Letter from Gaza by a Norwegian doctor, "this,THIS cannot continue."

[appal_jack]

25. Well, I can see where you're coming from.

Well, I can see where you're coming from. You oppose Israel's right to exist. How very enlightened and humanitarian of you.

Are you willing to vacate the Native American land that your home presently occupies? No? Why not?

Regular Israelis I have met just want to live without rockets raining down upon them. They (or their ancestors) were told to move to Israel in the aftermath of one of the more horrible attempts at genocide in recent human history. Yes, some Palestinians were living there, but by 1948 there were not many truly unoccupied regions of the globe. Judea/Palestine/Israel was certainly among the least densely populated back then, and it was also a promised homeland in Jewish texts. Of course, it happens to also be a promised homeland in Islamic texts. As my kid sister used to say: aaawwwwwwkkkwwaaaarrrrd.

These regular Israelis just want to live in the home that was given them by the UN. Many regular Americans (myself included - not a Jew by ancestry or culture or religion, but with many Jewish friends) support them up to and including whatever it takes to prevent existential threats to Israel.

I also support self determination and dignity for Palestinians. Do I have a bright idea about what solution would provide both? Not really. The Clinton Peace Plan of 2000 seemed very fair to this American outsider, for both Israelis and Palestinians. But Arafat walked away from the table and demanded more. Color me unimpressed:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Camp_David_Summit

100% of Gaza and 92% of the West Bank, plus sacred sites such as the Al Aqsa Mosque were on the table; all the Palestinians had to do was say yes and do their part to work for peace. Israel also offered monetary compensation in lieu of a right of return to lands within Israel. Instead, Arafat and the PLO held out for more. Their loss.

-app