place.  This amazing re-emergence, occurred against all odds, when the Jews had been forced to endure years of persecution culminating in their near decimation.  It is an incredible testament to the indomitable will of human beings.  It is a story of second or even third chances.  A story of hope.  One that resonates in the soul and makes you feel proud.

Second you have a tragedy.  A people who for generations had raised their families on a land they called home.  They had communities and neighbours who were their kinsman.  Their villages and cities, for the most part, were known by their Arabic names.  It was their land, almost all of it under their control.  And then through a twist of fate or greed or an unwillingness to share, they lost this land- their most prized possession.  The story is one of loss and we as human beings can share in the sorrow and the loss of another.  We can commisserate and appreciate and feel sympathy for the loss regardless of the cause.  Like the Aesop fable of the crow and the cheese, we still feel sorry for the crow who loses her cheese even though it is a result her own stupidity.

I am admittedly, more sympathetic to the protagonists of the first story, but I can understand why people sympathize with the principals of the second story.  And while sympathies may be misplaced, this too is human nature. It remains to be seen if the Palestinians can maintain their attachment to the land, like the Jews did.  I wonder what will happen after the generation that saw their land change hands and the children of that generation are no more.  Whether the same feelings of loss exist in the subsequent generations of Arabs will determine the duration and intensity of the conflict.  I would be very surprised to see it end in my lifetime.

After about 15 years of the Oslo Peace Process, deals have been offered, good deals. Right after 1967 deals were offered good deals, rejected. Solutions put forth for two states, they are rejected. Instead of progress there is terror wars, I have lost faith that a separate statehood is what the Palestinian leaders and string pullers want, that compromise even exists in the Palestinian dictionary.

Now we hear one state, no Jewish identity, because it is apartheid. Now we get rockets and terrorism, talk of wiping Israel from the map. The Palestinians are offered democracy and billions of dollars, thousands of lives later they elect an Internationally recognized terror organization that doesn’t even acknowledge Israel’s right to exist.

They are given their land, political autonomy, the highest per capita aid of any people in Earth’s history, do they build anything, do they responsibly govern, no they buy bombs and indoctrinate entire generations to hatred and murder.. Somehow there’s no money to buy even food. What is this?

I think it is clear this conflict is not about peace, not about Palestinians or their rights, it is about destroying Israel. I no longer care about the Palestinians, I hope they get nothing now. For 35 years they have chosen against all odds to be refugees, so if that is what they choose, then far be it from us to break their backs literally trying to give them a better life they don’t apparently even want.

There’s a big difference to me between humanity, sympathy and being a perennial sucker. I’m inclined to agree that the conflict will not be solved, because and end of the conflict is only being sought by one party. The other party’s entire strategy seems to be perpetuating the conflict at ALL costs. I am cynical maybe, but most of all I am out of patience.

If the Palestinians need money, let them ask their Queen Suha Arafat for the 8 billion dollars in International aid she has stolen from the world be used, I’m sure they will be able to buy bread with 8 billion dollars. Most of us make do with much less, while still finding some out of misplaced sympathy to squander to these people who deserve a swift kick to the head.

You’re a better man than I Neil, I have no sympathy for the devil as the Rolling stones put it. If the Arab world has spent the last 35 years championing the cause of the Palestinians to no end politically as a means to destroy Israel, then let them spend the next 35 years paying the fat Palestinian bill. Good luck to them I say, send me a postcard and let me know how it works out.

Great comments Neil, thanks for your view

That was an interesting read.